Blue Riband (greyhounds)

{{Short description|Greyhound racing competition}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=March 2024}}

{{Use British English|date=March 2024}}

{{Infobox horseraces

| surface = Sand

| class = Category 1

| horse race = Blue Riband

| image = 150px

| caption = Dempsey Duke, winner in 1992

| location = Towcester Stadium

| inaugurated = 1981

| last run =

| race type =

| sponsor = Greyhound Racing UK

| website =

| distance = 500 metres

| track =

| qualification =

| weight =

| purse = £10,000 (winner)

| bonuses =

}}

The Blue Riband is a greyhound racing competition held annually at Towcester Stadium.

History

It was inaugurated in 1981 at Wembley Stadium as a replacement competition for the Wembley Spring Cup which ended in 1980.{{cite book|last=Genders|first=Roy|title=The Encyclopedia of Greyhound Racing|page =82|year=1981|publisher=Pelham Books Ltd|isbn=07207-1106-1}}{{cite book|last=Genders|first=Roy|title=NGRC book of Greyhound Racing|page =40|year=1990|publisher=Pelham Books Ltd|isbn=0-7207-1804-X}}

Following the end of the Wembley Greyhounds the race transferred to Greyhound Racing Association (GRA) sister track Hall Green Stadium in 1999.{{cite book|last=Hobbs|first=Jonathan|title=Greyhound Annual 2008|page =119|year=2007|publisher=Raceform|isbn=978-1-905153-53-4}} The race was discontinued by the GRA after the 2012 running despite being a category one race.

In 2021, the race returned under the promotion of Kevin Boothby at Towcester Greyhound Stadium and has retained a category 1 status since.{{cite web|url=https://greyhoundstar.co.uk/blue-riband-preview-full-form/ |title=Blue Riband preview and full form |date=8 January 2023 | publisher=Greyhound Star |access-date=30 March 2024}}

Venues & distances

  • 1981–1998 (Wembley, 490 metres)
  • 1999–2012 (Hall Green, 480 metres)
  • 2021–2025 (Towcester, 500 metres)

Sponsors

{{div col|colwidth=22em}}

  • 1988–1998 (Wendy Fair Markets)
  • 1999–2009 (William Hill)
  • 2010–2010 (Stan James bookmakers)
  • 2011–2011 (Betfair)
  • 2012–2012 (Ladbrokes)
  • 2021–2021 (TRC Health & Hygiene)
  • 2022–2022 (Premarket Pets)
  • 2023–2024 (Stadium Bookmakers)
  • 2025–2025 (Greyhound Racing UK)

{{div col end}}

Past winners

class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
width=50|Year

!width=200|Winner

!width=300|Breeding

!width=250|Trainer

!width=80|Time

!width=50|SP

!width=100|Notes/ref

1981

|Arfur Mo ||Carhumore Speech - Monalee Roman ||John Honeysett (Crayford) ||29.47 ||20/1||

1982

|Master Darby ||Sole Aim - Aglish Pilgrim ||Jerry Fisher (Reading) ||29.88 ||7/2||{{cite news |url=https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0000560/19821130/173/0027 |title=Wembley |work=Daily Mirror |date=30 November 1982 |via=British Newspaper Archive|url-access=subscription |access-date=23 January 2025 }}

1983

|Cross Times ||Violet Hall - Full Circle ||Jerry Fisher (Reading) ||30.01 ||7/2||

1984

|Living Trail ||Ivy Hall Solo - Elimron ||John Honeysett (Wembley) ||29.69 ||50/1||

1985

|Lulus Hero ||Sail On II - Lulus Loner ||Gunner Smith (Brighton) ||29.23 ||3/1||{{cite web|url=http://greyhoundstar.co.uk/remember-april-3-2/|title=Greyhound Star (Remember When - April)|date=14 April 2019 |publisher=Greyhound Star}}

1986

|Fearless Champ ||Special Account - Sarahs Bunny ||Geoff De Mulder (Oxford) ||29.04 ||8/11f||{{cite news |url=https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0002139/19860508/045/0045 |title=Top money winners open the battle for data classic |work=Birmingham Mail |date=8 May 1986 |via=British Newspaper Archive|url-access=subscription |access-date=23 January 2025 }}

