GREYHOUNDS: Up-and-coming Oxford trainer Michael Peterson has spoken of his delight after Oxford Stadium was allocated another BAGS meeting due to the imminent demise of premier track Walthamstow.

Peterson , the youngest handler at the track reckoned it cost him £1,000 a month when the GRA decided to transfer their Wednesday BAGS slot to sister track Belle Vue in April.

"It's brilliant to get the BAGS meeting back." he said.

"It's great for the trainers, owners and Oxford Stadium.

"t has cost me dearly since we lost the Wednesday BAGS, for I have owners not just around here.

"But all over the country and the only chance they had of seeing their dogs run was at BAGS meetings.

"It's been very hard since April as I have had to reduce my staff, and it has been very difficult to get dogs on the card.

"Now, Oxford are suddenly short of dogs with this extra meeting, but now I can move ahead. I have around 25 dogs waiting to grade on and eventually I hope to get where I want to be and have around fifty to sixty dogs on the strength."

Although, it will bring extra pressure and workload to the racing office, racing manager Gary Baiden welcomed the the new meeting.

He said: "It will bring the Stadium financial security, and many trainers who have been feeling the pinch, will welcome the extra meeting.

"However, it will mean a lot of extra work for staff and trainers as there is an awful lot of organising to do.

"We will need a new trainer as we did not replace Gloria Stringer when she retired, and the post will be advertised in the national racing press on Monday.

"We are back where we were three months ago."

Baiden said there would be BAGS meetings every Monday featuring 12 races from 11.03am to 1.51pm, plus trial meetings on Thursday, July 10, Wednesday, July 16 and then every Thursday.

There will also be new grading times of 28.20 and 28.40 for puppies.

Although trainers welcome the additional meeting, there could be problems with the new trial day.

Trainers will have to travel to Oxford Stadium twice a day, firstly for trials and then back for back for the evening meeting.

There is also talk of re-introducing open racing on Tuesday evenings., and it's unlikely that an evening meeting may be dropped because of the extra BAGS.