UK Greyhound Racing Tracks

Belle Vue Stadium

Kirkmanshulme Ln, Gorton, Manchester M18 7BA | Website

Belle Vue Stadium is located in Manchester and is one of the country’s most popular greyhound racing tracks. It’s been open since 1926 and since then has continued to flourish. Whilst the site has been able to offer a series of other sporting events, such as speedway and stock car caring, it’s greyhound racing that it’s best known for and most popular with.

The Scurry Gold Cup is one of the biggest aces held at Belle Vue and has been competed here since 2009. The site has played host to a good number of other races as well over the years, including the Laurels, Cesarwitch, Oaks, Northern Flat and the Gold Collar, to name just a few.

In 2014 some much needed funds were injected into the track as a result of deal between National Asset Management Agency and Crown Oil Pension Fund, with the latter buying the track for a reported £2.6million. But, as part of the deal it was agreed that the course be leased back until 2028 at a cost of £249,000 per year. Whilst the course has been able to invest some of this money into the upkeep and improvement of the facilities at Belle Vue, the number of high profile races at the stadium has dropped considerably over the last decade or so, which does highlight the decline of the track somewhat.

Brighton and Hove Greyhound Stadium

Nevill Rd, Hove BN3 7BZ | Website

Opened in 1928, the Coral Brighton and Hove Greyhound Stadium as it’s not-so affectionally known is another of the more popular tracks in the county. The stadium lies not too far from the city centre and with it means that it’s able to get a huge number of visitors for the bigger meetings, especially as the vast majority are run on an evening.

Coral have been able to play a significant role in the success of the track since they first got involved 1991. They were eventually to sell the course not long after in order to fund the purchase of several bingo halls from Granada Theatre, but after much negotiating, the Brighton based track was one that was sparred and now is an institution with the Coral brand.

Brighton greyhound racing has a long tradition and history on it’s own, with much of linked to this track. The Brighton-trained greyhound, Ballyregan Bob, shot to fame in 1986 when it won 32 consecutive races in a row, a new world record at the time.

The Sussex Cup is probably the biggest race of the year at the track, having been run since 1972 and having a role to play in greyhound racing in the south of the country. Other top races include the likes of the Regency, Olympic and the Brighton Belle.

Central Park Stadium

Church Rd, Murston, Sittingbourne ME10 3SB | Website

Central Park Stadium can be found in the county of Kent in England. The track is based in Murston, a quiet little town, with Central Park Stadium being one of the highlights for locals. Racing is a popular outing at Central Park, with meetings taking place every Wednesday, Saturday an Sunday throughout the year.

The stadium has been about since 1990, so it’s actually still relatively new in the world of greyhound racing. It can take up to 6,000 people at its capacity, with 2,000 of those being able to be seated, although, these numbers are rarely hit for most race meetings. The construction of the stadium cost £4.5million and at the time, was state of the art.

The Grand National is probably the biggest event that takes place at Central Park. The race has been running at the stadium sine 2012, but it was first run back in 1927, making it one of the oldest races in the UK. Other notable races include the likes of the Kent Derby, Kent Silver Salver, WJ and JE Cearns Invitation, Springbok and the Juvenile, to name just a few.

Crayford Stadium

Stadium Way, Crayford, Dartford DA1 4HR | Website

The Crayford Stadium as we know it today has been about since 1985, but that is because the original stadium, Crayford and Bexleyheath Stadium, which had been running on the site since 1930, was shut down by the then owners Ladbrokes in order to make way for the new site.

This new site was going to offer a much better racing platform for both dogs and the punters and with it included a modern sports stadium as well as the greyhound track. The site took 16 months from demolishing the previous building to opening the doors on the new one. The site of the track is still within the London borough of Bexley, but the decision to remove “Bexleyheath” from the name was taken as it moved to a slightly different spot on the 20-acre plot.

The track itself is said to be one of the fastest in the country, measuring 334m in circumference. The link between Ladbrokes and now Coral given the merger of the two companies in 2017, has meant that both brands get a good amount of exposure on site and as a result are able to tie down some big races. These include the Golden Jacket, Golden Collar, Kent St Leger and the Guys and Dolls races, which offered a chance for both bitches and dogs to run in the same final race after going through qualifying races in the earlier races of the evening.

Doncaster Greyhound Stadium

Meadow Court Stadium, Station Rd, Stainforth, Doncaster DN7 5HS | Website

As the name would suggest, the Doncaster Stadium is based in Doncaster. In fact, it’s located in Stainforth which is a small town, but has quickly become best known for its hosting of greyhound racing at the stadium, such has been the success of the track within the local community. It’s also quickly worth noting that the Doncaster Greyhound Track, that was closed in 1986, has nothing to do with this site.

