Henlow Stadium was a greyhound racing stadium located at Stondon, in the English county of Bedfordshire, slightly to the north of Hitchin. 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.

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.

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.

In 1992 Patsy Cusack steered Pennys Best to the 1992 English Greyhound Derby final. 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. 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.

21st Century In 2006 a new restaurant was constructed in the stadium, at a cost of £464,000. Henlow Stadium won the 2007 English Greyhound Derby trophy with Westmead Lord trained from the Nick Savva kennel and owned by the Morton family.

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. 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.

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.

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

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. 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.

Competitions Henlow Derby

Track records

At closing Metres Greyhound Time Date Notes277 Queen Anna 16.2329 October 2017428 Queen Adele 25.1524 June 2018460 Forest Chunk26.983 December 2017460 hurdles Bomber Bailey 28.2023 July 2009550 Roswell Romanov 32.86 25 March 2018692 Dazzle Special 42.028 March 2010842 King Kane 52.6624.08.2014870 Midway Skipper 54.9313 August 2009

Former track records

Metres Greyhound Time Date Notes250 Night Trooper 15.25 23 November 1998250 Night Breeze 15.10 1999 250 Gamble It 14.96 1 May 2000 250 Quivers Ace 14.927 June 2007277 Second Option 16.65 4 April 2008 277 Minnies Tyrana 16.5221 May 2009 277 Droopys Bocelli 16.2617 December 2009318 Ecins Best 19.01 8 September 1980 318 Chin No Nose 18.97 12 April 1991428 Bush Standard 25.56 8 November 2012428 Boher Chieftain 25.82 4 October 2012428 Aero Babooshka 25.53 22 March 2015428 Saffrons Anna 25.5020 March 2016428 Queen Adele 25.3310 June 2018428 Queen Adele 25.2617 June 2018460 Trade Congress 27.65 19 June 1998460 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 heats460 Taylors Sky 27.21 13 October 2011 Henlow Derby heats460 Taylors Sky 27.08 20 October 2011 Henlow Derby semi-finals460 Mays King 27.05 01 June 2014 460 Rio Quattro =27.0519 October 2014484 Raheen Rudie 29.12 March 1986 484 Westmead Call29.12 10 October 1986Henlow Derby final484 Cannongrand29.08 25 October 1989 550 Westmead Baron33.35 18 May 2001550 Little Honcho33.30 25 April 2005550 Westmead Liz33.25 2 January 2006550 Questhouse Ellie33.1024 April 2006550 Westmead Bolt 33.07 20 October 2011550 Airport Captain32.9421 July 2013550 Jet Stream Sound 32.8716 August 2015680 Snow Shoes 42.14 25 November 1991680 Shebas Lass 42.87 29 October 1990680 Snow Shoes 42.60 20 November 1991680 Fortunate Man 42.51 20 November 1991680 Snow Shoes 42.14 25 November 1991660 Lobo 40.2115 October 1999692 Ard Beauty42.31 23 April 2009 730 Chicita Banana 44.96 13 June 1990730 Blue Shirt 45.50 18 June 1984 730 Tarnwood Snowdrop 45.22 1988730 Chicita Banana 44.96 13 June 1990870 Tiptree Poker55.31 27 October 1997870 Betathan Pebbles54.95 30 October 2005890 Clydes Dolores 57.20 22 February 1988890 Cregagh Prince 57.29 1987

References