The football-turned-film star, who owned former Derby finalist Smoking Bullet, is a keen fan of the 'dogs' and he is looking to make it more appealable to a wider audience.

*** The BGRB 2006 Awards will again be held at The Royal Lancaster Hotel on Sunday 21st January 2007. For further details on tickets and hotel rooms, contact Lauren Duffield at the BGRB office on 020 7292 9900.

Champion: Jubilant trainer Mark Wallis
Champion Trainer Mark Wallis secured another Category One Final win to his name on Monday Night. Fear Robben justified favoritism at Nottingham in the Carling Puppy Classic.

Sent off at 6/4 Favorite his charge over came early trouble in the race to get up on the line and win the £7,500 prize money for owners Simon Wooder and Ian St Pier.

A delighted Wallis, pictured right, said "He was an exciting pup around the stow and was only slightly off Star Of Dromin's track record. He is an exciting prospect and hopefully we will have many more big victories to come from him. The kennel is delighted to win the competition for the 2nd year running after Ronnies Champion won for us last year."

Back to the Stow and Tuesday saw the Semi Finals of the Star Racing Puppy Stakes with Broadway Sizzler Being the fastest of the two Semi Finals. Producing a fast time of 28.91. Next quickest was Roswell Starship when winning the 1st Semi Final in 29.05. The £2,500 final is this Saturday on what looks to be an interesting card for punters with 14 open races over various distances including the final. The final line up is as follows. 1. Broadway Sizzler 2. Treacle Rose 3. Roswell Starship 4. Ballyneale View 5. Impartial View 6. Whiskey Coffee.

continued...
Saturday Also sees the build up to the Grand Prix continue with 3 divisions of the 2nd Grand Prix Trial Stakes. Race 3 of the night sees the Division 2 Race with the Mark Wallis trained Daisyfield Seani likely to start as favorite.

Owned by West Ham footballer Matthew Etherington, Seani should blast away from her rivals and keep in front to secure a comfortable win. Expect a late challenge from Pepsi Marathon winner Silbury Ruby in 2.

Trap 6 Hee Haws Mandela should make up a trifecta. Division 1 which is Race 9 of the night sees some of the best stayers in the business do battle. Again Stow handler Mark Wallis may have the winning hound in January Tiger.

After winninglast weeks Division two race, he can rise to the challenge again and claim this top division. Caths Queeny Trap two, should be close but this race may have come too early for her to win after a short break. Trap one, 1 Romford Car Two will challenge off the last few bends but may have just left it too late, expect a trifecta place though.

The final race of the night race 14 is the third division of the trial stakes. This seems to be the tougher race to call of the three divisions, but after winning last week over course and distance, Oscars Market gets the nod, producing a calculated 39.60 last week.

If repeating that time this week, it will take a special run from one of the other hounds in the race to beat him. Trap one Boozed Rebel is a marathon runner so will stay on to the finishing line well but may not have the early pace to lead. Trap four Droopys Muckyduc can make up a tri cast with third spot.

The tragedy about claims that thousands of retired racing greyhounds are being shot dead every year - if true - is that they make excellent pets.


I can't remember why we decided to adopt a retired racing greyhound - I think it was because we wanted a dog and had a vague idea that retired greyhounds were in most need of a home.



Chrissie the greyhound: Likes pigs' ears, and playing in the park
It might also have been that a friend told me that I would look more elegant walking a greyhound than any other type of dog.

Whatever the reason, about two years ago we found ourselves driving to our nearest retired greyhounds' home in Hersham, Surrey.

I was steeling myself for a vision of abject misery - scruffy mangy hounds waiting around miserably for someone to collect them.

Instead I found a clean, happy kennels full of a few dozen barking hounds, caring workers and endless volunteers. It was a hive of good-natured activity and I began to be worried that the home we could offer wouldn't be nearly so much fun.

The home were very solicitous, offering us plenty of advice and telling us all about their hounds.

As we were novice owners, we decided we would choose a quiet dog, to get us in the swing. After inspecting all the different kennels we plumped for a laidback-looking black bitch, called Chrissie (racing name Mulla Pride, they told us; previously a sprinter at Reading; "terrible with cats").

Advice from the home

We took her for a walk, and within minutes we fell in love with her inquisitive nature, jaunty step and perky, alert demeanour. She clearly wasn't actually a quiet dog, at all - but we asked if we could keep her.