2026 in UK and Ireland greyhound racing

2026 in UK and Ireland greyhound racing

2026 in UK and Ireland greyhound racing is the 101st year of greyhound racing in the United Kingdom and also marked the centenary of greyhound racing in the United Kingdom.[1][2] It is also the 100th year of greyhound racing in Ireland.[3]

Summary

The Greyhound Board of Great Britain (GBGB) announced its Category One and Two schedules for 2026 on 5 December 2025, with eleven races worth £20,000 or more to the winner.[4][5] Greyhound Racing Ireland (GRI) released its Classics and Features calendar towards the end of 2025, with eleven races worth over €20,000 or more to the winner.[6]

At the annual British greyhound of the year awards Proper Heiress won the 2025 greyhound of the year for champion trainer Mark Wallis.[7] Mongys Wild also trained by Wallis won two awards (stayer and marathon performer of the year)[7] and subsequently won the first £20,000 Category One race of the year after winning the Golden Jacket.[8] Mongys Wild (a white and fawn dog) had already won the former classic event the ARC Cesarewitch in January at Central Park.[9]

Amendments to the Rules of Racing introduced by the Greyhound Board of Great Britain (GBGB) came into effect in Great Britain on 1 January 2026, including new requirements on licensing information, greyhound retirement and injury policies at racecourses, and the publication of withdrawal reasons.[10]

On 26 January 2026, Greyhound Racing Ireland (GRI) told the Irish Government in a pre-budget submission that rising welfare, veterinary and rehoming costs were placing increasing financial pressure on trainers and owners despite a recovery in attendance and commercial income. It said higher feed, transport and veterinary expenses were threatening the commercial viability of some participants and suggested that the Department of Agriculture could provide support through direct funding or VAT reductions. It also said that rehoming retired racing greyhounds had become increasingly difficult, with the number of dogs rehomed falling from 2,234 in 2021 to 1,100 in 2024.[11]

On 28 January 2026, amendments to the Prohibition of Greyhound Racing (Wales) Bill were considered during Stage 2 proceedings in the Senedd. The bill, which would make it an offence to operate a greyhound racing stadium or organise greyhound racing in Wales, had previously been approved in principle by the Senedd in December 2025 and is now at Stage 3 of the legislative process, where MSs may table further amendments for debate and voting in plenary.[12] Stage 3 proceedings were scheduled to be debated in the Senedd on 10 March 2026.[13]

On 29 January 2026, the Scottish Parliament voted 69–27 at Stage 1 in favour of the Greyhound Racing (Offences) (Scotland) Bill, introduced by MSP Mark Ruskell, which proposes banning greyhound racing in Scotland.[14] During the debate, Minister for Agriculture Jim Fairlie said the bill would prevent racing from resuming at the Thornton track and that the Scottish Government supported the legislation because racing greyhounds on oval tracks involved inherent welfare risks that could not be eliminated through licensing or good practice.[15] The GBGB opposed the bill and criticised the proposal following the vote.[16]

On 5 February 2026, the Oireachtas Committee of Public Accounts was told that €19 million from the Horse and Greyhound Racing Fund had been issued to GRI in 2024.[17]

On 18 February 2026, the Greyhound Racing (Offences) (Scotland) Bill completed Stage 2 scrutiny in the Rural Affairs and Islands Committee, where amendments were considered before the bill proceeded to Stage 3. No amendments were lodged at Stage 3 and the final debate and vote on whether to pass the bill were scheduled for 12 March 2026 in the Scottish Parliament.[18]

Major honours

Major Winners
Award Name of Winner
2026 English Greyhound Derby
2026 Irish Greyhound Derby
GBGB Greyhound Trainer of the Year
GBGB Greyhound of the Year
GRI Greyhound of the Year

