There were celebrations among trainers and punters at Oxford Stadium after the Sandy Lane track was awarded a new BAGS contract.

The very lucrative payment, a lifeline for any greyhound venue, is reckoned to be in the region of £8,000 a meeting.

And with 52 Friday and 52 Sunday meetings scheduled over the next year, it is not something to be sniffed at.

Oxford were one of the first tracks to stage BAGS racing in 1967.

It is rumoured that many workers from the Cowley car plant streamed into the track at the end of their shifts, wage packets in hand, and had many a tale to tell once they got home!

Angie Kibble, six time champion between 1998-2003, leads the way in the battle for the Oxford Trainers’ Championship.

She heads the table from young pretender Michael Peterson who trails her by two wins with 204.

Peterson showed his determination to win the coveted title by attending the Thurles sales in Ireland, buying five new hounds which includes two possible top graders.

Latest standings: A Kibble 206, Peterson 204, Magnasco 176, Curtin 160, Massey 151, Hepden 137, Clarke 114, T Kibble 110, Atkins 107, Colton 95, Bicknell 94, Hannan 93, oMayo 89, Yeates 74, Rayner 64. It pays to be in the National Owners Association it appears.

At a recent meeting it was agreed all tracks now offer a 25 per cent discount on restaurant and executive suites.

The Greyhound Breeders Forum are sponsoring a kennel competition for British bred greyhounds with £500 to the winner, and £100 to the winning breeder and trainer.

Moyne Exhibitions are also staging a kennel sweepstakes event with £1,000 added prize money.

Positive Step, one of Maurice Massey's top hounds is lame and will be off for the forseeable future and Kisskissbangbang, his other top dog was just touched on his comeback run on Saturday.

Tony Magnasco's Westmead Hawk puppy Ardmayle Maybe posted the fastest time of the session with 27.17 secs at Monday's trials.

Meanwhile, Ron Bicknell has high hopes for the two pups Smile On Sveta and Svetas Run by top stud dog Droopys Scolari.

More than 50 per cent of the greyhounds at Oxford have been micro-chipped as part of the plans to improve security.