Greyhound racing back in the spotlight
Having suffered a long period in the doldrums, since the closure of flagship track Walthamstow in August 2008, greyhound racing received a major boost recently when a three-way dead heat in a 925metres race at Romford, put the sport onto the front pages of national newspapers across the country.
The fact that the race was aired to a national audience via Sky Sports was a further bonus and it is hoped that the sport will take advantage of this positive and really win a place back in the British public's heart. Fans of greyhound betting will have been delighted the sport is once against being taken seriously.
Full credit should be given to Romford though, as the track management were lightning quick to organise a rematch between the three greyhounds: Killishin Masai, Droopys Djokovic and Ayamzagirl. Again
Sky Sports covered the event, through their 24-hour news channel, however this time the three runner affair was far less exciting. Droopys Djokovic the youngest and least experienced of the trio, quickly got loose at the head of affairs, and despite the brief threat posed by Ayamzagirl with a circuit to go, kept on well to land the spoils, by a comfortable margin of over two lengths.
The race itself though is not the main story here, it's the fact that so much coverage was given to greyhound racing. It shows the sport still has a place in the hearts of people in the UK and if the sport is marketed well and popular tracks are kept open, the sport can once again thrive. If you are reading this and have never been to the dogs before, give it a try, it is a fantastic night out.