Principal British finals

Principal Irish finals

Calendar and results

Date Competition Venue 1st prize Winner
17 Jan ARC Cesarewitch Central Park £12,500 Mongys Wild[19][9]
23 Jan Coral Essex Vase Romford £10,000 Tiffield Tarquin[20]
19 Feb ARC Northern Puppy Derby Newcastle £12,500 Woltemade[21]
21 Feb Golden Jacket Monmore £20,000 Mongys Wild[22]
28 Feb Ladbrokes Winter Derby Monmore £10,000 Bruce Bay[23]
28 Feb Tote Gold Cup Shelbourne €16,000 Coloursaregreen[24]
7 Mar Juvenile Classic Tralee €10,000 Ballymac Deniro[25]
8 Mar Time Irish Cesarewitch Mullingar €10,000 Ballinabola Joe[26]
14 Mar Sandy Lane Sprint Oxford £3,000 Beaming Isla[27]
16 Mar BGBF British Breeders Stakes Nottingham £12,500
20 Mar Coral Golden Sprint Romford £10,000
20 Mar The Deadly Kennels McCalmont Cup Kilkenny €15,000
28 Mar Premier Greyhound Racing Puppy Derby Monmore £20,000
29 Mar ARC Kent Plate Central Park £12,500
29 Mar bet365 Hunt Cup Oxford £10,000
4 Apr Bresbet Easter Cup Shelbourne €25,000
11 Apr Arena Racing Company Laurels Dunstall Park £12,500
19 Apr KAB Maiden Derby Oxford £10,000
18 Apr Arena Racing Company Grand Prix Sunderland £12,500
18 Apr Con & Annie Kirby Memorial Limerick €80,000
25 Apr Coral Brighton Belle Hove £10,000
26 Apr BresBet Gymcrack Sheffield £17,500
2 May Droopys Stud Select Stakes Waterford €10,000
2 May Shelbourne 600 Shelbourne €15,000
4 May Carrick Aldo at stud National Produce Clonmel €20,000
17 May Oxfordshire Sprint Oxford tbc
6 Jun Star Sports & TRC Events & Leisure English Greyhound Derby Towcester £175,000
12 Jun Callaway ProAm at Stud Race of Champions Tralee €15,000
13 Jun Sporting Press Online Oaks Shelbourne €25,000
27 Jun ARC Kent Silver Salver Central Park £12,500
27 Jun Donal Beatty Memorial Corn Cuchulainn Shelbourne €10,500
4 Jul Centenary Agri Tipperary Cup Thurles €7,200
4 Jul Boylesports Champion Stakes Shelbourne €20,000
5 Jul Time Three Steps to Victory Sheffield £10,000
10 Jul Coral Coronation Cup Romford £10,000
10 Jul Guys and Dolls Romford tbc
12 Jul Time Dundalk International Dundalk €20,000
12 Jul Time Greyhound Nutrition Juvenile Towcester £10,000
23 Jul Time Greyhound Feed Northern Flat Newcastle £12,500
23 Jul ARC Angel of the North Newcastle £7,500
25 Jul Time Irish Puppy Derby Shelbourne €25,000
26 Jul Pall Mall Oxford £10,000
1 Aug Coral Sussex Cup Hove £10,000
1 Aug Premier Greyhound Racing Regency Hove £20,000
14 Aug Bar One Racing Irish Sprint Cup Dundalk €20,000
22 Aug Ladbrokes Summer Stayers Classic Monmore £10,000
22 Aug Ladbrokes Gold Cup Monmore £10,000
31 Aug ARC Puppy Classic Nottingham £12,500
31 Aug ARC Select Stakes Nottingham £12,500
12 Sep Boylesports Irish Greyhound Derby Shelbourne €125,000
16 Sep Click Competitions East Anglian Derby Yarmouth £15,000
18 Sep Coral Romford Puppy Cup Romford £10,000
19 Sep ARC Birmingham Cup Dunstall Park £12,500
19 Sep PGR St Leger Dunstall Park £20,000
20 Sep 77th Produce Stakes Towcester £10,000
11 Oct Untold Racing Stewards Cup Star Pelaw tbc
17 Oct BarOne Racing Irish Laurels Cork €30,000
17 Oct Premier Greyhound Racing Kent Derby Central Park £20,000
18 Oct Steel City Cup Sheffield £11,500
23 Oct Premier Greyhound Racing Champion Stakes Romford £20,000
24 Oct Premier Greyhound Racing Oaks Dunstall Park £20,000
2 Nov Puppy Collar Oxford £10,000
8 Nov Coral Gold Collar Hove £10,000
8 Nov George Curtis/Ballyregan Bob Memorial Hove £10,000
20 Nov Premier Greyhound Racing Classic Sunderland £20,000
21 Nov Callaway Pro Am at Stud Irish St Leger Limerick €30,000
29 Nov bet365 Challenge Cup Oxford £10,000
30 Nov Premier Greyhound Racing Eclipse Nottingham £20,000
12 Dec Coral Olympic Hove £10,000
20 Dec bet365 Puppy Oaks Oxford £10,000
21 Dec ARC National Sprint Nottingham £7,500
26 Dec Premier Greyhound Racing All England Cup Newcastle £20,000

