The publication of the 2024 Open Competition schedule earlier in the week has been mostly well received. Once the TV Trophy, which is currently out to tender, is confirmed, there will be 57 Category 1 competitions scheduled across 15 venues next year. We explored some of the key talking points.
Falling attendances at the tracks should be given a welcome boost with 86% of Category 1 finals being scheduled on weekends. As a result, punters have four ‘Super Saturdays’ and one ‘Super Sunday’ to look forward to. The BGBF Puppy Cup at Oxford kicks things off on Saturday the 20th January, alongside the ARC Cesarewitch at Central Park.
Super Saturdays
Sat 20 Jan Oxford BGBF Puppy Cup 450m Flat
Sat 20 Jan Central Park Arena Racing Company Cesarewitch 731m Flat
Sat 30 Mar Central Park Arena Racing Company Kent Plate 491m Flat
Sat 30 Mar Monmore Premier Greyhound Racing Puppy Derby 480m Flat
Sat 27 Apr Hove Coral Brighton Belle 515m Flat
Sat 27 Apr Perry Barr Arena Racing Company Laurels 480m Flat
Sat 27 Jul Hove Coral Sussex Cup 515m Flat
Sat 27 Jul Hove Premier Greyhound Racing Regency 695m Flat
Sat 27 Jul Oxford Stadium Bookmakers Pall Mall 450m Flat
Super Sunday
Sun 26 May Sheffield 3 Steps to Victory Tri Distance
Sun 26 May Kinsley BresBet Gymcrack 450m Flat
GBGB Racing Operations Executive, Scott Harvey was compelled to answer questions about the lack of marathon competitions on the calendar, with only two on the whole schedule. One of those is the TV Trophy which has not yet been confirmed. Jack Levers raised his concerns on X/Twitter. “Could have put a couple in the cat2 [schedule]. This is supposed to allow us to plan ahead. Might as well send the marathon dogs over to Ireland. Joke tbh”.
Harvey responded to the tweet saying that he would “love for more marathon comps to materialise. You might have seen @bet365 are putting on a Cat 2 Winter Marathon on at Towcester in December. Let’s hope we see more in 2024.”
Promoters have been given added prize money to incentivise participation in Category 2 competitions. Scott Harvey declared that “The maximum added prize money threshold for Cat Two competitions is also set to increase in 2024 to £15,999 allowing promoters to pay more out in the qualifying stages, should they choose to do so.”
Exactly how much additional prize money that will find its way into trainers’ pockets is yet to be seen and some are sceptical. Nevertheless, the increased threshold is well intentioned and likely to lead to some increased prize money being shared.
The North-East does not have a Saturday Category 1 final on the 2024 schedule. The ARC Grand Prix and ARC Classic are both scheduled on Fridays at Sunderland. At Newcastle, The ARC Northern Puppy Derby and The ARC Northern Flat finals will both be run on Thursday evenings. At the same venue, December’s All England Cup will be run on a Friday.
Towcester has the lion’s share of Cat 1 finals with 8 being held at the Northamptonshire Derby venue. Oxford and Hove have 6 apiece; Romford has 5. Of the tracks without Category 1 competitions in 2024, Doncaster, Henlow and Suffolk Downs are rewarded with 9 Category 2 competitions between them.
The Grand National switches to Hove in 2024. Hurdling has returned to the Sussex track with great success this year and should prove to be an excellent host for the competition that will celebrate it’s centenary in 2027. Coppice Fox won the competition in 2023 and he may attempt to defend his crown on the South Coast. Only 3 greyhounds have returned to win the competition twice since its inception, Blossom of Annagura in 1949/1950, Topothetide in 1978/79, and possibly the greatest hurdler of all time, Sherrys Prince, who won three-in-a-row in 1970/71/72.
The use of “trialstakes” to extend the field of entries to competitions has been outlawed by the GBGB. The practice has effectively increased field sizes above the permitted 36 and extended competitions to 4 rounds instead of the stipulated 3.
