| Kingdom Greyhound Stadium | |
| Location: | Brewery Road, Tralee, County Kerry, Ireland |
| Coordinates: | 52°16'29.9"N 9°42'00.0"W |
| Operator: | Greyhound Racing Ireland |
| Opened: | 1930 |
| Racetype: | greyhound racing |
| Website: | https://www.grireland.ie/go-greyhound-racing/our-stadiums/kingdom-greyhound-stadium/ |
Kingdom Greyhound Stadium is a greyhound racing track located in Tralee, County Kerry, Ireland.[1] It has been known as Oakview Park and the Tralee Greyhound Stadium previously.
Racing takes place every Tuesday, Friday and Saturday evening and the facilities include a grandstand restaurant, fast food facilities, a number of bars, totalisator betting and seating. It also has a large car park around the stadium.[2]
Race distances are 500, 525, 550, 570, and 750 yards and the feature competitions at the track are the Juvenile Classic and the Race of Champions.[3]
A track known as the Ardfert Greyhound track in Ardfert opened in August 1929 but closed the same year as a result of a larger track arriving in Oakview Village nearer to the Tralee town centre. Despite opposition from the local clergy,[4] the first meeting was held on 9 April 1930 at Oakview Park and the circumference was 476 yards making for a nice comfortable course for the greyhounds.[5]
The great Ballyhennessy Seal made his debut here in 1943 followed by Spanish Battleship, Ballymac Ball, Priceless Border and Patricias Hope, a quite remarkable list of greyhounds that graced the track over the years. In addition a series of competitions have been introduced over the years providing the Tralee public with regular annual events. The events were the Bloom 500, Harp Lager Stakes, Rose of Tralee, Clarke Cup, Kingdom Puppy Cup, MonaleeHiker Stakes and the MJ Hannafin Memorial Cup. The last mentioned event the MJ Hannafin Memorial Cup was named in memory of the Racing Manager at the track when it opened in 1930. His brothers to Jerry and Dennis Hannafin were two highly respected trainers in the industry.[5]
MJ Hannafin was Racing Manager until 1950 and then the hot seat was taken up by Kevin Laide for over thirty years before John Ward took over.[6]
At the turn of the 21st century, many Irish tracks received a boost from Greyhound Racing Ireland with refurbishment on the agenda. Tralee was no exception and underwent a major refit with the stadium redesigned for the new Millennium under the ownership of the Board.
Two new competitions the Juvenile Classic and Race of Champions have been introduced and they have quickly established themselves as leading feature events in the Irish racing calendar despite the fact that they have only been inaugurated in recent years.[7] The stadium underwent further upgrading in 2012 following extra investment by Greyhound Racing Ireland.
In December 2023, the stadium renewed the contract agreement (as part of the GRI) with S.I.S for 2024.[8]
| width=100 | Yards | width=200 | Greyhound | width=50 | Time | width=200 | Date | width=250 | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 325 | Flashing Willow[10] | 17.12 | 28 May 2022 | ||||||
| 500 | Beaming Mark | 26.84 | 15 June 2012 | ||||||
| 525 | Daleroad Duke[11] | 27.92 | 8 December 2023 | ||||||
| 550 | Explosive Boy[12] | 29.22 | 12 June 2021 | Race of Champions semi final | |||||
| 570 | Bobsleigh Dream[13] | 30.40 | 11 March 2022 | ||||||
| 750 | Zulu Ella | 41.60 | 17 July 2009 | ||||||
| 525 hurdles | Cashen Zig | 28.88 | 24 July 2009 |
| width=100 | Yards | width=200 | Greyhound | width=50 | Time | width=200 | Date | width=250 | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 315 | Annaghs Pride | 17.65 | 1950 | ||||||
| 315 | Lemond Laddie | 17.45 | 8 May 1958 | ||||||
| 315 | Ballyard Dick | =17.45 | 8 May 1958 | ||||||
| 325 | Upourdat | 17.95 | 20 May 1968 | ||||||
| 325 | Rosslyn Raider | 17.90 | 8 March 1974 | ||||||
| 325 | Glamour Hobo | 17.86 | 15 August 1984 | ||||||
