GREYHOUND racing will return to Oxford next month, it has been announced.
It comes after yesterday, Oxford Stadium revealed races on August 26 and 27 had been postponed ‘to guarantee all facilities connected to greyhound racing had been tried and thoroughly tested’.
The Cowley venue has now passed its Greyhound Board of Great Britain (GBGB) track inspection, with the first fixture to take place on September 2.
READ AGAIN: Return of greyhound racing at Oxford Stadium is postponed
Kevin Boothby, Oxford Stadium managing director, said: “It’s been an extraordinary challenge. But it’s with great relief and pride to confirm Oxford Stadium is now a GBGB licensed stadium with racing returning in September.
“This is a huge moment for the stadium as we look to establish a new home for top-quality UK greyhound racing where the welfare and care of our sport’s superstars will forever be our highest priority.
“Oxford Stadium will deliver the wow factor to our trainers, much-valued owners and the public whose support of our regeneration project has been truly overwhelming.
“We look forward to hosting racegoers on Friday, September 2, and beginning trials next week which form part of our thorough process to guarantee we can deliver a safe and secure racing environment.
“I’m overjoyed to share this news, and I’m sure this feeling will be replicated by the 2,500-plus crowd we will host this evening at the prestigious British Speedway Championship Pairs.”
Paul Illingworth, senior stipendiary steward at GBGB, added: “As part of our regulatory processes, we have been conducting regular visits to Oxford Stadium to inspect their preparations and ensure everything is in place for racing to begin.
“This has meant working closely with Kevin Boothby and his team, as well as bringing in experts at STRI, to ensure the track and facilities meet high standards we expect across our sport.
“We are pleased that, following an inspection this week, the Greyhound Regulatory Board has formally granted the stadium its racecourse licence, which will now be able to usher in a new and existing generation of racing fans.
“Greyhound racing has been an intrinsic part of the UK’s sporting landscape for almost a century and we are delighted that it will be returning to Oxford.
“I know that the opening of the stadium is being met with much excitement and anticipation, particularly after the challenges of the pandemic, and we are looking forward to seeing it go from strength to strength as trials get underway from August 16.
“We would like to congratulate the team there and wish them a very successful start.”
Read more from this author
This story was written by Liam Rice, he joined the team in 2019 as a multimedia reporter.
Liam covers politics, travel and transport. He occasionally covers Oxford United.
Get in touch with him by emailing: Liam.rice@newsquest.co.uk
Follow him on Twitter @OxMailLiamRice
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