Brighton & Hove Greyhound Stadium is a greyhound racing track located in the Hove Park area of the city of Brighton and Hove, East Sussex. The stadium also has a restaurant and a number of bars and is owned by Entain and race meetings are held every Thursday and Saturday evening, in addition to two afternoon meetings on a Wednesday and Sunday as well as a morning meeting on a Friday.
Category One Competitions Brighton Belle (1975 – present) Regency (1948 – present) Sussex Cup (1972 – present) Olympic (1947 – present) George Curtis & Ballyregan Bob Memorial (1994 – present) Gold Collar (2025 – present)
Origins The plans for the site on Nevill Road and adjoining Hove Park were unanimously passed by the Brighton Corporation in January 1928. Charles Wakeling, Freddie Arnold and Major Carlos Campbell instigated the construction and the Greyhound Racing Association (GRA) had shares in the company called the Greyhound Racing Association (Brighton) Ltd.
Opening The first race to be held at the track known as the Hove Sports Stadium was the Hove Stakes and took place on 2 June 1928. 'Costs' the 7-4f won the 525 yards race for trainer Toone and won £16 for his owner W. G. Hooper, who was a solicitor by trade.
Pre-war history Originally the track was primitive with the hare being wound around the course by hand and it took ten years of racing before electric lighting was installed. A hand-operated tote was installed in 1932 but suffered from the government ban on tote betting the same year until the Betting and Lotteries Act 1934 reversed the ban. In 1940 the resident kennels moved to Morley Lodge, Albourne, Henfield, West Sussex. This purpose built kennel facility for over 200 hounds offered a modern brick facility and each range had its own grass paddock. Breeding kennels were set up on a farm in Sussex and rearing kennels were built in nearby Cumberland. The circuit was described as easy swinging turns of 160 yards and short straights of 85 yards and distances were 310, 525, 565 and 800 yards with an 'Inside MacWhirter Trackless' hare. Amenities included a club in both enclosures (the Nevill Road Club and the Orchard Road Club) and there were dining facilities in the Grand enclosure.
1945–1980
After the war the company was called the Brighton & Hove Stadium Ltd and in 1948 the stadium introduced a new event called the Regency. The Managing Director Charles Wakeling who was also the chairman of Brighton & Hove Albion F.C. died leaving the stadium in the hands of Major Carlos Campbell. Campbell died in 1958 leaving the controlling interest of the shares in the hands of the GRA. They brought in Gerard Kealey as General Manager and Peter Shotton as Racing Manager (the latter replacing Tom King in 1964) and the pair went about building up the reputation of the seaside track. During the sixties racing was held on Wednesday and Saturday evenings, in addition to the restaurant there was three buffet bars and seven licensed bars. The circumference had changed to 491 yards with distances of 550, 725 and 880 yards with an 'Inside Sumner' hare. The track trainers consisted of Fred Lugg, Arthur Hancock, Birch & Gunner (Charles George) Smith. The outside ‘McGee’ hare was later introduced when the bends were banked in the early 1970s. Gunner Smith steered Luxury Liner through to 1961 English Greyhound Derby Derby final.
George Curtis represented Brighton in two consecutive Greyhound Derby finals with Hard Held in 1969 and Sirius in 1970.
Brighton introduced travelling payments for open race trainers to encourage entries to travel south, and the Sussex Cup was inaugurated in 1972, followed by the Brighton Belle for bitches in 1975. In 1976 a significant deal was struck in when Coral Leisure purchasing Brighton and Romford. When Shotton moved to Wembley in 1978, Des Nichols, who had worked as his assistant for two years in the early 70s, was brought back in by the new Managing Director John Sutton as Racing Manager after successful stints at Rochester and sister track Romford. At this time, major investment was made by the new owners and the main stand was converted into a luxury restaurant that achieved notable popularity in the area. Jim Layton succeeded Nichols a few years later when the former was appointed Divisional Marketing Manager for Coral Stadia. A fourth major race called the Olympic was introduced in 1979.
