MARK WALLIS is the GBGB Trainer of the Year – for a record twelfth time.

The boss of Imperial Kennels regains the title from his former assistant Patrick Janssens, the 2020 champion, who finished second. Wallis ended 2021 on 1,346 points, 359 points clear of Janssens (987) and ahead of Kevin Hutton (897), David Mullins (713), Angela Harrison (608) and Liz McNair (498). The top six qualify for Trainers’ Judgement Night.

Before Janssens had ended Wallis’s domination of the Trainer of the Year race, the Towcester and Henlow-based handler had racked up wins in the championship in 2005, 2008, 2009, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018 and 2019 – a roll of honour which included eight titles in a row from 2012.

A twelfth success extends Wallis’s lead over nearest rivals Linda Mullins (7), John McGee (5) and Charlie Lister (4) and Wallis praised the staff at Imperial Kennels for making it possible, happy to look back on another successful year in terms of winners, but also looking forward to the major events to come.

He said: “Unfortunately we couldn’t finish the year with a winner. Balterio was our last open-race runner of 2021 and he ran a good second at Towcester last Sunday, but we’ll now try to get a fast start in 2022 with a few runners on the New Year’s Day card at Towcester where the races will be worth £500 each.

“But we had a pretty decent finish to the season. It was great to see us win such a prestigious race as the George Curtis & Ballyregan Bob Memorial at Hove – and there’s no question that Antigua Lava deserve that Cat 2 win. It was a brilliant race and she ran well to catch kennelmate Aayamza Dream right on the line for the £3,000 prize.

“Our two more fancied runners in that final, Aayamza Royale and Blueberry Bullet, did each other no favours when they collided, but both were real stars in 2021 with big-race wins – and what more can you say about Lydia (Aayamza Royale)?

“Winning the Regency and another TV Trophy was superb and the news that Hove are staging the competition in 2022 gives her a chance for a record third victory.

“We’ll be aiming her at that before calling it a day – but she remains the kennel flag-bearer and has carried the mantle of Greyhound of the Year with great pride and class. Hopefully she gets a few votes again this year!

“Overall we’ve got to be pleased with how the year panned out on the track. We were in front for much of the year and, despite a late run from Patrick (Janssens), have managed to secure an incredible twelfth title for the kennel. It’s the third highest total of points since 2005 and included six Category One victories.

“But our huge points tally for the season was not just down to the Cat Ones wins, but also the fact we had as many Cat One finalists as I can remember.

“I’m just doing my website review of 2021, which will be up shortly, and will finalise the figures but the amount of times we had two or three runners in big finals was incredible and I’d say we had around eight seconds. With more luck we could have won over ten Cat One titles – but perhaps that’s me being my usual ultra-competitive self!

“Nevertheless I said at the end of a slightly disappointing 2020 we’d bounce back and we certainly did that – and, more importantly, we have a cracking array of stars going into 2022. So bring it on!”

In addition to Aayamza Royale’s TV Trophy victory at Monmore and Regency win at Hove, there were GBGB Category One wins in 2021 for the kennel’s Antigua Romeo in the Coral Essex Vase, Antigua Storm in the BresBet East Anglian Derby at Yarmouth, Bo Shine Bullet in the Ladbrokes Kent St Leger at Crayford and Drumcrow Brent in the Coral Sussex Cup.