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Henlow Stadium

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Coordinates: 52°00′32″N 0°18′28″W / 52.00895°N 0.30784°W / 52.00895; -0.30784
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Henlow Stadium
Map
LocationBedford Road, Lower Stondon, Henlow SG16 6EA
Coordinates51°46′19″N 0°03′49″E / 51.77194°N 0.06361°E / 51.77194; 0.06361
Opened1927
Tenants
Greyhound racing

Henlow Stadium is a greyhound track located at Stondon, in the English county of Bedfordshire, slightly to the north of Hitchin.[1] The stadium has a restaurant, a number of bars and a bistro.

Racing takes place every Monday and Thursday morning, Tuesday evening and Saturday and Sunday afternoon.

History

20th Century

During the boom time of greyhound racing in 1927 Henlow was one of many tracks appearing around Britain, the site at Henlow Camp was previously a straights track starting in 1923. Racing got underway on 1 August 1927 but the track was to remain independent (unlicensed) for nearly fifty years. The stadium located on the Bedford Road, Lower Stondon in an area known as Henlow Camp named after the First World War RAF Henlow but now a civilian settlement. In the early days of racing the hare was a drag lure driven by a lorry wheel and racing was watched from the Ickleford side of the track. There were issues in the early thirties when due to the popularity of Sunday racing the crowds unintentionally but continually blocked the main road when frequenting the track. In 1935 the track licence changed hands from H.E Day to A.A Furr.[2]

Henlow remained a popular flapping track and had a capacity of just 1,000 spectators after the Second World War following a switch of viewing facilities to the other side of the track still used today. In the late fifties the Smith family took over the running of the track and in the late sixties racing was held on Monday and Friday evenings at 7.45pm over distances of 350, 530 and 880 yards. The circumference was 470 yards and the principal event was the Henlow Derby. There was an inside Sumner hare on an all sand track with seven bookmakers on site. Totalisator and photo finish had also been installed.[3]

In 1974 Come on Wonder (full litter brother to Dolores Rocket) broke track records at West Ham Stadium and Crayford & Bexleyheath Stadium before being disqualified and going on to race on the independent circuits winning the Henlow Derby. It was not until 1976 that the opportunity arose to race under the National Greyhound Racing Club permit rules, SW Smith was the General Manager and Dave Smith was the Racing Manager. Track changes resulted in the circumference being made considerably smaller, the 412 circumference hosted distances of 318, 484, 730 and 890 metres, the third and fourth bends retained a rather odd shape in the process.[4]

In January 1994 Jock McNaughton a Strathclyde man bought the track from the Smith family, McNaughton had previously been a permit trainer at Rye House Stadium and Henlow and as a boy had raced at Blantyre. The track changed again when Tony McDonnell bought the lease under the name of Henlow Racing Ltd. McDonnell would be General Manager and he bring in an ex-trainer Keith Mellor as the Racing Manager. McDonnell continued to run the track but changes were made on the management front, Keith Woolsey became General Manager and Paul Mellor (son of Keith) Racing Manager.[5]

21st Century

In 2006 a new restaurant was constructed in the stadium, at a cost of £464,000.[6] Businessman Bob Morton (known for owning Westmead Hawk) purchased the track from Tony McDonnell in 2008 along with Kevin Boothby who took a half share. Morton and Boothby had saved the track from potential development but Morton moved back to the Channel Islands in 2012 leaving Kevin Boothby in sole control.[7]

In 2018 the stadium signed a deal with SIS to race every Monday morning, Tuesday evening, Thursday morning and Sunday afternoon.[8] Leading trainer Mark Wallis joined the track during August 2018.[9]

Achievements

Competitions

Track records

Current

Distance
metres 		Greyhound Time Date Notes
277 Queen Anna [13] 16.23 29.10.2017
428 Queen Adele [14] 25.15 24.06.2018
460 Forest Chunk [15] 26.98 03.12.2017
460 hurdles Bomber Bailey 28.20 23.07.2009
550 Roswell Romanov [16] 32.86 25.03.2018
692 Dazzle Special 42.02 08.03.2010
842 King Kane 52.66 24.08.2014
870 Midway Skipper 54.93 13.08.2009