1981–1999
George Curtis became a three times Greyhound Trainer of the Year winning the title in 1983, 1984 and 1986. Brighton greyhound Ballyregan Bob trained by Curtis became a household name after breaking the world record in 1986 by winning 32 consecutive races. One year later the stadium became the last course in Britain to remove their turf surface changing to all-sand. Gerard Kealey died in 1989 and Peter Shotton became general manager (he had returned to Brighton from Wembley).
In 1991 Coral announced that their greyhound tracks would be sold to fund the purchase of 73 bingo halls from Granada Theatre Ltd, but, despite the deal being struck and subsequent birth of Gala Bingo, the tracks remained under the ownership of Coral. However, Coral did lose a court case around the same time to the Alliance & Leicester, forcing them to relinquish land where the Orchard Road enclosure stood. A new generation of trainers arrived at Hove in the 1990s. Brian Clemenson was three times champion trainer, and his assistant Alan (Claude) Gardiner replaced Bill Masters when he retired. Peter Miller replaced Jim Layton as racing manager in 1994.
2000–present
Brian Clemenson was three times champion trainer in 2003, 2004 and 2005. The track remains one of the premier venues in the country and attracts some of the best trainers in the country including recent acquisitions Seamus Cahill and Norah McEllistrim. In 2018 the stadium signed a deal with SIS to race every Tuesday and Wednesday afternoon, Friday morning, and every Thursday and Saturday evening.
In 2019 the track created new race distance of 500 metres; the track had previously raced over that distance in the 1970s. The 515 distance was retained for open races.
In 2022, Entain signed a long term deal with the Arena Racing Company for media rights, starting in January 2024. The stadium now opens every Wednesday and Sunday afternoon, Friday morning, and Thursday and Saturday evening.
Opposition The track is the subject of opposition from activists opposed to greyhound racing on animal welfare grounds. Local campaign group Close Hove Dog Track stage regular protests outside the stadium, aiming to secure its closure.
Track records
Current records Metres Greyhound Time Date Notes/ref285 Jimmy Lollie 15.89 7 October 2010285 Target Harris 15.89 12 June 2014475 Southfield Jock 27.42 22 October 2015475 Forest Con 27.42 3 May 2017500 Proper Heiress 28.57 26 October 2025Gold Collar heat515 Barnfield On Air 29.20 31 July 2007 Sussex Cup final695 Caloona Striker 40.73 21 June 2005740 Form of Magic 43.59 30 March 2002945 Aayamza Royale 57.90 12 December 2020 TV Trophy heats955 Space Jet 58.35 2 April 2022 TV Trophy semi final500 H Droopys Chaser 29.67 29 July 2023 Springbok final
Former records Metres Greyhound Time Date Notes285 Fell Swoop 16.55 1987+ grass285 Ard Boxer 16.48 1988+ sand285 I Will Whisper 16.381989+285 Ravage Again 16.35 30 August 1990 Etherington Sprint heats285 Ravage Again 16.27 4 September 1990 Etherington Sprint final285 Escort Captain 16.11 11 July 2000 285 Smoking Jonesey 16.29 2002+ 285 Setemup Joe 16.20 22 March 2003285 Tims Crow 16.05 22 May 2003285 Jimmy Lollie 16.02 13 August 2009285 Jimmy Lollie 15.94 17 July 2010475 Droopys Candice 27.67 24 July 2001475 Swift Star 27.47 1 August 