2026 in UK and Ireland greyhound racing is the 101st year of greyhound racing in the United Kingdom and also marked the centenary of greyhound racing in the United Kingdom. It is also the 100th year of greyhound racing in Ireland.
Summary The Greyhound Board of Great Britain (GBGB) announced its Category One and Two schedules for 2026 on 5 December 2025, with eleven races worth £20,000 or more to the winner. Greyhound Racing Ireland (GRI) released its Classics and Features calendar towards the end of 2025, with eleven races worth over €20,000 or more to the winner.
At the annual British greyhound of the year awards Proper Heiress won the 2025 greyhound of the year for champion trainer Mark Wallis. Mongys Wild also trained by Wallis won two awards (stayer and marathon performer of the year) and subsequently won the first £20,000 Category One race of the year after winning the Golden Jacket. Mongys Wild (a white and fawn dog) had already won the former classic event the ARC Cesarewitch in January at Central Park.
Amendments to the Rules of Racing introduced by the Greyhound Board of Great Britain (GBGB) came into effect in Great Britain on 1 January 2026, including new requirements on licensing information, greyhound retirement and injury policies at racecourses, and the publication of withdrawal reasons.
On 26 January 2026, Greyhound Racing Ireland (GRI) told the Irish Government in a pre-budget submission that rising welfare, veterinary and rehoming costs were placing increasing financial pressure on trainers and owners despite a recovery in attendance and commercial income. It said higher feed, transport and veterinary expenses were threatening the commercial viability of some participants and suggested that the Department of Agriculture could provide support through direct funding or VAT reductions. It also said that rehoming retired racing greyhounds had become increasingly difficult, with the number of dogs rehomed falling from 2,234 in 2021 to 1,100 in 2024.
On 28 January 2026, amendments to the Prohibition of Greyhound Racing (Wales) Bill were considered during Stage 2 proceedings in the Senedd. The bill, which would make it an offence to operate a greyhound racing stadium or organise greyhound racing in Wales, had previously been approved in principle by the Senedd in December 2025 and is now at Stage 3 of the legislative process, where MSs may table further amendments for debate and voting in plenary. Stage 3 proceedings were scheduled to be debated in the Senedd on 10 March 2026.
On 29 January 2026, the Scottish Parliament voted 69–27 at Stage 1 in favour of the Greyhound Racing (Offences) (Scotland) Bill, introduced by MSP Mark Ruskell, which proposes banning greyhound racing in Scotland. During the debate, Minister for Agriculture Jim Fairlie said the bill would prevent racing from resuming at the Thornton track and that the Scottish Government supported the legislation because racing greyhounds on oval tracks involved inherent welfare risks that could not be eliminated through licensing or good practice. The GBGB opposed the bill and criticised the proposal following the vote.
On 5 February 2026, the Oireachtas Committee of Public Accounts was told that €19 million from the Horse and Greyhound Racing Fund had been issued to GRI in 2024.
On 18 February 2026, the Greyhound Racing (Offences) (Scotland) Bill completed Stage 2 scrutiny in the Rural Affairs and Islands Committee, where amendments were considered before the bill proceeded to Stage 3. No amendments were lodged at Stage 3 and the final debate and vote on whether to pass the bill were scheduled for 12 March 2026 in the Scottish Parliament.