Previous

Distance
metres 		Greyhound Time Date Notes
250 Night Trooper 15.25 23.11.1998
250 Night Breeze 15.10 1999
250 Gamble It 14.96 01.05.2000
250 Quivers Ace 14.92 07.06.2007
277 Second Option 16.65 04.04.2008
277 Minnies Tyrana 16.52 21.05.2009
277 Droopys Bocelli 16.26 17.12.2009
318 Ecins Best 19.01 08.09.1980
318 Chin No Nose 18.97 12.04.1991
428 Bush Standard 25.56 08.11.2012
428 Boher Chieftain 25.82 04.10.2012
428 Aero Babooshka 25.53 22.03.2015
428 Saffrons Anna [17] 25.50 20.03.2016
428 Queen Adele [18] 25.33 10.06.2018
428 Queen Adele [19] 25.26 17.06.2018
460 Trade Congress 27.65 19.06.1998
460 Couriers Dream 27.43 18.09.1998
460 Fear Khan 27.28 25.09.2005
460 Westmead Osprey 27.25 16.09.2010
460 Westmead Osprey 27.21 07.10.2010 Henlow Derby heats
460 Taylors Sky 27.21 13.10.2011 Henlow Derby heats
460 Taylors Sky 27.08 20.10.2011 Henlow Derby semi-finals
460 Mays King 27.05 01.06.2014
460 Rio Quattro =27.05 19.10.2014
484 Raheen Rudie 29.12 03.1986
484 Westmead Call 29.12 10.10.1986 Henlow Derby final
484 Cannongrand 29.08 25.10.1989
550 Westmead Baron 33.35 18.05.2001
550 Little Honcho 33.30 25.04.2005
550 Westmead Liz 33.25 02.01.2006
550 Questhouse Ellie 33.10 24.04.2006
550 Westmead Bolt 33.07 20.10.2011
550 Airport Captain 32.94 21.07.2013
550 Jet Stream Sound [20] 32.87 16.08.2015
680 Snow Shoes 42.14 25.11.1991
680 Shebas Lass 42.87 29.10.1990
680 Snow Shoes 42.60 20.11.1991
680 Fortunate Man 42.51 20.11.1991
680 Snow Shoes 42.14 25.11.1991
660 Lobo 40.21 15.10.1999
692 Ard Beauty 42.31 23.04.2009
730 Chicita Banana 44.96 13.06.1990
730 Blue Shirt 45.50 18.06.1984
730 Tarnwood Snowdrop 45.22 1988
730 Chicita Banana 44.96 13.06.1990
870 Tiptree Poker 55.31 27.10.1997
870 Betathan Pebbles 54.95 30.10.2005
890 Clydes Dolores 57.20 22.02.1988
890 Cregagh Prince 57.29 1987

References

  1. ^ "Track Search". Greyhound Board of Great Britain. Archived from the original on 25 December 2011. Retrieved 24 December 2011.
  2. ^ Genders, Roy (1990). NGRC book of Greyhound Racing, pages 29-30. Pelham Books Ltd. ISBN 0-7207-1804-X.
  3. ^ furby, R (1968). Independent Greyhound Racing. New Dominion House.
  4. ^ Genders, Roy (1981). The Encyclopedia of Greyhound Racing, page 55. Pelham Books Ltd. ISBN 07207-1106-1.
  5. ^ Hobbs, Jonathan (2007). Greyhound Annual 2008, page 188. Raceform. ISBN 978-1-905153-53-4.
  6. ^ "Remember When - April 2006". Greyhound Star.
  7. ^ "Morton buys in at Henlow". The Racing Post.
  8. ^ "SIS announces schedule for SIS British Greyhound Service for 2018". SIS.
  9. ^ "Wallis Joins Henlow". Greyhound Star.
  10. ^ Hobbs, Jonathan (2007). Greyhound Annual 2008, page 92. Raceform. ISBN 978-1-905153-53-4.
  11. ^ Hobbs, Jonathan (2007). Greyhound Annual 2008, page 83. Raceform. ISBN 978-1-905153-53-4.
  12. ^ "Result". Greyhound Board of Great Britain.
  13. ^ "Result". Greyhound Board of Great Britain.
  14. ^ "Result". Greyhound Board of Great Britain.
  15. ^ "Result". Greyhound Board of Great Britain.
  16. ^ "2018 track record result". Greyhound Board of Great Britain.
  17. ^ "Result". Greyhound Board of Great Britain.
  18. ^ "Result". Greyhound Board of Great Britain.
  19. ^ "Result". Greyhound Board of Great Britain.
  20. ^ "2015 result". Greyhound Board of Great Britain.

52°00′32″N 0°18′28″W / 52.00895°N 0.30784°W / 52.00895; -0.30784

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