Arena Racing Company Grand Prix Explained

Surface:Sand
Class:Category 1
Horse Race:Arena Racing Company Grand Prix
Location:Sunderland
Inaugurated:2007
Sponsor:Arena Racing Company
Distance:640 metres
Purse:£12,500 (winner)

The Arena Racing Company Grand Prix (formerly the William Hill Grand Prix) is a greyhound racing competition inaugurated in 2007. It was held at Sunderland over 640 metres and formed part of a festival of racing at the track which also included the Classic.[1] The race is not to be confused with the defunct classic race The Grand Prix formerly held at Walthamstow before its closure.[2] [3]

Prize money levels were significant which propelled the race to Category One status but the new stadium owners Arena Racing Company (who bought the stadium in 2017) did not run the event during 2019 and 2020.[4] [5]

Distances & Venues

Sponsors

Past winners

width=50Yearwidth=180Winnerwidth=280Breedingwidth=250Trainerwidth=80Timewidth=50SP
2007Go Edie Honda Hondo Black – Mind The WayGraham Hutt (Private) 39.24 sec 2–1f
2008Lenson Joker Kiowa Sweet Trey – Free To AirTony Collett (Sittingbourne) 39.29 sec 4/6f
2009Crown Rover Hallucinate – Saleen ChloeJimmy Wright (Newcastle) 40.27 sec 2/1
2010England Expects Westmead Hawk – Move Over MarieJimmy Wright (Newcastle) 39.50 sec 6/1
2011Blonde Fletch Black Shaw – Glebe StaplerMark Wallis (Yarmouth) 39.45 sec 7/4f
2012Swabys Princess Westmead Hawk – Droopys RenaPaul Young (Romford) 40.49 sec 6/1
Hometown Honey+[6]
Calzaghe Lilly+
Hometown Boy Nga – Swift Blitz
Droopys Scolari – Flying Winner
Mark Wallis (Yarmouth)
Ted Soppitt (Private)
39.95 sec
39.95 sec
5/1
1/1f
2014Farley Rio Head Bound – Yellow SubmarineKevin Boon (Yarmouth) 39.40 sec 4/1
2015Bubbly Gold [7] Hondo Black – Spioraid CathPaul Young (Romford) 39.79 sec 4/1
2016Pinpoint Boom [8] Shaneboy Lee – Newmarket WayKelly Macari (Sunderland) 39.27 sec 2/5f
2017Cloran Paddy [9] Kinloch Brae – Russelena BarbieCharlie Lister OBE (Private) 39.72 sec 2/1
2018Bombers Bullet[10] Droopys Cain – Headford Hoe 39.10 sec 9/4
2019 to 2020 not held
2021Coolavanny Bani[11] Droopys Sydney – Toms DelightAngela Harrison (Newcastle) 39.21 sec 7/2
2022Coolavanny Aunty[12] Droopys Sydney – Yahoo KatieAngela Harrison (Newcastle)39.07 sec 4/9f
2023Coonough Crow[13] Eden the Kid – Coonough Dolly Mark Wallis (Suffolk Downs) 39.40 sec 9/4f
2024Farneys Willie[14] Out Of Range ASB – Rathronan Abbey Richard Wales (Private) 39.33 sec 9/2
+ dead heat

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Home . thedogs.co.uk.
  2. Web site: Walthamstow Grand Prix. Greyhound Data. 21 April 2021. subscription.
  3. Web site: Past Winners - William Hill Grand Prix. UKdogracing.net.
  4. Web site: Sunderland Classic Set to go Ahead/. 29 April 2019. Greyhound Star.
  5. Web site: Category 2 events. Greyhound Board of Great Britain. 27 February 2021.
  6. Web site: 2013 Grand Prix final. Greyhound Data. 21 April 2021. subscription.
  7. Web site: 2015 Result. Greyhound Board of Great Britain.
  8. Web site: 2016 Result. Greyhound Board of Great Britain.
  9. Web site: 2017 Grand Prix. Greyhound Board of Great Britain. 2017-07-28. 2017-07-29. https://web.archive.org/web/20170729025959/http://www.gbgb.org.uk/resultsRace.aspx?id=2002283. dead.
  10. Web site: Grand Prix 20.37 Race. Greyhound Board of Great Britain. 2018-07-19. 2018-07-19. https://web.archive.org/web/20180719173830/http://www.gbgb.org.uk/resultsMeeting.aspx?id=161035. dead.
  11. Web site: THE ARC GRAND PRIX FINAL. Greyhound Board of Great Britain . 21 April 2021.
  12. Web site: The Arena Racing Company Grand Prix Final. Greyhound Board of Great Britain . 4 May 2022.
  13. Web site: 2023 Arena Racing Company Grand Prix Final . Greyhound Board of Great Britain . 23 April 2023.
  14. Web site: The ARC Grand Prix 2024 Final . Greyhound Board of Great Britain . 20 April 2024.