Major honours Major Winners Award Name of Winner2026 English Greyhound Derby 2026 Irish Greyhound Derby GBGB Greyhound Trainer of the Year GBGB Greyhound of the Year GRI Greyhound of the Year
Principal British finals
Time Greyhound Nutrition TV Trophy, tbcPosName of Greyhound Trap SPTime (sec)Trainer1st 2nd 3rd 4th 5th 6th
PGR Trainers' Judgement Night, tbc (March)PosTrainerTrackPts1st 2nd 3rd 4th 5th 6th
Arena Racing Company Laurels, Dunstall Park (11 Apr, 480m, £12,500)PosName of Greyhound Trap SP Time Trainer1st 2nd 3rd 4th 5th 6th
Premier Greyhound Racing Regency, Brighton (1 Aug 695m, £20,000)PosName of Greyhound Trap SP Time Trainer1st 2nd 3rd 4th 5th 6th
Premier Greyhound Racing St Leger, Dunstall Park (19 Sep, 715m, £20,000)PosName of Greyhound Trap SP Time Trainer1st 2nd 3rd 4th 5th 6th
Premier Greyhound Racing Oaks, Dunstall Park (24 Oct, 480m, £20,000)PosName of Greyhound Trap SPTime Trainer1st 2nd 3rd 4th 5th 6th
Principal Irish finals
Bresbet Easter Cup, Shelbourne 4 Apr, 550y, €25,000)PosName of Greyhound Trap SPTime (sec)Trainer1st 2nd 3rd 4th 5th 6th
Con and Annie Kirby Memorial, Limerick (18 Apr, 525y, €80,000)PosName of Greyhound Trap SP Time Trainer1st 2nd 3rd 4th 5th 6th
National Produce Stakes, Clonmel (24 May, 525y, €20,000)PosName of Greyhound Trap SP Time Trainer1st 2nd 3rd 4th 5th 6th
Sporting Press Oaks, Shelbourne Park (13 Jun, 525y, €25,000)PosName of Greyhound Trap SP Time Trainer1st 2nd 3rd 4th 5th 6th
Boylesports Champion Stakes, Shelbourne Park (4 Jul, 550y, €20,000)PosName of Greyhound Trap SP Time Trainer1st 2nd 3rd 4th 5th 6th
Time Dundalk International, Dundalk (12 Jul, 550y, €20,000)PosName of Greyhound Trap SP Time Trainer1st 2nd 3rd 4th 5th 6th
Time Puppy Derby, Shelbourne Park (25 Jul, 525y, €25,000)PosName of Greyhound Trap SP Time Trainer1st 2nd 3rd 4th 5th 6th
Bar One Racing Irish Sprint Cup, Dundalk (14 Aug, 400y, €20,000) PosName of Greyhound Trap SP Time Trainer1st 2nd 3rd 4th 5th 6th
BarOne Racing Irish Laurels, Cork (17 Oct, 525y, €30,000)PosName of Greyhound Trap SP Time Trainer1st 2nd 3rd 4th 5th 6th
Callaway Pro Am Irish St Leger, Limerick (21 Nov, 550y, €30,000)PosName of Greyhound Trap SP Time Trainer1st 2nd 3rd 4th 5th 6th
Calendar and results Date CompetitionVenue 1st prizeWinner 17 Jan ARC Cesarewitch Central Park £12,500 Mongys Wild 23 Jan Coral Essex Vase Romford £10,000 Tiffield Tarquin 19 Feb ARC Northern Puppy Derby Newcastle £12,500Woltemade 21 Feb Golden Jacket Monmore £20,000 Mongys Wild 28 Feb Ladbrokes Winter Derby Monmore £10,000 Bruce Bay 28 Feb Tote Gold CupShelbourne €16,000Coloursaregreen 7 Mar Juvenile ClassicTralee€10,000Ballymac Deniro 8 Mar Time Irish CesarewitchMullingar€10,000 Ballinabola Joe 14 Mar Sandy Lane Sprint Oxford £3,000 Beaming Isla 16 Mar BGBF British Breeders StakesNottingham £12,500 20 Mar Coral Golden Sprint Romford £10,000 20 Mar The Deadly Kennels McCalmont CupKilkenny €15,000 28 Mar Premier Greyhound Racing Puppy Derby Monmore £20,000 