Newcastle stadium manager Ian Walton eagerly anticipates Thursday’s gala event at the Byker venue, featuring four finals, including the Time Greyhound Nutrition Northern Flat and Arena Racing Company Angel Of The North. These Category One and Two finals headline a 12-race card with 10 open races, marking the 88th running of the Northern Flat, a race that dates back to Belle Vue in 1927. Thursday’s 480m race winner will take home £12,500, with five local runners vying for the top prize.
Walton expressed his gratitude to Time Greyhound Nutrition for their first-time sponsorship, noting their engagement with trainers last week and plans for another meet and greet this week. He mentioned a dedicated area in the bar behind the main grandstand restaurant for these interactions.
In last week’s semi-finals, Delvin Cat, trained by Stephen Caile, continued his impressive form with a fifth consecutive win. He led from the outside to secure a three-quarters of a length victory over Romeo Crossfire, who recovered from a first-bend bump to qualify. Delvin Cat’s winning time was 28.42sec (+20).
The second semi-final saw Brian Fairbairn’s Slingshot Sam claim victory with the fastest sectional of the night, 4.50sec, leading to a two-length win over favourite Wicky Ned. Wicky Ned, trained by Jimmy Fenwick, missed the break but finished second in 28.51sec (+10), trailing the Gymcrack champion.
An eventful third semi-final resulted in Nottingham’s Mickys Tribute, trained by Jason Gray, being disqualified for deliberate interference with long-time leader and winner Tonelagee. Tonelagee, trained by Savva Roberts, won by a short head in 28.64sec (+10).
Walton acknowledged the unfortunate incident and the resulting five-runner final but highlighted the high quality of the competitors. He noted that Jimmy Fenwick, last year’s winning trainer with Brookside Richie, returns with Wicky Ned aiming for another victory.
The Arena Racing Company Angel Of The North final also promises excitement, with Kevin Hutton and Barry Denby travelling to the northeast with their finalists. Kevin’s littermates Southfield Daisy and Coppice Ella, along with Barry’s Leighas Dream, make up a strong field. Walton highlighted Leighas Dream’s semi-final win in 28.08sec (+30) as one of the fastest times recorded at Newcastle.