Derby 2013 where?

belle vue please ....

No idea. We've had this debate before and it's hard to come up with anything conclusive. Hove would be a prime candidate if not so isolated on the south coast and if the trip was shorter for the faster dogs.

Obviously, i would be delighted if my home track Belle Vue got it. Plenty of Derby dogs have run the track well like Rapid Ranger, Fear Haribo, Fear Zafonic, Wise Thought, Eden Star etc. 470m is a reasonable test, but not sure about maximum occuppancy for a Derby final, far side closed down.

Midlands tracks Hall Green, Perry Barr, Monmore and the new Coventry may be considered. North East, Sunderland surely too sharp but Newcastle possible. Doubt the Derby would be going to Yorkshire?

i think it should be moved to HQ and hold the two derbys at shelbourne

I agree, makes sense.

They will however have to run the early rounds on Wednesday and Thursday nights as we can't let it get in the way off the 600 and Larry Dunne.

they could even hold it at the cross, more like wimbledon

Doncaster is one of the best gallops in the country, with a decent run to the bend. I have not been there, so I don't know what the facilities are like.

take it to monners and there'd be 132 rail seeds 3 mid and a wide.

I find a lot of dogs run off at the final bend at Donny Judge, fascilities basic, not that big but nice home-made cooking in fast food joint. Downstairs and upstairs bars. Sheffield would suit me but 500m too far for some dogs and 480m no good coz of the short run-up

They are probably tired!
When I go racing, I don't care if it's sawdust on the floor, poor facilities, or whatever, as long as the track is right for the Greyhounds and punting.

Long run up and proper gallop = best chance of the best greyhound winning = punters best chance of winning

the best greyhound is rarely the value/correct bet tho...

capacity wise would need to be looked first ,dont think the racing will be put 1st tbh ..

what tracks are big enough ?

coventry?

tho you got the gra thing to contend with,unless the gra doesnt exist anymore?

Any track where the greyhounds start turning for the bend befor the line a huge no, so notts and Sheffield and Kingley are no goes!
Any chance we can teleport shelbourne over!
Good running tracks hove and sittingbourne !

SOW - Save Our Wimbledon

Coventry sticks out.  Midlands location and a good galloping track.  Im sure with Findlay and co involed, the prospect of it holding the Derby would see facilities up to the required level.  Not that ive been there.

Pf I dont think there is anyone who could put their names to S O W
lets be honest Raper. Feltham & Co have been treating the locals like S H I T E  for years and years and years
surely these same people who bemoan the very existence of the GRA
Are not going to stand up and say "SAVE OUR WIMBLEDON" like the Stow crowd have ?

Why can't someone pay the GRA £1 for the rights to the name...The Greyhound Derby

Dunno, but doubt they would stomp up £125k in prize money. Thats what i dont really get. Why the big injection of cash this year, because its likely to be the last one?

If it hasnt changed, i always liked Coventry. Personally, a bit too far to travel for me but usually cleaner races than some tracks and a very large meeting/tote betting hall. Plenty of room on the terraces too but never had a meal in the restaurant there. Dont know if the track itself will be changed when re-opening, Sunday May 20th. Presumably, the standard trip will still be 480m, i think it used to be

Coventry is an absolutely top running track - reminds me a bit of Wembley and watching from the Royal Box.

The GRA are on borrowed time as everyone knows and I would be fascinated to see the legal status of this owning the rights to the name of the race. All it really needs is someone to challenge it, or even call a race the nnnnnnn Greyhound Derby and as long as the prize money is there it will become the feature race on the calendar.

Sure we've already got various Puppy Derbies, a Veteran's Derby and I think we also have
the Maiden Derby somewhere.

Let the GRA take a fit and proper organisation test and they woudl surely fail it, particularly now it seems they have been in cahoots with a property developer all these years. Presumably Clive Feltham and Stephen Rea will deny all knowledge of that.

Surely they could just call it the  Derby or the GBGB Derby.
We already have the East Anglian Derby, the Henlow Derby ...

that was supposed to be the insert sponsored name here Derby. If you put a < and a > either side of the text, it disappears

In case anybody didn't see my post earlier on;


Morrisons have put in bids for 4 other tracks apart from Wimbledon.  Would they be Belle Vue, Oxford, Hall Green & Perry Barr, (not sure about the last one).  Sorry Boys & Girls but unless Roman Abramovich gets bored with football and decides to go into dog racing big time and if that article is to be believed, then this really is THE END OF GREYHOUND RACING.  Don't worry about where to run the Derby, there won't be one.   Very, very sad.