The track has benefitted from some big names in sport who’ve been able to come in and help with the progression of Doncaster Greyhound stadium. These include the likes of Stephen Grey who had seen a lot of success as manager of Belle Vue Stadium and Mick Smith, who worked at Wembley for a stint. As a result, the track was able to host races such as the TV Trophy, Trainer’s championship and the Yorkshire St Leger, to name just a few.

The track is one of the bigger tracks in operation the minute, measuring 430m in total length. This means that it’s able to offer up races that not all tracks given its uniquely long length. Sky Sports are often at the track as a result of the vibrant atmosphere and calibre of racing that take place at Doncaster.

Drumbo Park

57 Ballyskeagh Rd, Lisburn BT27 5TE | Website

Drumbo Park is one of few that are based in Northern Ireland but are still under the jurisdiction of Irish Greyhound Board rules and regulations. The site is based on County Antrim and actually hosts both football and greyhound racing, which is also highly unique. It holds a capacity crowd of 1,000 for Greyhound racing, 250 of which are seated.

The greyhound track has been part of the stadium since 1994 and with it became the only track to be hosted in the city of Belfast following the closure of Dunmore Stadium. Races take place every Friday and Saturday night and are now part and parcel of the local community and brilliantly well supported. They have been able to secure some big races at the track as well, including the Northern Irish Derby, coming with a £25,000 purse, the richest event ever held in Northern Ireland.

Harlow Stadium

Stadium, The Pinnacles, Roydon Rd, Harlow CM19 5FT | Website

Harlow’s greyhound stadium can be found in Essex, not too far outside of the country’s capital, London. It’s been open since 1995 and is one of the more popular racing tracks in the country, mainly because of the easy commuter links from the city centre of London out to Essex. The track is able to host racing on a Monday, Wednesday and Friday evening, with another meeting on a Sunday morning, making it come of the busiest greyhound tracks in the country.

Over the years the track has changed hands numerous times and there have been some uncertain times throughout that period. But, over the last decade or so it’s been pretty much on solid ground since and with it is now able to offer a good range of live races.

Sky Sports were first able to s how live racing there in 2011 and since then the cameras have been back on a fairly frequent basis. Mark Wallis also went down in history as the Harlow based trainer was able to be the first from the track to win the English Greyhound Derby in 2009, taking home a cheque for £100,000 in the process.

Henlow Stadium

Bedford Rd, Lower Stondon, Henlow SG16 6EA | Website

Henlow Stadium has been about since 1927 and was one of the first of the dedicated sites for the sport to occur. It’s based in Bedfordshire means that it’s able to get a decent catchment for racing fans and as a result host several meetings per week. The process being a part of the “revolution” back in the 1920’s for greyhound racing had definitely set the course in good stead and as a result have been able to offer a strong range of races since.

The course, like so many, has seen several owners over the years, some being more driven towards the sport than others. The current owners are that of businessmen Bob Morton and Kevin Boothby. The pair have owned the track since 2008 and even though Morton has seen huge success breading his own dogs, with the 2-time Derby winner Westmead Hawk being one of the biggest, they have both been dubbed with the recognition that they saved the track from potential redevelopment, something that would have been catastrophic for the sport and the town of Stondon.

Kinsley Greyhound Stadium

96 Wakefield Rd, Kinsley, Pontefract WF9 5EH | Website

Kinsley Stadium has been about since 1939 and is located in Kinsley, a town between Leeds and Doncaster. The track is one of the biggest in the north and is able to serve meetings on a Friday and Saturday night, along with an afternoon meeting on Sunday’s meaning that the weekends are awash with punters and dogs. It also means that the track is fairly quiet through the week, allowing many trainers to come and work with their dogs.

The site is one of the bigger in the country and can hold up to 3,000 spectators at any one time. Even though it opened in 1939, the track has seen significant renovation in that time. In 1985 the then owners John Curran and Keith Murrell changed it from being “just” a track to that of a greyhound racing community. The opened up 45 kennels that could be used on track, as well improving the surface the dogs ran on, new catering facilities, a computer totalizer and a social club that was open all week.

The work that had been undertaken within the track had been rewarded over the years, with several meetings being covered on Sky sports and also allocation of the Television Trophy in 2011. A new track record was set in 2018 by that of Brinkley’s Poet, running 26.95, some 00.07 faster than the previous record.

