We may only be heading into the third month of 2022, but it has been a great start to this year’s greyhound racing calendar with some fantastic Category One finals having already taken place since the new season got underway at the end of January — including the Essex Vase (Coolavanny Aunty), the Blue Ribband (Ivy Hill Skyhigh), the Northern Puppy Derby (Freedom Alibi) and the Golden Jacket (Ballymore Sally).
March is always an exciting month for racing fans, with the Cheltenham Festival —arguably the most prominent figure in the jumps racing world — taking place at Prestbury Park midway through the month, but there is also plenty for greyhound racing’s small, yet dedicated following to look forward to and have them scouring sites like Betdaq looking for the best odds.
That said, let’s take a look at some of the big Category One finals to keep an eye out for next month. Read on to find out more!
18 March: Golden Sprint – Romford Stadium
The first top-category final of the month, the Golden Sprint will conclude at Romford Stadium in Essex on March 18th — clashing with the iconic Gold Cup Day at Cheltenham. Inaugurated in 1987, the Golden Sprint is contested over a distance of 400 metres and boasts a prize purse of £10,000. Patrick Janssens has won the race for the last two years in a row with Goldies Hoodle (2020) and Bockos Jon Jo (2021), so it will be interesting to see if the Belgian trainer can make it a hat-trick next month.
19 March: Midland Puppy Derby
Not to be confused with the Puppy Derby itself, which will take place at Towcester on Boxing Day, the Midland Puppy Derby at Monmore Green Stadium is still one of the biggest races of the year for juvenile dogs. First raced at the Wolverhampton-based track in 1943, the Category 1 competition has a rich history. The final takes place over a distance of 480m and boasts a slightly bigger winning prize pot that the Golden Sprint at £12,500.
21 March: Nottingham Breeders Stakes
This is proving to be a very busy four-day stretch in the greyhound racing season, with the gruelling Towcester Marathon, also worth £12.5k to the winner, taking place at the Northamptonshire track on March 20th. But we’re going to focus on the Nottingham Breeders Stakes. Starting at Harringay in 1983, the Category One outing has had various homes in its almost 40-year history, including Wembley and Hall Green, but it has been homed at Nottingham since 2009. Liz McNair’s Queen Dolly and King Louis have won the last two renewals of the £6,500 contest.
30 March: Northern Flat
One of the very few Category Ones to take place outside of the Midlands, arguably the new hub of British greyhound racing as the likes of Sheffield, Perry Barr, Towcester and Nottingham host the majority of the biggest races, the Northern Flat will take place at Newcastle on March 30th. Dating back to 1927, the 480m race is one of the oldest meetings remaining on the calendar and will hopefully be around for a while yet after being rehomed in the North East last year after the closure of Belle Vue.
Robert Griffith is a content and essay writer. He is collaborating with local magazines and newspapers. Robert is interested in topics such as marketing and history.