1987

|Sambuca ||Pat Seamur - Lyons Flora ||Gunner Smith (Brighton) ||29.08 ||16/1||

1988

|Pike Alert ||Security Alert - PC Breda ||Tom Foster (Wimbledon) ||29.18 ||7/1||

1989

|Ring Slippy ||I'm Slippy - Westpark Chill ||Derek Millen (Canterbury) ||29.64 ||3/1||

1990

|Westmead Harry ||Fearless Champ - Westmead Move || Nick Savva (Milton Keynes) ||29.09 ||7/4f||

1991

|Wuncross ||Double Creamery Cross - Wuncoat ||Derek Knight (Hove) ||29.02 ||33/1||

1992

|Dempsey Duke ||Shanagarry Duke - Willowbrook Peg ||Terry Kibble (Bristol) ||28.87 ||2/1jf||

1993

|Hypnotic Stag ||Greenpark Fox - Sister Moonshine || John Coleman (Walthamstow) ||28.85 ||8/13f||

1994

|Ardilaun Bridge ||Adraville Bridge - Cecilia One ||Chris Duggan (Walthamstow) ||29.03 ||11/10f||{{cite book|last=Fry|first=Paul|title=The Official NGRC Greyhound Racing Yearbook|year=1995|pages=20–21|publisher=Ringpress Books|isbn=186054-010-4}}

1995

|Heres Seanie ||Ardfert Sean - Mindys Miracle ||Pat Ryan (Perry Barr) ||28.85 ||2/7f||

1996

|Quick Tune ||Farloe Melody - Lady Be Fast|| Gordon Hodson (Hove) ||29.75 ||5/1||

1997

|Blue Murlen ||Murlens Abbey - Lovely Lovely ||Mick Smith (Private) ||29.07 ||2/7f||

1998

|He Knows ||Slaneyside Hare - I Know You ||Barrie Draper (Sheffield) ||29.22 ||11/4||

1999

|Droopys Merson ||Frightful Flash - Lemon Miss || Nick Savva (Milton Keynes) ||28.53 ||1/1f||{{cite news |url=https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0003741/19990417/075/0075 |title=Dogs |work=Daily Record |date=17 April 1999 |via=British Newspaper Archive|url-access=subscription |access-date=2 April 2024}}

2000

|Vintage Cleaner ||Vintage Prince – Treasure Beo || John McGee Sr. (Private) ||28.20 || 9/4||Track record

2001

|Hollinwood Chief ||Night Trooper – Hollinwood Major ||Mick Clarke (Private) ||28.51 ||7/4f||

2002

|Hollinwood Wiz ||Night Trooper – Hollinwood Major ||Mick Clarke (Private) ||28.45 ||8/1||

2003

|Farloe Verdict ||Droopys Vieri – She Knew ||Charlie Lister (Private) ||28.09 ||5/2||Track record

2004

|Droopys Oasis ||Larkhill Jo – Droopys Graf || Brian Clemenson (Hove) ||28.28 ||5/4f||

2005

|Tuttles Ronaldo ||Droopys Kewell – By The Numbers ||Frank Wright (Coventry) ||28.26 ||7/1||{{cite web|url=http://www.gbgb.org.uk/resultsRace.aspx?id=364167|title=2005 final|publisher=Greyhound Board of Great Britain|access-date=2018-11-04|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181104211110/http://www.gbgb.org.uk/resultsRace.aspx?id=364167|archive-date=2018-11-04|url-status=dead}}

2006

|Westmead Joe ||Larkhill Jo – Mega Delight || Nick Savva (Private) ||28.58 ||13/8f||{{cite web|url=http://www.gbgb.org.uk/resultsRace.aspx?id=420739|title=2006 final|publisher=Greyhound Board of Great Britain|access-date=2018-11-04|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181105012036/http://www.gbgb.org.uk/resultsRace.aspx?id=420739|archive-date=2018-11-05|url-status=dead}}

2007

|Iceman Vader ||Top Honcho – Barrow Tune ||Lance Burford (Coventry) ||28.56 ||4/1||{{cite web|url=http://www.gbgb.org.uk/resultsRace.aspx?id=493667|title=2007 final|publisher=Greyhound Board of Great Britain|access-date=2018-11-04|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181104211052/http://www.gbgb.org.uk/resultsRace.aspx?id=493667|archive-date=2018-11-04|url-status=dead}}