29 Mar ARC Kent Plate Central Park £12,500 29 Mar bet365 Hunt CupOxford £10,000 4 Apr Bresbet Easter CupShelbourne €25,000 11 Apr Arena Racing Company Laurels Dunstall Park £12,500 19 Apr KAB Maiden Derby Oxford £10,000 18 AprArena Racing Company Grand PrixSunderland£12,500 18 Apr Con & Annie Kirby Memorial Limerick€80,000 25 Apr Coral Brighton Belle Hove£10,000 26 Apr BresBet GymcrackSheffield £17,500 2 May Droopys Stud Select Stakes Waterford€10,000 2 May Shelbourne 600 Shelbourne €15,000 4 May Carrick Aldo at stud National ProduceClonmel €20,000 17 May Oxfordshire Sprint Oxford tbc 6 Jun Star Sports & TRC Events & Leisure English Greyhound Derby Towcester£175,000 12 Jun Callaway ProAm at Stud Race of Champions Tralee€15,000 13 Jun Sporting Press Online OaksShelbourne€25,000 27 Jun ARC Kent Silver Salver Central Park £12,500 27 Jun Donal Beatty Memorial Corn CuchulainnShelbourne €10,500 4 Jul Centenary Agri Tipperary CupThurles €7,200 4 Jul Boylesports Champion Stakes Shelbourne €20,000 5 Jul Time Three Steps to Victory Sheffield £10,000 10 Jul Coral Coronation Cup Romford£10,000 10 Jul Guys and Dolls Romford tbc 12 Jul Time Dundalk International Dundalk €20,000 12 Jul Time Greyhound Nutrition Juvenile Towcester£10,000 23 Jul Time Greyhound Feed Northern FlatNewcastle £12,500 23 Jul ARC Angel of the NorthNewcastle £7,500 25 Jul Time Irish Puppy Derby Shelbourne €25,000 26 Jul Pall MallOxford £10,000 1 Aug Coral Sussex CupHove£10,000 1 Aug Premier Greyhound Racing RegencyHove£20,000 14 Aug Bar One Racing Irish Sprint Cup Dundalk €20,000 22 Aug Ladbrokes Summer Stayers Classic Monmore£10,000 22 Aug Ladbrokes Gold Cup Monmore£10,000 31 Aug ARC Puppy ClassicNottingham£12,500 31 Aug ARC Select StakesNottingham£12,500 12 Sep Boylesports Irish Greyhound DerbyShelbourne €125,000 16 Sep Click Competitions East Anglian DerbyYarmouth£15,000 18 Sep Coral Romford Puppy CupRomford£10,000 19 Sep ARC Birmingham Cup Dunstall Park £12,500 19 Sep PGR St Leger Dunstall Park £20,000 20 Sep 77th Produce Stakes Towcester £10,000 11 Oct Untold Racing Stewards Cup Star Pelaw tbc 17 Oct BarOne Racing Irish Laurels Cork €30,000 17 Oct Premier Greyhound Racing Kent DerbyCentral Park £20,000 18 Oct Steel City Cup Sheffield£11,500 23 Oct Premier Greyhound Racing Champion StakesRomford£20,000 24 Oct Premier Greyhound Racing Oaks Dunstall Park £20,000 2 Nov Puppy Collar Oxford £10,000 8 Nov Coral Gold Collar Hove £10,000 8 Nov George Curtis/Ballyregan Bob Memorial Hove £10,000 20 Nov Premier Greyhound Racing ClassicSunderland £20,000 21 Nov Callaway Pro Am at Stud Irish St Leger Limerick €30,000 29 Nov bet365 Challenge CupOxford£10,000 30 Nov Premier Greyhound Racing EclipseNottingham£20,000 12 Dec Coral OlympicHove£10,000 20 Dec bet365 Puppy Oaks Oxford£10,000 21 Dec ARC National SprintNottingham£7,500 26 Dec Premier Greyhound Racing All England CupNewcastle£20,000
To be arranged/confirmed Blue Riband TV Trophy Scurry Gold Cup English Puppy Derby
References