Category One schedule 2024
| Sat 20 Jan | Oxford | BGBF Puppy Cup | 450m Flat | |
| Sat 20 Jan | Central Park | Arena Racing Company Cesarewitch | 731m Flat | |
| Sun 21 Jan | Towcester | Blue Riband | 500m Flat | |
| Fri 26 Jan | Romford | Coral Essex Vase | 575m Flat | |
| Thu 15 Feb | Newcastle | Arena Racing Company Northern Puppy Derby | 480m Flat | |
| Sat 17 Feb | Monmore | Ladbrokes Winter Derby | 480m Flat | |
| Sat 24 Feb | Crayford | Premier Greyhound Racing Golden Jacket | 714m Flat | |
| Fri 15 Mar | Romford | Coral Golden Sprint | 400m Flat | |
| Mon 18 Mar | Nottingham | BGBF Breeders Stakes | 500m Flat | |
| Sat 23 Mar | Oxford | Star Sports Galaxy Marathon | 845m Flat | |
| Sat 30 Mar | Central Park | Arena Racing Company Kent Plate | 491m Flat | |
| Sat 30 Mar | Monmore | Premier Greyhound Racing Puppy Derby | 480m Flat | |
| Sat 13 Apr | Oxford | bet365 Hunt Cup | 650m Flat | |
| Sun 14 Apr | Towcester | RPGTV Juvenile | 500m Flat | |
| Fri 19 Apr | Sunderland | Arena Racing Company Grand Prix | 640m Flat | |
| Sun 21 Apr | Sheffield | Steel City Puppy Derby | 500m Flat | |
| Sat 27 Apr | Hove | Coral Brighton Belle | 515m Flat | |
| Sat 27 Apr | Perry Barr | Arena Racing Company Laurels | 480m Flat | |
| Sun 28 Apr | Towcester | KAB Maiden Derby | 500m Flat | |
| Sat 18 May | Crayford | Ladbrokes Kent St Leger | 714m Flat | |
| Sun 26 May | Sheffield | 3 Steps to Victory | Tri Distance | |
| Sun 26 May | Kinsley | BresBet Gymcrack | 450m Flat | |
| Fri 14 Jun | Romford | Coral Coronation Cup | 575m Flat | |
| Sat 15 Jun | Central Park | Kent Silver Salver | 277m Flat | |
| Sat 29 Jun | Towcester | Star Sports/TRC English Greyhound Derby | 500m Flat | |
| Sat 20 Jul | Crayford | Ladbrokes Champion Hurdle | 380m Hurdle | |
| Sun 21 Jul | Towcester | Juvenile Classic | 500m Flat | |
| Thu 25 Jul | Newcastle | Arena Racing Company Northern Flat | 480m Flat | |
| Sat 27 Jul | Hove | Premier Greyhound Racing Regency | 695m Flat | |
| Sat 27 Jul | Hove | Coral Sussex Cup | 515m Flat | |
| Sat 27 Jul | Oxford | Stadium Bookmakers Pall Mall | 450m Flat | |
| Sat 24 Aug | Monmore | Ladbrokes Gold Cup | 480m Flat | |
| Sat 24 Aug | Monmore | Ladbrokes Summer Stayers | 630m Flat | |
| Mon 26 Aug | Nottingham | Jenningsbet Puppy Classic | 500m Flat | |
| Mon 26 Aug | Nottingham | Jenningsbet Select Stakes | 500m Flat | |
| Sun 15 Sep | Towcester | bet365 Empress Stakes | 500m Flat | |
| Wed 18 Sep | Yarmouth | East Anglian Derby | 462m Flat | |
| Thu 19 Sep | Swindon | 77th BGBF Produce Stakes | 476m Flat | |
| Sat 21 Sep | Perry Barr | M Lambe Construction Birmingham Cup | 480m Flat | |
| Sat 21 Sep | Perry Barr | Premier Greyhound Racing St Leger | 710m Flat | |
| Fri 27 Sep | Romford | Coral Puppy Cup | 400m Flat | |
