Greyhound Racing UK is delighted to confirm that Gone To The Dogs - Live! is back with the Time Greyhound Nutrition Northern Flat Final the centrepiece of a gala card in front of the cameras on Thursday, July 24.
The news follows a successful five-week broadcast by the GTTD team from Towcester with a studio broadcast of the first three rounds of the Star Sports/TRC English Greyhound Derby before a full outside broadcast unit rolled into the Northamptonshire venue for the quarter-finals onwards.
The Towcester broadcasts culminated with a three hour-plus show on final night during which 12 of the 15 races were shown live, including the magnificent £175,000 final won by the Patrick Janssens-trained Droopys Plunge.
It is hoped that Jimmy Fenwick’s Wicky Ned will defend his title at Newcastle having won the 480m annual on his way to being crowned Premier Greyhound Racing Greyhound of the Year for 2024.
Newcastle general manager Ian Walton said: “The Northern Flat very much has its home now at Newcastle and we are proud to be staging this Category One event again - and having the Gone To The Dogs - Live! team here on finals night is the icing on the cake!
“We expect a decent entry once again and would certainly welcome entries from southern-based trainers. Having Irish-based trainers come and win both the Arc Northern Puppy Derby at Newcastle and Arc Puppy Trophy at Sunderland this year shows the locals can be beaten here!”
Jonathan Hobbs, broadcasting director for Greyhound Racing UK, added: “We’re delighted to announce our first visit to one of the north-east tracks and it certainly won’t be the last.
“The north east is a real hotbed of greyhound racing with passionate greyhound folk and enthusiasts connected to, and enjoying their sport, at Newcastle and its sister track Sunderland, as well as Star Pelaw also.
“After Towcester and an incredible 2025 Greyhound Derby, we’re all looking forward to heading up to Newcastle for the Time Greyhound Nutrition Northern Flat Final - and what will most certainly be a strong supporting card.
“For us, it’s been a case of taking stock post-Towcester and working out the best direction for Gone To The Dogs - Live! and how it might encourage more people to enjoy greyhound racing. The reaction to our shows from viewers, both from committed fans and casual viewers, has been overwhelmingly positive.
“Importantly, the feedback from bookmakers we’ve engaged with has been really positive and we are looking to build on those relationships moving forward.”
The £12,500 Time Greyhound Nutrition Northern Flat is for 36 runners and closes to entries on Monday (July 7). Heats are on Thursday, July 10, with the semis on July 17 and the final on Thursday, July 24. Supporting Arc-backed Puppy, Standard and Bitches competitions will also be staged alongside the main event.