Oxfordshire’s newest greyhound trainer has revealed more about the patience, care and commitment required to operate a racing kennel ahead of Oxford Stadium’s reopening.
Chris Hamblin founded Hamblin Racing near Whitchurch-on-Thames with his brother Phil in December 2021 after being introduced to the sport more than 40 years ago through their father.
The pair have revolutionised a commercial unit where they ran a shopfitting business by installing 17 kennels, paddock space, a kitchen and a racing office to live their dream of becoming professional trainers.
Now licensed by the Greyhound Board of Great Britain (GBGB) after passing its thorough Rules of Racing and welfare requirements, Chris’ kennels have the capacity to home 34 dogs.
He said the reopening of Oxford Stadium is fantastic news locally and will help him realise a lifetime dream of training greyhounds full-time.
“I’ve always loved greyhounds and greyhound racing, ever since I was a kid,” said Chris. “My father used to own dogs and me and my brother would go along to watch them race each week, it was a terrific buzz.
“Living and working with greyhounds growing up granted us a fantastic upbringing. It taught us how to be responsible, caring and patient from a young age which are traits you can apply to everyday life.
“Oxford Stadium is one of the best greyhound racing facilities in the country and its closure in 2012 was a real blow. When we read Kevin Boothby (Managing Director) had taken on a 10-year lease to reopen it, we were thrilled.
“The stadium is being revolutionised, but we’ve got our own regeneration going on with our previous shopfitting workspace now transformed into a luxury, fully-functional, greyhound kennel.
“We’re excited for what the future brings and can’t wait to be part of the stadium’s opening.”
Chris and Phil’s day starts at 7.30am and ends late in the evening with greyhounds subject to around-the-clock treatment 365 days a year.
The dogs are walked in the Oxfordshire countryside twice a day as part of their routine which includes play time in the kennel’s paddock space, an afternoon rest and galloping on grass depending on ground conditions.
They are fed high-quality foods to ensure optimal nutritional intake with breakfast including a mix of cereal, milk, fish, honey and coconut oil while evening meals consist of biscuit, chicken, lamb, beef, vegetables and occasionally tripe.
Chris believes ensuring the dogs live a happy and healthy lifestyle at home means they can reach their full potential on track.
He added: “We like to class our kennels as ‘The Ritz’ for racing greyhounds.
“Greyhounds are routine animals, and having a regular schedule of walks, play time, quality meals, galloping and rest in kennels is essential to the welfare of our dogs.
“We keep them in pairs where possible. I don’t think we can stress how important it is for dogs to interact with each other and have that touchpoint with a kennel mate.
“The entire family are really supportive of our move and weekends are particularly special when the kids get involved. They love the dogs and so do we – having a happy and healthy kennel is our priority, any winners along the way will simply be a bonus.”
If you’re interested in owning a greyhound as part of Oxford Stadium’s regeneration, contact Chris Hamblin via info@teamhamblinracing.co.uk now or follow @TeamHamblin on social media.
Oxford Stadium is a multi-purpose sports and community venue based in Cowley, Oxford, which will reopen this spring almost a decade after it closed its doors to the public.