2008

|Farloe Reason ||Droopys Maldini – Farloe Oyster ||Charlie Lister (Private) ||28.24 ||1/2f||{{cite web|url=http://www.gbgb.org.uk/resultsRace.aspx?id=557086|title=2008 final|publisher=Greyhound Board of Great Britain|access-date=2018-11-04|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181104211155/http://www.gbgb.org.uk/resultsRace.aspx?id=557086|archive-date=2018-11-04|url-status=dead}}

2009

|Blonde Fern ||Hondo Black – Returned Fire ||Tony Dean (Private) ||28.06 ||4/1||{{cite web|url=http://www.gbgb.org.uk/resultsRace.aspx?id=621673|title=2009 final|publisher=Greyhound Board of Great Britain|access-date=2018-11-04|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181104211200/http://www.gbgb.org.uk/resultsRace.aspx?id=621673|archive-date=2018-11-04|url-status=dead}}

2010

|Eye {{sic|On|the|hide=y}} Storm ||Droopys Vieri – Bower Louise ||Mark Wallis (Yarmouth) ||28.02 ||8/13f||Track record{{cite web|url=http://www.gbgb.org.uk/resultsRace.aspx?id=682005|title=2010 final|publisher=Greyhound Board of Great Britain|access-date=2018-11-04|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181104211116/http://www.gbgb.org.uk/resultsRace.aspx?id=682005|archive-date=2018-11-04|url-status=dead}}

2011

|Express Shuttle ||Kiowa Sweet Trey – Express Mist ||Chris Allsopp (Monmore) ||28.42 ||11/8f||{{cite web|url=http://www.gbgb.org.uk/resultsRace.aspx?id=742028|title=2011 final|publisher=Greyhound Board of Great Britain|access-date=2018-11-04|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181104211141/http://www.gbgb.org.uk/resultsRace.aspx?id=742028|archive-date=2018-11-04|url-status=dead}}

2012

|Young Sid ||Killahan Panther – Marwood Review ||Paul Young (Romford) ||28.31 ||6/4f||{{cite web|url=http://www.gbgb.org.uk/resultsRace.aspx?id=800193|title=2012 Result|publisher=Greyhound Board of Great Britain|access-date=2016-11-13|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161114165519/http://www.gbgb.org.uk/resultsRace.aspx?id=800193|archive-date=2016-11-14|url-status=dead}}

colspan=7|2013 to 2020 not held
2021

|Kilara Lion||Droopys Jet – Kilara Lizzie||Patrick Janssens (Towcester)|| 29.73||11/8f||{{cite web|url=https://www.gbgb.org.uk/meeting/?meetingId=370336&raceId=711844|title=Towcester Blue Riband|publisher=Greyhound Board of Great Britain |access-date=6 February 2021}}

2022

|Ivy Hill Skyhigh||Taylors Sky – Yahoo Perlena||Mark Wallis (Monmore) || 29.91||7/1||{{cite web|url=https://www.gbgb.org.uk/meeting/?meetingId=381579&raceId=810408|title=THE PREMARKET PETS BLUE RIBAND - FINAL|publisher=Greyhound Board of Great Britain|access-date=4 February 2022}}

2023

|Hopes Paddington||Good News – Charity Anna||Nathan Hunt (Romford)||29.15||9/4||{{cite web|url=https://www.gbgb.org.uk/meeting/?meetingId=393400&raceId=908208 |title=The Stadium Bookomakers Blue Riband final | publisher=Greyhound Board of Great Britain |access-date=30 March 2024}}

2024

|Signet Goofy||Magical Bale – Forest Natalee||John Mullins (Towcester) || 29.39||9/2||{{cite web|url=https://www.gbgb.org.uk/meeting/?meetingId=405910&raceId=1006332 |title=Blue Riband final 2024 | publisher=Greyhound Board of Great Britain |access-date=30 March 2024}}

2025

|Table Toppers|| Droopys Sydney – Dolce Vita || Mark Wallis (Private)||28.72|| 9/4f||{{cite web|url=https://www.gbgb.org.uk/meeting/?meetingId=424016&raceId=1102315 |title=The Greyhound Racing UK Blue Riband Final |website=Greyhound Board of Great Britain |access-date=2 February 2025 }}

References