The Greyhound Board of Great Britain (GBGB) has announced the introduction of a pilot scheme that will see a new Rails to Middle seeding category trialled at selected racecourses from Monday 21 September.

The pilot intends to assess whether an additional seeding option can help support a safer and fairer racing environment for all participants.

The trial will initially be introduced at all Entain racecourses, Sheffield Stadium and Towcester Racecourse. Subject to ongoing evaluation, there is also an intention to extend the pilot to additional racecourses at a later stage.

Senior Stipendiary Steward Duncan Gibson welcomed the launch of the initiative and the collaborative approach being taken with participating tracks.

“We are pleased to be launching this pilot in partnership with participating racecourses. The introduction of a Rails to Middle category will allow us to assess whether additional seeding options can benefit racing operations while maintaining consistency and fairness.

We look forward to reviewing the results and feedback from across the industry.”

Throughout the pilot period, GBGB will monitor race data and gather feedback from stakeholders across the sport. The findings will be reviewed before any decision is made.