2002475 Cash the Deal 27.47 26 July 2003490 Droopys Gold 28.38 27 December 2018490 Trade Fudge 28.24 31 January 2019500 Linacre 28.99 1976+ National record500 Balliniska Band 28.99 1977+500 Mondays Bran 28.96 1979+ Sussex Cup final & world record500 Antigua Romeo 28.86 23 January 2020500 Candolim Monsoon 28.69 3 October 2024515 Glen Miner 29.62 4 May 1982 grass & Olympic Final515 John Doe 30.14 1988+ sand515 Hit The Lid 29.73 30 July 1988 515 Iceman Joey 29.46 19 July 2002515 Buy the Mystery 29.41 21 August 2003515 Ballybrazil Hero 29.27 20 July 2004 Sussex Cup Heats670 Westmead Champ 39.78 1976+ Regency Final680 Fair Reward 40.30 1980+680 Glin Bridge 39.94 1976+ 695 Ballyregan Bob 41.13 2 November 1985 grass695 Ballyregan Bob 42.04 9 December 1986 sand695 Olivers Wish 41.57 August 1988 695 Waltham Abbey 41.21 31 August 1989 695 Killeacle Phoebe 41.10 21 April 2001 695 Form of Magic 40.82 26 March 2002 Trainers Championship695 Centour Corker 40.74 8 May 2003725 Glin Fane 1978 725 Princess Glin 43.22 1979 740 Paradise Lost 44.65 March 1982 Regency final740 Sundridge Bet 44.42 8 July 1982 740 Apache Warrior 44.15 1987 grass740 Ballyregan Bob 44.62 1988 sand740 Life Policy 44.35 1988+ 740 Sail On Valerie 44.295 May 1990740 Mobile Magic 44.24 1992+740 Lady Flyaway 44.20 21 August 1997930 Kegans Gold 56.88 24 July 2001930 Centour Corker 56.29 3 June 2003930 Greenacre Lin 56.20 8 June 2004930 Roxholme Magic 56.18 30 July 2015955 Langford Dacoit 58.46 1978+grass955 Antigua Lava 58.60 31 July 2021955 Blueberry Bullet 58.60 2 April 2022 TV Trophy semi final970 Sandy Lane 59.66 20 August 1983970 Huntsmans Nippy 59.59 1987+ grass970 Comeragh Larch 61.20 1988+ sand970 Saquita 59.99 27 July 1989970 Marys Gem 59.56 14 September 1997500 H Wotch It Buster 29.71 1978+ 515 H Sir Winston 30.47 1987+ grass515 H Ozarks Warrior 30.89 1988+ sand515 H Lord Westlands 30.49 5 November 1988515 H Group Tycoon 30.78 24 July 2001 515 H Group Tycoon 30.39 15 September 2001 515 H Greenacre George 30.08 1 August 2002 515 H Junior Mac 29.83 27 July 2010680 H Across The Miles 41.43 1979+695 H August Monday 42.86 1987+ grass695 H Mixer Mick 44.06 1988+ sand695 H Mixer Mick 43.131988+ 695 H Razmac Dancer 42.95 1989+ + Record holder during year
Pre metric Yards Greyhound Time Date Notes310 Four-Mile Bridge 17.14 9 June 1937525 Jesmond Cutlet 29.36 10 July 1938525 Good Worker 29.31 1948 525 Kings Signature 29.24 05.1949 Regency final525 Trabolgan Star 29.11 1956 525 Kans 28.71 14 September 1963 525 Carry on Hasty 28.32 1973+ 525 Easy Investment 28.17 30 June 1973 World and National record550 Woodvilles Fury 30.09 20 September 1965 550 Noble Pride 21 April 1966550 Hard Held 29.77 1970 565 Bella 31.82 April 1934565 Roving Spring 31.61 14 September 1936565 Raths Record 31.50 1949 725 Ballyhandy Cedar 40.48 15 September 1965725 Deneholme Flash 40.20 12 July 1969800 Grosvenor Edwin 46.35 15 August 1938 880 Joyful C 50.70 12 April 1961 880 Spectre II 50.09 25 April 1967 Sportsview Television Trophy1041 Hi There Snow 60.19 1970310 H Nakomis II 18.11 23 October 1937500 H Conna Chief 30.99 1970+ 525 H Wooteys Kingmaker 30.39 12 August 1938535 H Athea Lad 30.34 21 July 1948550 H Blue Sprite 31.14 25 August 1965565 H Sammys Adventure 32.61 29 August 1931
References
External links Official site