Angie Kibble retained her Oxford trainer's title after one of the tightest battles in recent years.

The Standlake handler finished three ahead of Nick Colton with the rest nowhere.

She ended the year on 303 winners with Colton on 300, with only graded races counting.

There was some compensation for Colton, who finished 13th in the list of open-race winning trainers in the country, and the leading Greyhound Racing Association trainer with 80 winners.

2003 standings: 1 A Kibble 303, 2 N Colton 300, 3 P Curtin 226, 4 G Hepden 220, 5 G Stringer 203, 6 I Wills 196, M Massey 188, 7 R Bicknell 172, 8 T Magnasco 169, 9 K Mullins 161, 10 J Morgan 160.