BGRB set to accept Donoughue proposals.

Byline: Jonathan Kay

THE British Greyhound Racing Board this morning holds an Extraordinary General Meeting to discuss the Donoughue report, with its members expected to formally accept the recommendations, writes Jonathan Kay.

Track promoters have already signalled their consent to Donoughue's proposed formation of a Greyhound Board of Great Britain to take on the current roles of the BGRB and NGRC, although 'stakeholders' such as owners, trainers and bredeers have voiced strong reservations about the lack of a guaranteed seat on the new body.

While there are suggestions that the dispute at the Greyhound Trainers' Association, which has sidelined chairman Jim Reynolds, may soon be resolved, there will again be no official GTA presence at today's meeting. However, breeders' representative Bob Gilling, a GTA member, will be there.

"The BGRB board was unable to accept Tony Meek's nomination as GTA representative at the last meeting, so the position has not changed really," said the BGRB's Peter Laurie yesterday. "However, it has been suggested that any comment that the GTA members wish to make is fed through Bob Gilling on this occasion."

Meanwhile, BGRB chairman Lord Lipsey yesterday said that his Wednesday meeting with new NGRC senior steward Hazel Bentall has been "friendly, forceful and fruitful". He added: "I hope it marks a turning point in relations between the two bodies."

Bentall took over from Edward Bentall (no relation). He resigned following the decision, which he voted against, of the BGRB board to extend Lipsey's tenure through the transition process to the formation of the GBGB.