| 325 | True Gold | 17.84 | 1988 | ||||||
| 325 | Beau Amie | 17.76 | 1988 | ||||||
| 325 | Mistreamer | 17.72 | September 1990 | ||||||
| 325 | Michigan Maurice | 17.52 | 30 August 1991 | ||||||
| 325 | Pineapple Mandy | 17.46 | 23 April 1999 | ||||||
| 325 | Cashen Malouda | 17.40 | 30 June 2012 | ||||||
| 325 | Leeview Dave | 17.36 | 18 June 2013 | ||||||
| 325 | Leeview Dave | 17.24 | 21 June 2013 | ||||||
| 325 | Holborn Junior | 17.23 | 17 May 2014 | ||||||
| 325 | Ballymac Sexton[17] | 17.17 | 27 May 2016 | ||||||
| 500 | Sugar Prince | 28.55 | 22 July 1958 | ||||||
| 500 | What About Andy[18] | 27.76 | March 1998 | ||||||
| 500 | Long Charlie | 27.45 | 15 March 2002 | ||||||
| 500 | Annamore Derry | 27.33 | 24 September 2004 | ||||||
| 500 | Scarty Lad | 27.14 | 4 May 2007 | ||||||
| 500 | Mossend Ronnie | 27.14 | 12 November 2010 | ||||||
| 500 | Hernandez | 27.07 | 26 July 2011 | ||||||
| 500 | Characterbuildin | 26.84 | 15 June 2012 | ||||||
| 525 | Roman Emperor | 30.20 | 1950 | ||||||
| 525 | Pouleen Boy | 30.20 | 1950 | ||||||
| 525 | Hobos Choice | 30.20 | 1950 | ||||||
| 525 | Tellus | 29.12 | 2 September 1964 | ||||||
| 525 | Up Early | 29.12 | 29 April 1977 | ||||||
| 525 | Gina Girl | 29.11 | 1978 | ||||||
| 525 | Buck Hall | 28.92 | 1981 | ||||||
| 525 | Court Rain | 28.90 | 17 August 1984 | ||||||
| 525 | Castleland Mac | 28.69 | 26 September 1991 | ||||||
| 525 | Rocking Bob | 28.41 | 29 August 1997 | ||||||
| 525 | Mountleader Rolf | 28.27 | 29 November 2002 | ||||||
| 525 | Deerfield Mover | 28.14 | 14 September 2004 | ||||||
| 525 | Deerfield Sings | 28.11 | 1 July 2011 | ||||||
| 525 | Mind the Net | 28.09 | 13 December 2003 | ||||||
| 525 | Quietly | 28.08 | 13 June 2014 | ||||||
| 525 | Curious Boy | 28.05 | 6 May 2016 | ||||||
| 525 | Ballinabola Ed[19] | 28.03 | 11 March 2022 | Con & Annie Kirby Memorial Trial Stake | |||||
| 550 | Another High Jack | 31.10 | 16 May 1960 | ||||||
| 550 | Footless | =31.10 | 16 May 1960 | ||||||
| 550 | Harpist | 30.76 | 16 July 1976 | ||||||
| 550 | Orange Prince | 30.72 | 1979 | ||||||
| 550 | Attractive Lad | 1980 | |||||||
| 550 | Killaclug Jet | 30.52 | 1980 | ||||||
| 550 | Realtins Best | 30.40 | 29 April 1983 | ||||||
| 550 | Ardfert Sean | 30.18 | 2 December 1988 | ||||||
| 550 | Cape Prince | 29.78 | 28 July 1995 | ||||||
| 550 | Annamore Billy | 29.70 | 30 July 2002 | ||||||
| 550 | Goldstar Premier | 29.64 | 20 May 2005 | ||||||
| 550 | Melodys Pat | 29.62 | 6 June 2008 | ||||||
| 550 | Dromore Dazzler | 29.61 | 8 October 2010 | ||||||
| 550 | Deerfield Music | 29.52 | 17 June 2011 | ||||||
| 550 | Farloe Trent | 29.43 | 21 June 2013 | Race of Champions | |||||
| 550 | Native Chimes[20] | 29.40 | 9 June 2017 | Race of Champions semi final | |||||
| 550 | Good News | 29.34 | 9 June 2017 | Race of Champions semi final | |||||
| 570 | Sirius | 31.34 | 8 April 1969 | ||||||
| 570 | Wise Commander | 31.14 | 26 September 1996 | ||||||
| 570 | Three Hells Bells | 30.88 | 17 June 2003 | ||||||
| 570 | Green Heat | 30.75 | 30 August 2008 | ||||||
| 570 | Raparee Polly | 30.62 | 17 February 2009 | ||||||
| 570 | Toms Brett | 30.62 | 30 June 2012 | ||||||
| 600 | Glittering Smack | 33.65 | 1960 | ||||||
| 750 | Slow Motion | 42.40 | 29 May 1981 | ||||||
| 750 | Easter Tidings | 42.15 | 25 May 1999 | ||||||
| 750 | I'm Only Sal | 42.06 | 10 December 2004 | ||||||
| 750 | Sahara Abbey | 42.03 | 4 June 2005 | ||||||
| 750 | Iflookscouldkill | 41.88 | 8 December 2006 | ||||||
| 750 | Iflookscouldkill | 41.79 | 21 July 2007 | ||||||
| 750 | Shakira Live | 41.70 | 2 January 2009 | ||||||
| 812 | Kertogue Sarah | 45.90 | 22 July 1983 | ||||||
| 525 H | Nervy Peggy | 30.68 | 30 June 1961 | ||||||
| 525 H | Ballyard Hurdler | 29.85 | 18 August 1973 | ||||||
| 525 H | Keen Captain | 29.32 | 16 September 2003 | ||||||
| 525 H | Queen Christine | 29.21 | 4 June 2005 |