Monmoore Green Stadium

Sutherland Ave, Monmore Green, Wolverhampton WV2 2JJ | Website

Monmoore Green is one of the biggest and most successful greyhound racing tracks in the country. It’s been open since 1928 and with it has been able to host some of the biggest races as well, more of which we talk about later. The track is based out of Wolverhampton and whilst it serves greyhound meetings 4 days a week, it’s worth noting that it also hosts speedway as well.

The tracks importance comes down to the races that it’s able to host each year. The biggest probably comes in the form of the Ladbrokes Gold Cup, that has been running since 1994. But, on top of that it’s also able to host the Ladbrokes Puppy Derby, Trafalgar Cup, Ladbrokes Gold Cup Festival 630, Ladbrokes Spring Festival 630 and the Ladbrokes Summer Stayers Classic, to name just a few.

The track and facilities have changed quite considerably over the years. In 1963 it was struck with a massive fire that wiped out a huge portion of the stadium and forced an almost total rebuild. in 2011 they were able to win the BAGS National Track Champions and local trainer, Chris Allsopp, was able to pick up the Champion Trainer award.

Newcastle Greyhound Stadium

Fossway, Newcastle upon Tyne NE6 2XJ | Website

Newcastle greyhound stadium is hosted in the heart of Walker, just a few minute’s drive from the city centre of Newcastle. It’s a rough and ready type of track and is one that many of the locals still flock to. It’s been open since 1928 and in that time has seen extensive renovations, resulting in a huge increase in the calibre of racing that now takes place at the track.

The renovations that took place were down to the fact that William Hill purchased the stadium in 2003 and were on the back of a successful renovation job at Sunderland races, just 12 months prior. The track was originally known as Brough Park, but in 2007 it was decided that the name be changed to that of Newcastle Stadium, given that it was now the only track that was left open in the city. As a result of all the hard work, it was awarded the Television Trophy in 2009 and since then has gone on to win many industry awards for the facilities that are on offer.

The takeover of Arena Racing Company in 2017 meant that the track was able to branch out once again, this time getting the illustrious award for hosting the Laurels in 2017 and also hopes to gain category 1 status again as a result.

Nottingham Greyhound Stadium

Colwick Rd, Nottingham NG2 4BE | Website

The greyhound stadium in Nottingham was first opened in 1980, which actually makes it one of the newest stadiums in the UK, even though it’s far from “new” any more. It’s also one of the biggest and able to host some of the best greyhound racing meetings in the country. As a result of all this, it’s capacity crowd of 1,500 is often met, with meetings taking place on a Monday, Friday and Saturday’s evening.

The track measures 437 meters in total length, but due to the sand surface that has ben laid, is one of the better tracks for galloper, so definitely favours  a certain dog type on it. In 1980 the whole project cost just £250,000 to get the stadium built and open, whereas a further £250,000 was invested in 2003 which were to improve the kennel facilities alone.

There are many strong meetings that take place each year at Nottingham, but the standout has to be that of the Select Stakes, which has been running since 1952. The race has famously been won by dogs such as Mile Bush Pride, Jaspers Boy and Domino Storm over the years. Other notable meetings include the Futurity Cup, Grolsch Grand Prix, Betfred Select Stayers Stakes, Caffrey’s Puppy Classic, National Oaks, Autumn Puppy cup, Produce Stakes, Betfred Eclipse and the Stadium bookmaker National Sprint.

Owlerton Stadium

Penistone Rd, Sheffield S6 2DE | Website

Owlerton Stadium is based in the heart of Sheffield and is an iconic feature of the city’s skyline. The site has been open since 1932 and in that time greyhound racing has played a huge role in the success of the site. What’s unique about Owlerton is that over the years they have been able to host a number of sports. Speedway is one that still takes place at the track even to this day, but also that of the Sheffield Eagles rugby league team making use of the inside of the track for their games, although they moved out in 2014.

Known as the “Steel City” the track was very much set up for those who were either working down the mines or within the masses of industrial factories that were thriving at the time. The opening night was said to have over 10,000 people at the track and whilst capacity sits at just over 4,000 now, is still one of the largest and most well-attended tracks in the country.

The course’s two biggest races are probably that of the Steel City Cup and the Three Steps to Victory. The Steel City Cup has been running since 1970 and is the oldest race to take place at Owlerton. It’s often one that trainers from the North consider to be one of the major events of the year. Three steps To Victory was set up in 2003 and is held annually at the track. It’s unique in that consistent of different race distances for each race, meaning different dogs will be able to enter each year.

Pelaw Grange Stadium

Drum Rd, Birtley, Chester-le-Street DH3 2AF | Website

Pelaw Grange is one of the few greyhound stadiums that are based in the North East of England. The site lies between Chester Le Street and Newcastle, in County Durham and has been open since 1944. The Mckenna family took control of the stadium in 1965 and since then they have played a huge role into the success of the track.

