Italian businessman Max Picinelli is providing major sponsorship for Oxford this year.

He is to continue to back the Oxford Maiden Trophy and will also sponsor an attractive major marathon competition over 845 metres.

Picinelli, who has dogs with Tony Magnasco at Cowley, will put up a £2,000 first prize for the stayers event and the competition is sure to attract the best marathon runners in the country.

It's planned to run both finals in the summer on the same night which should make it one of the best nights of the year at Sandy Lane.

All the major open races at Oxford this year have been sponsored.

There's a total of seven, which leaves Oxford behind only Wimbledon in the big race stakes.

  • Ladbrokes stage their big charity meeting at the Stadium tonight where they hope to raise more than £3,000 for the Oxford Retired Greyhound Trust.

Twelve races have been sponsored and to add some light relief to the proceedings there will be a 'human race' staged around 9pm.

  • Southlodge Rage, who won five category one races in his 53 open race victories is to stand at stud at Maurice Massey's Blackthorn kennels.

Rage is already responsible for open racers Raging Aza and Raging Jack, and the plane is for Rage to cover Droopys Woods. If it all goes to plan it will give Massey's kennel a real boost.

  • Trainer Ian Wills heads for Peterborough on Monday with Crownville Capri to contest the Peterborough Derby.
  • The Stadium will stage their 50th meeting of the year this weekend and we're yet not halfway through March.
  • The normal trial session on Monday has been suspended for the second week running, this time due to track maintenance.