To be arranged/confirmed

References

  1. ^ "Celebrating 100 Years of Greyhound Racing in Great Britain". Greyhound Board of Great Britain. Retrieved 24 February 2026.
  2. ^ "Greyhound Racing". South Gloucestershire Gazette. 24 July 1926. Retrieved 9 March 2026 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  3. ^ "Belfast's New Sport". Northern Whig. 19 April 1927. Retrieved 9 March 2026 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  4. ^ "GBGB Announce Category One and Two Racing Schedule". Greyhound Board of Great Britain. 5 December 2025. Retrieved 29 December 2025.
  5. ^ "Premier Greyhound Racing release their 2026 schedule". Greyhound News UK. 22 December 2025. Retrieved 29 December 2025.
  6. ^ "2026 Classics and Features Calendar Released". Greyhound Racing Ireland. Retrieved 29 December 2025.
  7. ^ a b "Heiress sees off Mongys for Greyhound of the Year title". Racing Post. 5 March 2026. Retrieved 6 March 2026.
  8. ^ "Mongys Wild shades a Golden Jacket thriller". Racing Post. 22 February 2026. Retrieved 6 March 2026.
  9. ^ a b "Mongys runs Wild with new track record in the Arena Racing Cesarewitch". Greyhound News UK. 25 January 2026. Retrieved 7 February 2026.
  10. ^ "Rule Amendments – 1 January 2026 (Rules 2A, 4A, 6, 18, 69A and 102B)" (PDF). Greyhound Board of Great Britain. Greyhound Board of Great Britain. 1 January 2026. Retrieved 8 March 2026.
  11. ^ Foxe, Ken (26 January 2026). "Greyhound Racing Ireland sought State support as welfare and rehoming costs rose". The Irish Times. Retrieved 8 March 2026.
  12. ^ Orford, Katy (12 February 2026). "Prohibition of Greyhound Racing (Wales) Bill: what happened at Stage 2?". Senedd Research. Welsh Parliament. Retrieved 8 March 2026.
  13. ^ "Prohibition of Greyhound Racing (Wales) Bill". Senedd Business. Senedd Cymru (Welsh Parliament). Retrieved 8 March 2026.
  14. ^ Paton, Craig (30 January 2026). "MSPs back greyhound racing ban at first stage". The Herald. Retrieved 6 March 2026.
  15. ^ "Meeting of the Parliament: 29 January 2026 – Greyhound Racing (Offences) (Scotland) Bill: Stage 1". Scottish Parliament. Retrieved 7 March 2026.
  16. ^ "Statement: Bill to ban greyhound racing in Scotland proceeds to Stage Two despite cross party opposition". Greyhound Board of Great Britain. 30 January 2026. Retrieved 6 March 2026.
  17. ^ "Committee of Public Accounts debate – Chapter 14: Bovine TB Eradication Programme". Houses of the Oireachtas. 5 February 2026. Retrieved 8 March 2026.
  18. ^ "Greyhound Racing (Offences) (Scotland) Bill". Scottish Parliament. Scottish Parliament. Retrieved 10 March 2026.
  19. ^ "Arena Racing Company Cesarewitch Final". Greyhound Board of Great Britain. Retrieved 7 February 2026.
  20. ^ "Coral Essex Vase Final". Greyhound Board of Great Britain. Retrieved 7 February 2026.
  21. ^ "Arena Racing Company Northern Puppy Derby Final". Greyhound Board of Great Britain. Retrieved 6 March 2026.
  22. ^ "Mongys Wild shades a Golden Jacket thriller". Racing Post. 22 February 2026. Retrieved 6 March 2026.
  23. ^ "LADBROKES WINTER DERBY 2026 FINAL". Greyhound Board of Great Britain. Retrieved 6 March 2026.
  24. ^ "Coloursaregreen gives Hennessy remarkable eighth Gold Cup title". SIS Racing. 1 March 2026. Retrieved 6 March 2026.
  25. ^ "Deniro talking as Dowling claims Juvenile Classic for a fourth time". SIS Racing. Sports Information Services Limited. 7 March 2026. Retrieved 8 March 2026.
  26. ^ "Results: Mullingar – 8 March 2026". Greyhound Racing Ireland. Greyhound Racing Ireland. Retrieved 9 March 2026.
  27. ^ "Locke Beaming as Isla sees off big guns in Sandy Lane Sprint". SIS Racing. 15 March 2026.
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