For the majority of their reign the track was run unlicensed, meaning that they didn’t need to adhere to greyhound racing laws, which allowed them to offer more races for dogs across the region. The track was still highly popular as a result, but in 2005 the decision was made to be regulated by the National Greyhound Racing Trust and allowed to host some higher prestige races.

The track is now able to run on a Friday, Saturday and Sunday each week, often with substantial crowds over the weekend as well. In 2015 the track celebrated 50 years of the Mckenna’s being in charge of Pelaw with live converge, for the first time, being shown of the meeting on Sky Sports, sponsored by Pin Point Recruitments.

Perry Barr Stadium

Aldridge Rd, Perry Barr, Birmingham B42 2ET | Website

Located in the heart of Birmingham, the Perry Barr Stadium is one of the highlights of the city and with it is able to host some of the best greyhound racing in the country. The site has been open in its current form since 1929 although has undergone major construction work to expand in 2007. The location being next to the university campus has actually made it quite popular with the students to Birmingham City University, an age bracket that many greyhound racing tracks fail to really attract.

The Greyhound Racing Association agreed a deal to take over the site in 2005 worth up to £4.2million and with it were able to invest in the expansion of the stadium. This also came with lucrative races such as the Scurry Gold Cup and the Trainer Championship, although both have now moved on, leaving Perry Barr with only the St Leger as its major race of the year. But, an agreement that was struck by the GRA with the NAMA (National Asset Malmanagement Company) has seen the security of the site until at least 2026, making it one of the most secure tracks in the country.

Peterborough Greyhound Stadium

Fengate, Peterborough PE1 5BP | Website

Peterborough Greyhound stadium is located in Fengate, which is about a mile or so outside of the city centre. The course is one that has been thriving of late and are able to offer up racing throughout the week every Wednesday, Friday and Saturday nights.

The track has gone through a couple of major renovations throughout the years, with the fist coming in 1988. A new £500,000 grandstand was built to allow over 400 more visitors to attend for each meeting. Again, further work was completed in 2003 with a £3million investment that allowed the course to expand further, holding up to 1,000 spectators in total, with all new catering facilities, restaurants, bars and many more.

The 370m track is one of the fastest on the current circuit as well and is a place that a lot of trainers like to come and run younger dogs for the first time in order to get used to the speed. There is a slight gradient on the track, running towards the inside. The silicon sand has been included to prevent freezing. Some of the bigger races at the track include The Peterborough Derby, The Peterborough Puppy Derby, The Peterborough Marathon, The Peterborough Cesarewitch, The Peterborough Puppy Cesarewitch, The Peterborough Fengate Collar and The Peterborough Veterans Derby.

Poole Stadium

Stadium Way, Wimborne Rd, Poole BH15 2BP | Website

Poole Stadium is located in Dorset and is one of the bigger greyhound racing tracks in the UK. The track was built in the 1930s and whilst it’s been able to host all types of sports over the years, was originally set up within the Great Depression as a means to offer some social activates for nearby residents.

Racing at the stadium takes place on a Tuesday, Saturday and Sunday evening. Its facilities are some of the biggest and best and can host over 300 people in the on-course restaurant alone, making it massively popular for businesses and team day’s out as a result.

The Golden Crest is probably the biggest race that the course is currently able to host. It was first run in 1937 and whilst it has not run every year since then, the move back to Poole in 2000 has resurrected this race and once again made it one of the biggest in the country as a result.

On top of greyhound racing, Poole also includes a highly successful Speedway track, which includes a temporary stand allowing just over 7,000 people to attend these meetings as well.

Romford Greyhound Stadium

London Rd, Romford RM7 9DU | Website

Romford is probably one of the most well-known greyhound tracks in the country. It’s owned by that of the Gala Coral Group, who have been able to keep the course a float over some uncertain times over the last decade or so. Its importance was highlighted in 2017 when it became one of just two courses to now reside in and around the London area following the closure of Wimbledon Stadium back in March of that year.

The site is one that has been much celebrated and given that it can hold up to 4,300 fans for any given meeting, makes it one of the biggest tracks in the UK. Whilst the sport is declining in terms of numbers, a full house at Romford is a night that still gets the town talking. The course as a result, has won multiple awards, including that of Racecourse of the Year in 12998 and 2003 awarded by the British Greyhound Racing Board.

