KIM SANZONE, head of greyhound racing operations at Star Sports, described Saturday’s first ever festival at Star Pelaw as “incredible” and a “real throwback” with plans afoot to make it even bigger next year.

A Category Two double-header at the track saw the Untold Racing Stewards Cup sharing the stage with the SR Transport Rose Bowl Final, with each contest worth £3,000 to the winner. Supporting open races made for a gala card and Sanzone was delighted how the meeting panned out – and the crowd it attracted.

“Saturday night was incredible and reminded me of a night at the track from years gone by – a real throwback,” she said. “There was a superb atmosphere and the biggest crowd we’ve had since taking over the track as Star Pelaw.

“The feedback has been so positive and encouraging and we are hoping to go one better next year by making the Untold Racing Stewards Cup a Category One event,” revealed Sanzone about the former Walthamstow six-bend competition which has been returned to the GBGB Calendar by Star Pelaw. 

“We also have an exciting anniversary Gala Night marking our first year at Star Pelaw on November 1 with a series of £1,000-to-the-winner opens,” added Sanzone.

“But a big thanks for Saturday must go to Callum Purdy of Untold Racing and Savva Roberts of SR Transport for their support and generous sponsorship of our big races.”

On the track, Star Pelaw racing manager Dave Gray congratulated the night’s big-race winners after Tom Heilbron’s Ballymac Sargie (35.57sec) won the Untold Racing Stewards Cup over 590m and Martin Stout’s Hillside Lily (25.62sec) landed the SR Transport Rose Bowl Final over 435m.

“Both finals were tremendous and the quality of the racing on Saturday  was excellent,,” said Gray. “As Kim says, the feedback we’ve received from owners and trainers has been excellent. Star Sports is coming up to its first anniversary of owning the track and what a way to celebrate it!

“We had a fabulous buckle in the SR Transport Rose Bowl Final between two local trackers in Hillside Lily and Dreamin Porcha. It was a treat to witness, a proper greyhound race for the purists, and what a fabulous result for Martin and Joe Stout with just one greyhound in training to land a Cat Two competition on home soil was unbelievable.

“In the Untold Racing Stewards Cup, a historic race reinvented here at Star Pelaw, we had another massive supporter of the track in Tom Heilbron landing the spoils with Ballymac Sargie. Here was a proper competition greyhound getting the upper hand against local heroine and track record holder Emilys Superstar.

“It was definitely another moment for the memory bank.

“Saturday night greyhound racing in front of a good and knowledgeable crowd with after racing entertainment to finish the night in style. This was not about the sometimes conveyor belt of racing, these nights are why I and many, many others are involved in the sport of greyhound racing. It was brilliant from top to bottom.”