The Eclipse is a greyhound racing competition held annually at
Nottingham Greyhound Stadium
Nottingham Greyhound Stadium is a greyhound racing track and stadium on the outskirts of Nottingham
Nottingham ( , East Midlands English, locally ) is a City status in the United Kingdom, city and Unitary authorities of England, unitary a ...
.
It was inaugurated in 1938 at
Lythalls Lane Stadium
Lythalls Lane Stadium was a greyhound racing and Motorcycle speedway stadium in Coventry.
It is sometimes referred to as Foleshill Stadium or Coventry Stadium but should not be confused with Brandon Stadium.
Origins
In 1928 the Coventry Gr ...
in
Coventry
Coventry ( or rarely ) is a City status in the United Kingdom, cathedral city and metropolitan borough in the West Midlands (county), West Midlands county, in England, on the River Sherbourne. Coventry had been a large settlement for centurie ...
. Following the closure of the stadium in 1964 the competition ended for a period of three years before briefly being re-introduced at
Kings Heath Stadium.
Kings Heath closed down in 1971 which led to
Hall Green Stadium
Hall Green Stadium was a greyhound racing stadium located in the Birmingham suburb of Hall Green, which existed from 1927 until 2017.
The track itself was a 412-metre long oval track with a sand covered surface. The capacity of the stadium was ...
acting as a temporary host before the race returned to its roots in Coventry at the
Brandon Stadium
Brandon Stadium, also known as Coventry Stadium, is located 6 miles east of Coventry in Brandon, Warwickshire, England. It was the home of the Coventry Bees motorcycle speedway team. It also hosted BriSCA F1 Stock Car Racing on the 1st Saturd ...
. Coventry stopped greyhound racing in 1986, which resulted in Nottingham taking the event and holding it since.
In 2022, the prize money increased with the sponsorship of Premier Greyhound Racing and the winners purse was £20,000.
Venues
*1938-1964 (Lythalls Lane, Coventry)
*1967-1970 (Kings Heath)
*1971-1972 (Hall Green, 480y)
*1979-1985 (Brandon, Coventry)
*1987–present (Nottingham, 500m)
Past winners
Sponsors
* 1994–1994 (Peter Derrick Bookmakers)
* 2001–2001 (
John Smith's
John Smith's Brewery in Tadcaster, North Yorkshire, England, produces beers including John Smith's, the highest selling bitter in the United Kingdom since the mid-1990s.
The majority of John Smith's sales are of the nitrogenated Extra Smooth ...
)
* 2002–2002 (
Ladbrokes
Ladbrokes Coral is a British gambling company. Its product offering includes sports betting, online casino, online poker, and online bingo. The Ladbrokes portion of the group was established in 1886, and Coral in 1926. In November 2016, th ...
)
* 2003–2003 (Stadium Bookmakers)
* 2004–2017 (
Betfred
Betfred Group Holdings Limited is a bookmaker based in the United Kingdom, founded by Fred Done.Pronounced to rhyme with "bone". It was first established as a single betting shop in Ordsall, Salford, in 1967. Its turnover in 2004 was reported ...
)
* 2018–2018 (MSCM Ltd)
* 2019–2020 (
Carling Brewery)
* 2021–2021 (
Arena Racing Company)
* 2022–present (Premier Greyhound Racing)
References
{{UK & Irish greyhound competitions
Greyhound racing competitions in the United Kingdom
Sports competitions in Nottingham
Recurring sporting events established in 1938