There are no fewer than 5 meetings that are held each and every week at the track, giving an idea to its popularity. Sky Sports are frequent visitors tot eh site and often cover meetings such as the Golden Sprint, Champion Stakes, the Puppy Cup and the Essex Vase, to name just a few.

Shawfield Stadium

Rutherglen Rd, Rutherglen, Glasgow G73 1SZ | Website

Shawfield might not be the biggest or the most well-known, but it’s massively important as it’s one of the only greyhound racing tracks that’s north of the border in Scotland. The track has been running since 1898, which makes it the oldest in the UK and given that it’s not too far from Glasgow, still gets a good number of visitors from the city supporting this cracking little greyhound track.

The track has seen it all over the 100+ years it’s been about and whilst it’s greyhound racing that it’s best known for, has also hosted football in the form of Clyde FC and Glasgow Tigers, as well as boxing and athletics, such is the versatility of the track.

Shawfield is a site that many Scottish folk are very proud of, and rightly so as well. Not only has it had to work hard to regain some of their original races such as the Scottish Derby, St Mungo cup and the William King Cup, but they’ve done it in a country that isn’t massive when it comes to the sport of greyhound racing. A £100,000 makeover has helped keep the only licensed greyhound Scotland open.

Sunderland Greyhound Stadium

Newcastle Rd, Sunderland SR5 1RP | Website

Sunderland is one of few greyhound spots that can be found in the North East of England. The track has been open since 1940 and is massively popular with locals and the surrounding area. It’s able to offer meetings on 5 days of the week, which include BAGS meetings as well, making it a favourite within the community. What’s been impressive to see about a Sunderland is that they have been able to thrive in a community that has struggled in recent years.

Track ownership has changed hands several times over the years, with William Hill purchasing it for a reported £9.4million, one of the biggest track acquisitions at the time in 2002. They have since then been able to invest considerable money into maintenance, before in 2017 moving it on to that Arena Racing Company as they quire yet another greyhound racing track, picking up Newcastle Greyhound Stadium at the same time.

The UK William Hill Festival is without doubt the biggest of the year at the track and the meeting gets huge coverage from across the country and is shown live on Sky Sports as a result. It’s also worth tonight hat the track had brief spell of hosting speedway from 1964 through to 1974 and was the home of The Saints, The Stars and The Gladiators in that time.

Swindon Stadium

Lady Lane, Swindon SN25 4DN | Website

Swindon’s greyhound stadium, often commonly referred to as the Abbey Greyhound Stadium, is one of the biggest stadiums in the south of England. It can host up to 2,000 people for a single meeting, but what’s unique is that their attendance figures, in terms of percentage of the stadium full for each meeting, is one of the highest in the country.

The track has been open since 1949, which actually means it’s not that old in comparison to some of the other tracks. It shares the track with that of speedway as well, which definitely adds another dimension in terms of the number of people it gets through the doors throughout the week.

The site has been earmarked to replace the stadium and also build houses on the site as part of a regeneration process. These initial plans were submitted in 2008 and following significant delays, has now been put back to 2018, although at the time of writing, still no work had taken place.

Towcester

London Rd, Towcester NN12 6LB | Website

Towcester Racecourse is back in action and under new management, re-opening its doors to the public in May of 2020 after falling into administration in 2018 due to financial troubles. The track itself originally opened in December of 2014 and is one of the biggest and most iconic tracks in the greyhound racing industry with course itself actually inside of the horse racing track - an idea inspired by the former owner, Lord Hesketh.

It originally cost £1.5 million to construct the 420 metre circuit and the track was formerly host of races, such as the English Greyhound Derby, Champion Hurdle, Puppy Derby, English Greyhound Derby Invitation and The Oaks. The new owners have signed a 10-year lease, relaunching the circuit in the late spring of 2020.

Yarmouth Stadium

Yarmouth Rd, Caister-on-Sea, Great Yarmouth NR30 5TE | Website

Yarmouth is without doubt one of the better looking and better maintained greyhound tracks in the country. It’s been open since 1940 and has seen a number of renovations within that timeframe. What’s been impressive to see is that even though the catchment area is fairly small, it’s been able to bring in big numbers with racing every Monday, Wednesday and Saturday evenings.

In 2006 over £2.5million was injected to create a new grandstand on site and make Yarmouth one of the go-to greyhound racing tracks in the country. Included was a 250-seater restaurant, executive boxes and bars. The renovation work allowed Yarmouth to go on and pick up race such as the TV Trophy in 2007 and 2013, and the Trainers championship in 2013, such were the impressive improvements that had been made to the track. Since then money has been invested into the improvement of the track itself and now play host to the Est Anglian Derby, probably the biggest race at the track each year.