All systems are go at Sunderland Greyhound Stadium in the next fortnight as the track hosts its most prestigious competition of the year, the Premier Greyhound Racing Classic.
And one local handler is hoping to become only the third trainer attached to the Newcastle Road venue to lift the trophy since it was first presented in 2007.
Carl Jackson has entered new recruits Droopys Sort and Ballymac Deboss into the £20,000 competition which begins on Friday and climaxes with a sparkling finals night on November 21.
The Durham trainer has won one Category One competition – the highest grade of UK greyhound racing – in his career when Watchall Sid scooped the BGBF Puppy Cup at Oxford in 2023.
But he now hopes to double that tally and has every reason to be optimistic after Droopys Sort – formerly owned by connections of English Greyhound Derby champion Droopys Plunge – clocked a 26.90 trial time over course and distance last week.
Carl said: “He (Droopys Sort) looks a really nice type and we were pleased with his pre-competition trial last week.
“He looks to be a proper railer, so we’re delighted to be drawn in trap one. But there is a lot of early pace in the race so he’ll need to be quick out of the boxes to qualify.
“Ballymac Deboss we purchased as an older greyhound who runs the Sunderland track well. I didn’t have much intention of entering him into the competition to be truthful.
“But when he won a trial stakes last week we’d be silly not to.”
Carl runs a small operation with eight racing greyhounds in his kennel, including Crafty Regalo who will run in a Category Three Maiden final on the same evening.
It’s a welcome bonus for Carl, who retired SR Transport Dual Distance Final champion Lion Heart earlier this year after his perfect, forever, home was secured.
Carl added: “When one greyhound retires, we often find another moves in quite quickly.
“Lion Heart was a wonderful greyhound for us and I’m delighted to see him so settled with his new family.
“Crafty Regalo has shown us some promising early signs so he’s a greyhound to be very excited about for the future.”
Other local runners include Dean Blackbird’s trio Hoffa Epic, Untold Euro and That’s It Jack who run in heats two, five and six respectively. County Durham handler Mark Bulmer also runs recent Category Three competition winner Cunnigar King in Heat Two.
Tickets for the Premier Greyhound Racing Classic heats on Friday, November 7, are available online and can be purchased via www.sunderland-greyhounds.co.uk.
The venue is operating its Back on Track initiative for all fixtures until November 15 where punters can take advantage of 25% off all admission, trackside deal and restaurant packages.
Doors open at 6.15pm, with the first of 12 races on the night off at 7.08pm.
2025 Premier Greyhound Racing Classic draw:
Heat One: Zenith Impact, Sunnyside Jayden, No Better Feelin, Salsa Dynamite, Meenagh Minsk, Brindle Bully.
Heat Two: Salacres Senan, Romeo Steel, Cunnigar King, Grantstown, Santas Amigo, Hoffa Epic.
Heat Three: Cunnigar Yousir, Carrick Fergie, Bouncing Monarch, Bogger Darling, Not So Slow, Coolavanny Mercy.
Heat Four: Droopys Sort, Kilara Berb, Bockos Buster, Tiermana Lucky, Madabout Peck, Slingshot Gazza.
Heat Five: Newinn Souly, Unanimous Leon, Untold Euro, Slingshot Poppy, Ballymac Deboss, Toddys Tank.
Heat Six: That’s It Jack, Deerjet Rocket, Sunnyside Gurkha, Whitehills Titan, Salacres Slick, Top Trippett.