| Fri 18 Oct | Romford | Premier Greyhound Racing Champion Stakes | 575m Flat | |
| Sat 19 Oct | Oxford | RPGTV Cowley Puppy Collar | 450m Flat | |
| Sat 19 Oct | Central Park | Premier Greyhound Racing Kent Derby | 491m Flat | |
| Sun 20 Oct | Sheffield | BresBet Steel City Cup | 500m Flat | |
| Sat 26 Oct | Perry Barr | Premier Greyhound Racing Oaks | 480m Flat | |
| Sun 10 Nov | Hove | Coral Grand National | 500m Hurdle | |
| Fri 15 Nov | Sunderland | Arena Racing Company Classic | 450m Flat | |
| Sat 23 Nov | Crayford | Ladbrokes Gold Collar | 540m Flat | |
| Sun 24 Nov | Towcester | RPGTV English Puppy Derby | 500m Flat | |
| Mon 25 Nov | Nottingham | Premier Greyhound Racing Eclipse | 500m Flat | |
| Sat 14 Dec | Oxford | bet365 Challenge Cup | 650m Flat | |
| Sat 14 Dec | Hove | Coral Olympic | 515m Flat | |
| Sat 14 Dec | Hove | George Curtis Ballyregan Bob Memorial 740m | 740m Flat | |
| Sun 22 Dec | Sheffield | BGBF British Bred Derby | 500m Flat | |
| Sun 22 Dec | Towcester | bet365 English Puppy Oaks | 500m Flat | |
| Fri 27 Dec | Newcastle | Premier Greyhound Racing All England Cup | 480m Flat |
Category Two schedule 2024
| Sat 24 Feb | Crayford | Peter Bussey Memorial Trophy | 540m Flat | |
| Sun 10 Mar | Sheffield | Queen Mother Memorial Cup | 660m Flat | |
| Thu 21 Mar | Hove | Coral Springbok | 500m Hurdles | |
| Thu 25 Apr | Suffolk Downs | Suffolk Sprint | 220m Flat | |
| Sat 27 Apr | Hove | Hove Puppy Cup | 500m Flat | |
| Thur 2 May | Suffolk Downs | Suffolk Derby | 388m Flat | |
| Thu 23 May | Newcastle | BGBF Maiden | 480m Flat | |
| Fri 28 June | Sunderland | Arena Racing Company Puppy Cup | 450m Flat | |
| Sat 29 June | Towcester | BGBF Champion Stakes | 500m Flat | |
| Sat 29 June | Towcester | Derby Plate | 500m Flat | |
| Sat 29 June | Towcester | Challenge Trophy | 712m Flat | |
| Sat 29 June | Towcester | Greyhoundtrader.com Stakes | 500m Flat | |
| Thu 25 July | Newcastle | Arena Racing Company Angel of the North | 480m Flat | |
| Sat 27 July | Hove | Coral Sprint Trophy | 285m Flat | |
| Sat 17 Aug | Crayford | Ladbrokes Guys & Dolls Trophy | 380m Flat | |
| Sun 18 Aug | Henlow | Maiden Gold Cup | 550m Flat | |
| Sun 18 Oct | Romford | Coral Silver Standard | 400m Flat | |
| Sat 26 Oct | Perry Barr | Arena Racing Company Scurry Gold Cup | 275m Flat | |
| Sun 8 Sep | Henlow | Betgoodwin Bedfordshire Sprint | 277m Flat | |
| Sat 28 Sep | Doncaster | BGBF St Leger | 661m Flat | |
| Sat 28 Sep | Doncaster | Yorkshire Derby | 483m Flat | |
| Thu 14 Nov | Suffolk Downs | Suffolk Cesarewitch | 714m Flat | |
| Fri 15 Nov | Sunderland | BGBF Future Stars Puppy Trophy | 450m Flat | |
| Sun 8 Dec | Henlow | Maiden Derby | 460m Flat | |
| Thu 12 Dec | Suffolk Downs | Suffolk Gold Cup | 548m Flat | |
| Mon 23 Dec | Nottingham | Arena Racing Company National Sprint | 305m Flat |