In 1961, the award for Greyhound Trainer of the Year was inaugurated. In its first year, the honour was shared between Jack Harvey and Jimmy Jowett. Originally, the award was voted on by a press panel, intended to honour the leading trainer in the UK for that year.
The award regularly switched between trainers, as the members of the panel used the accolade to highlight the individual whose work had most impressed them in the season. Over time, the nature of the award has changed, and it now ends up in the hands of the trainer whose greyhounds have achieved the most points during open races on the Greyhound Board of Great Britain racing calendar.
That alteration saw a change in the distribution of winners, with the same trainers winning the award on a regular basis. It became normal for the award to go to the same individual for two or three years in a row, and a new record was set when, between 1988 and 1994, John McGee Sr. managed to pick up the award in seven consecutive seasons.
Many wondered whether that record of seven award wins would ever be beaten. It was. Mark Wallis picked up his first Trainer of the Year award in 2005, and followed that with a brace in 2008 and 2009. At this point, Wallis’ dogs were very popular in greyhound betting, and the trainer was already well regarded.
Wallis was doing well, but nobody expected what came next. Wallis won the award eight years in a row, from 2011 to 2019, eclipsing the seven victories managed by McGee Sr. in the process. The run was finally brought to an end when Patrick Janssens, Wallis’ former assistant, won the 2020 Trainer of the Year, although it was Wallis who lifted it again in 2021.
Wallis managed to regain the honour with an impressive season that saw him manage six Category 1 wins. Having racked up 1,346 points, he finished 400 points clear of Janssens in second. Wallis has spoken about 2020 being a difficult year for himself, and the sport more generally.
“The pandemic last year was tough – we had about three months without any racing,” he remarked, when looking back in 2021. “It affected trainers in different ways and it was a pretty poor year for the sport. But results-wise it was not too bad for us, it’s just a depleted programme didn’t help and the points reflect that.”
Discussing his return to success in 2021, Wallis continued: ““We still had plenty to be pleased with, including having the Greyhound of the Year. But the aim was always to bounce back and we did it. It’s been a really positive year – six Category 1 winners and a lot getting to Category 1 finals. That is why the points tally is so big this year, we had plenty getting to the finals of big races. We’re very proud of the achievement and there is no doubt the results give you a real buzz.”
Wallis’s greyhounds have started 2022 in fine form, and often feature in greyhound tips today. Three of his dogs featured in the final six of the Coral TV Trophy in April. It would be a brave man to bet against Wallis continuing his run of dominance in the sport, and many punters are wondering how long his time at the top can go on for.
