Henlow Stadium

Henlow Stadium

Location	Bedford Road, Lower Stondon, Henlow SG16 6EA
Coordinates	51°46′19″N0°03′49″E / 51.77194°N 0.06361°E / 51.77194; 0.06361
Opened	1927
Closed	2024
Tenants
Greyhound racing

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

Racing formerly took place every Monday and Thursday morning, on Tuesday evenings and on Saturday and Sunday afternoons.

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 1992 Patsy Cusack steered Pennys Best to the 1992 English Greyhound Derby final. ^[5] and 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 and undertook several refurbishment projects. ^[6] 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. ^[7]

21st Century

In 2006 a new restaurant was constructed in the stadium, at a cost of £464,000. ^[8] Henlow Stadium won the 2007 English Greyhound Derby trophy with Westmead Lord trained from the Nick Savva kennel and owned by the Morton family. ^[9]

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. ^[10] 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. ^[11]

Rio Quattro won the richest ever prize in greyhound racing in 2015 when the Daniel Riordan Henlow trained black dog picked up the £250,000 winner's purse for winning the 2015 English Greyhound Derby. ^[12]

In 2018 the stadium signed a deal with SIS to race every Monday morning, Tuesday evening, Thursday morning and Sunday afternoon. ^[13] Leading trainer Mark Wallis joined the track during August 2018. ^[14]

In 2020 local planners agreed to plans for the site being developed. The lease held by Kevin Boothby was due to end in November 2021 but he was seeking a five-year extension. Boothy had already branched out by gaining a 10-year lease at Towcester Greyhound Stadium. ^[15] An appeal in 2023 by Henlow Racing Ltd was ultimately unsuccessful, with a court approving plans to build 75 homes on the site. The Henlow Stadium greyhound racing track closed permanently on 21 January 2024. The facilities will be fully dismantled by 5 April 2024. ^{[16] [17]}

Competitions

• Henlow Derby

Track records

^[18]

At closing

Metres	Greyhound	Time	Date	Notes
277	Queen Anna [19]	16.23	29 October 2017
428	Queen Adele [20]	25.15	24 June 2018
460	Forest Chunk [21]	26.98	3 December 2017
460 hurdles	Bomber Bailey [22]	28.20	23 July 2009
550	Roswell Romanov [23]	32.86	25 March 2018
692	Dazzle Special [22]	42.02	8 March 2010
842	King Kane [24]	52.66	24.08.2014
870	Midway Skipper [22]	54.93	13 August 2009

Former track records

Extended content

Metres Greyhound Time Date Notes 250 Night Trooper 15.25 23 November 1998 250 Night Breeze 15.10 1999 250 Gamble It 14.96 1 May 2000 250 Quivers Ace 14.92 7 June 2007 277 Second Option 16.65 4 April 2008 277 Minnies Tyrana 16.52 21 May 2009 277 Droopys Bocelli 16.26 17 December 2009 318 Ecins Best 19.01 8 September 1980 318 Chin No Nose 18.97 12 April 1991 428 Bush Standard 25.56 8 November 2012 428 Boher Chieftain 25.82 4 October 2012 428 Aero Babooshka 25.53 22 March 2015 428 Saffrons Anna [25] 25.50 20 March 2016 428 Queen Adele [26] 25.33 10 June 2018 428 Queen Adele [27] 25.26 17 June 2018 460 Trade Congress 27.65 19 June 1998 460 Couriers Dream 27.43 18 September 1998 460 Fear Khan 27.28 25 September 2005 460 Westmead Osprey 27.25 16 September 2010 460 Westmead Osprey 27.21 7 October 2010 Henlow Derby heats 460 Taylors Sky 27.21 13 October 2011 Henlow Derby heats 460 Taylors Sky 27.08 20 October 2011 Henlow Derby semi-finals 460 Mays King 27.05 01 June 2014 460 Rio Quattro =27.05 19 October 2014 484 Raheen Rudie 29.12 March 1986 484 Westmead Call 29.12 10 October 1986 Henlow Derby final 484 Cannongrand 29.08 25 October 1989 550 Westmead Baron 33.35 18 May 2001 550 Little Honcho 33.30 25 April 2005 550 Westmead Liz 33.25 2 January 2006 550 Questhouse Ellie 33.10 24 April 2006 550 Westmead Bolt 33.07 20 October 2011 550 Airport Captain 32.94 21 July 2013 550 Jet Stream Sound [28] 32.87 16 August 2015 680 Snow Shoes 42.14 25 November 1991 680 Shebas Lass 42.87 29 October 1990 680 Snow Shoes 42.60 20 November 1991 680 Fortunate Man 42.51 20 November 1991 680 Snow Shoes 42.14 25 November 1991 660 Lobo 40.21 15 October 1999 692 Ard Beauty 42.31 23 April 2009 730 Chicita Banana 44.96 13 June 1990 730 Blue Shirt 45.50 18 June 1984 730 Tarnwood Snowdrop 45.22 1988 730 Chicita Banana 44.96 13 June 1990 870 Tiptree Poker 55.31 27 October 1997 870 Betathan Pebbles 54.95 30 October 2005 890 Clydes Dolores 57.20 22 February 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 92. Raceform. ISBN   978-1-905153-53-4.
6. "McDonnell Keeps His Promises". Vol. 16, no. 1. Greyhound Star. January 1998.
7. Hobbs, Jonathan (2007). Greyhound Annual 2008, page 188. Raceform. ISBN   978-1-905153-53-4.
8. "Remember When - April 2006". Greyhound Star.
9. Hobbs, Jonathan (2007). Greyhound Annual 2008, page 83. Raceform. ISBN   978-1-905153-53-4.
10. "Remember When December". Greyhound Star. Retrieved 10 December 2020.
11. "Morton buys in at Henlow". The Racing Post.
12. "Result". Greyhound Board of Great Britain.
13. "SIS announces schedule for SIS British Greyhound Service for 2018". SIS.
14. "Wallis Joins Henlow". Greyhound Star.
15. "Henlow Planning Granted". Greyhound Star.
16. "Henlow Closure - Sunday January 21". greyhoundstar.co.uk.
17. "Henlow Stadium holds last race after running since 1920s". bbc.co.uk.
18. "British Track Records as of January 2024". Greyhound Star. Retrieved 25 January 2024.
19. "Result". Greyhound Board of Great Britain.
20. "Result". Greyhound Board of Great Britain.
21. "Result". Greyhound Board of Great Britain.
22. "Henlow track records". Greyhound Data. Retrieved 17 October 2021.
23. "2018 track record result". Greyhound Board of Great Britain.
24. "Henlow OR 842m". Greyhound Board of Great Britain. Retrieved 17 October 2021.
25. "Result". Greyhound Board of Great Britain.
26. "Result". Greyhound Board of Great Britain.
27. "Result". Greyhound Board of Great Britain.
28. "2015 result". Greyhound Board of Great Britain.

52°00′32″N0°18′28″W / 52.00895°N 0.30784°W / 52.00895; -0.30784