Oxford Stadium bar manager Danny Seeney was the star turn of the night and made a huge contribution to the £1,200 raised during the Children in Need charity meeting on Thursday.

Seeney, dressed as a greyhound, raised £500 to race against Pudsey Bear around the track after the meeting.

BBC Oxford staff, including Wesley Smith, took a full part in the presentations and took the collection buckets around at the all-trophy meeting.

The in-form kennel of Bob Hannan struck on the night with a treble, while Gilly Hepden, Paddy Curtin and Tony Magnasco secured doubles.

Angie Kibble grabbed another winner with Broadacres Mo, and by the end of Sunday racing, had increased her lead over Michael Peterson to four winners in the trainers championship.

However, Peterson hit back with a superb five-timer at yesterday’s BAGS meeting to open the race right up.

  • HEAVY going problems at the third bend at Oxford Stadium should be eliminated now that the new drainage system has been competed.

Excess water has been a problem for many years and with greyhounds approaching the bend at probably their fastest of the race, they need a surface that is true.

The operation was funded by the GRGB.

  • THE Moyne Exhibitions Kennel Sweepstake heats start on December 12, with the final a week later. It’s a £500-to-the-winner event, plus trophy.

Next Saturday will see the Heat Risk Trophy in memory of the former grader trained by Ron Bicknell.

It will be the tenth running of the event, sponsored by owner Roy Shorter.

  • YOU just can’t keep the Angie Kibble-trained Hiillcross Orion out of the news at the moment.

Orion reached the final of the £5,000 to the winner ‘Paws For Thought’ competition at Poole on Tuesday with a superb run of 26.67, the fastest time at the seaside venue in ages.

Before that, Orion finished runner-up to the track record- breaker Lenson Bolt at Wimbledon.

  • TRAINER Nick Colton, no stranger to top-class hurdle racing having been connected with top jumper Joe Bananas in the past, has taken on Tic Tic Boom with a view to tackling the Springbok Hurdle at Wimbledon in the New Year.
  • LOOK out for three nice pups with Tony Magnasco which are by his former open race bitch Final Ringmore and Caloona Striker, one of Hove’s fastest stayers.
  • Canadian Willie, one of the oldest dogs on the strength at Cowley, won his third race in a row on Saturday, while Michael Peterson’s Killishin Sixty shone at Monday's trial session, posting 27.00.

Paddy Curtin is aiming high with his highly-rated stayer Stoneyholme Vito. He goes to Hove for an open tonight, but next year he will be aimed all the major stayers races.

  • LATEST indications are that the Boxing Day meeting will be one of the best ever. If you haven’t booked yet, don’t wait too long to avoid disappointment.