Graham Holland

Graham D Holland (born 1961) is an English and Irish greyhound trainer. He is a two times Irish Greyhound Derby winning trainer.[1][2]

Graham Holland
Holland with Slippy Cian
OccupationGreyhound Trainer
Born1961
Wiltshire, England
Career wins2 x Irish Derby winner
Major racing wins
Classic/Feature wins:
Irish Greyhound Derby (2016), (2019)
Laurels (2009, 2012, 2016, 2017)
Easter Cup (2015, 2019, 2020)
Oaks (2015)
Champion Stakes (2015, 2016)
National Produce (2016, 2017, 2020)
Select Stakes (2009, 2016, 2017, 2019)
Cox Cup (2008)
Tipperary Cup (2005, 2008, 2010)
Arc (2017)
Race of Champions (2018, 2019)
Shelbourne 600 (2019)

Profile

Holland left school aged 16, to work at the Hook Estate and Kennels for Greyhound Racing Association trainer Randy Singleton, who was based at White City. He then moved to work for Jill and Gordon Holt. After a break he returned to greyhound racing on the independent circuit. In September 1992, based at the Avon Park Kennels on Ringwood Road, in St Ives, Dorset[3] he applied for and was granted a National Greyhound Racing Club licence and gained an attachment at Portsmouth Stadium where he met his wife Nicky.[4]

His first major training feat was steering One For Tarbert through to the Wendy Fair St Leger at Wembley on 15 November 1996.[5] He reached the 1997 Scurry Gold Cup final with Official Figure before Holland moved to Poole Stadium and became the track's champion trainer but he soon required a track that could provide regular races for his higher class of greyhound. He subsequently joined Oxford Stadium in 2000 and continued to build a strong reputation. In 2001 he then became attached to Brighton & Hove Greyhound Stadium[4] and reached the final of the RD Racing Cesarewitch.[6]

In 2002 Graham and Nicky made the decision to moved to Golden, County Tipperary in Ireland, they set up the Riverside Kennel on a seven acre plot.[4] The move inevitably resulted in a period of transition for the kennel and it was not until 2005 that they tasted success winning the 2005 Tipperary Cup with Broadacres Tommy.[7] The competition wins began to regularly arrive from 2008 including the Cox Cup and Tipperary Cup (2008) and the Laurels and Select Stakes (2009).

The following decade would see the kennel become the most significant in Ireland and arguably the United Kingdom, in 2012 Knockglass Billy won the Laurels and the following year Cabra Buck reached the 2013 Irish Greyhound Derby final [8] It was during 2015 that Holland was propelled into the leading trainer in Ireland, he won the Easter Cup with Sidarian Blaze,[9] the Oaks with Ballydoyle Honey [10] and the Champion Stakes with Sidarian Vega.[11]

In 2016 he won Ireland's leading prize, the Boylesports Irish Greyhound Derby with Rural Hawaii.[12] In addition Clares Rocket won the National Produce and Champion Stakes [13] and Skywalker Manner won the Laurels. The following year (2017) resulted in a Clonbrien Hero winning three competitions; the St Leger, Produce and Laurels. Following a quiet 2018 he bounced back with a second Derby triumph when Lenson Bocko won the 2019 Irish Greyhound Derby.[2][14] The year also contained major wins in the Easter Cup, Shelbourne 600, Select Stakes and the Race of Champions.

Holland began 2020 with a third Easter Cup title, this time with Wolfe and after the COVID-19 pandemic lockdown he won a third National Produce in five years, with Newinn Taylor who won his 12th successive race.[15]

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References
  1. "2019 Irish Derby final". Irish Greyhound Board.
  2. "LENSON BOCKO WINS ONE OF THE GREAT IRISH DERBY FINALS". Greyhound Star.
  3. Fry, Paul (1995). The Official NGRC Greyhound Racing Yearbook. Ringpress Books. ISBN 186054-010-4.
  4. "UK career". Riverside Kennels.
  5. NGRC calendar. National Greyhound Racing Club. December 1996.
  6. Hobbs, Jonathan (2002). Greyhound Annual 2003. Raceform. ISBN 1-904317-07-3.
  7. Hobbs, Jonathan (2008). Greyhound Annual 2008. Raceform. ISBN 978-1-905153-534.
  8. "Derby Final". Irish Greyhound Board.
  9. "2015 Dandelion Bar & Nightclub Easter Cup". Irish Greyhound Board.
  10. "2015 Result". Irish Greyhound Board.
  11. "2015 Result". Irish Greyhound Board.
  12. "Saturday's round-up: Hawaii lands Irish Derby". Racing Post.
  13. "2016 Result". Irish Greyhound Board.
  14. "2019 Irish Derby final". Irish Greyhound Board.
  15. "2020 Produce final". Irish greyhound Board.
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