Champion Greyhound Trainer Mark Wallis Talks His Mind

by , 5 March 2025

Greyhound racing is experiencing turbulent times. On the track, the MWD Partnership has dominated the open race circuit, landing three Category 1 finals. Here, private trainer Mark Wallis explains the secret of its success, dwells on greyhound racing’s future and shares his ideas on putting the sport back in the big time.

Greyhound trainer Mark Wallis.

“Everyone knows, we have way too much racing, and it’s not sustainable,” says trainer Mark Wallis. © Image provided by SuffolkNews

Betting Shops: The Beginning of the End for Greyhound Tracks

2025 has been a lousy year for greyhound racing. In mid-January, greyhounds raced around Crayford Stadium for the final time. A month later, the Welsh Parliament announced a countrywide greyhound racing ban. It will come into force “as soon as practicably possible,” meaning another track will likely close.

Some would say every year since 1961 has been bad for the sport – and by no coincidence. It was the year betting shops became legal in the UK. By the start of 1962, 10,000 so-called ‘turf accountants’ were in operation.

Since its 1926 introduction, racing has been staged at over 300 greyhound tracks in the British Isles. Today, just 20 remain. The vast majority closed after betting shops appeared on British streets. The landmark London White City held out until 1984.

Dedicated Fans Undeterred Despite Flagship Closures

Another monument, Walthamstow, did better, racing until 2008 when the advent of online gambling and live sports streaming served to speed up the cull. Without investment for decades, Wimbledon Stadium was dilapidated by the time its owners sold the Plough Lane venue for the value of its land in 2017.

Nevertheless, the sport continues undeterred, with loyal owners, trainers, and enthusiasts giving greyhound racing a dedicated hardcore fanbase. And for those devotees, dog racing is all about competition and the thrill victory. A trip to the Derby final is a greyhound owner’s version of Shangri-la.

With greyhound racing in demise but a long way from extinct, Оnline-Casinos’ Roy Brindley sat down with the sport’s leading trainer, Mark Wallis, to ask what keeps him and his massively enthusiastic kennel owner hungry for success.

The 15-time Champion Trainer had plenty to say. Highlighting his achievements and plans for this year’s Derby, Wallis also gave his forthright views on the sport’s current predicament and potential, highlighting a change he would make if at the helm of the GBGB.

Ton-Up and Category 1s Victories Keep Coming

“Hello, Mark; thanks for agreeing to talk to us. Firstly, can you tell our readers about your background and path into the training ranks?”

“I first worked at Imperial Kennels for Linda Jones (my mother-in-law’s) in 1990 as a kennelhand. We landed our first Category 1 title in 1999 in Romford’s Essex Vase with a bitch called Honky Tonk Girl.”

“During my time with Linda, we won 13 Category 1 titles. When she retired at the end of 2004, I took over the trainer’s licence. Twenty years later, when New Destiny won the at Oxford just before Christmas, we landed our 100th group 1 title.”

“Since then, we have landed another five major competitions, making it 105 Category 1 winners trained at our Imperial Kennels. As the tally includes two Derbies, five St Legers and two Oaks, I’m very proud of what we have achieved.”

“This year, we have had runners in four Category 1 competitions winning three. The highlight was our top stayer, Garfiney Blaze, defending his Cesarewitch title at Central Park. The following day, we also won the Blue Riband final at Towcester over the Derby distance with a very talented dog called Table Toppers.”

“He is certainly a very realistic Derby prospect, as is our most recent Category 1 winner, Proper Heiress, who looked great when winning the Winter Derby at Monmore Green.”

“Our only low so far this year came in the Essex Vase when we qualified four dogs in the final – including the hot favourite New Destiny – but things did not go our way, as Maxine Locke’s Droopys Eunice took the title.”

Six or Seven for the Derby With Two Top Dogs

After drawing on a cigarette and taking a drink from a glass of caffe latte – Wallis refused my offer of a ‘proper drink’, explaining he is a ‘non-drinker’ – attention turned to the summer months and the celebrated Greyhound Derby. Can his kennels claim the trophy it last lifted 13 years ago once more?

“Having won two Derbies at the now-closed Wimbledon, I never feel any pressure to add another one. But, of course, I would love to win a third title. We have two live chances in Proper Heiress and Table Toppers (both currently quoted by online betting sites around 33/1).”

“Whilst we will have perhaps a team of six or seven when the competition gets underway in May, at this stage, I can’t see anything under the radar, so to speak, but there’s always a chance we might purchase another one or two dogs that could become contenders.”

One Man and His Dogs

It is noticeable that Wallis’ does not have anything like the number of runners he once did. He is also no longer supplying graded runners to any track. I asked him how and why his approach had changed.

“Yeah, at the end of 2022, I was approached by one of my owners, Mike Davis, to form the MWD Partnership. Mike excited me with his vision and an aim to set new standards in the sport, including the highest welfare standards and staff working conditions.”

“Mike wanted a state-of-the-art training facility and had several other ideas – mainly to reduce numbers to around 25 top-class dogs. He subsequently purchased Imperial Kennels from Linda Jones, and now I train exclusively for Mike and our MWD Partnership.”

“The biggest change was to drop any contract we had with tracks and become a private trainer. For the first time in over 30 years, we no longer supplied graded runners to any tracks. We were used to training 75-100 dogs, so the reduction in numbers has been a real shock.”

“The hardest thing for me was to tell my owners, many of whom had been with us for many years, that we could no longer train for them. Thankfully, they understood. The decision I made was the right one for myself and my family. Now, just over two years into the partnership, I realise this was the best decision I’ve ever made.”

Finalising Facilities and Finding Forever Homes

“Mike and I get on fabulously well. We are both really enjoying the success the kennel is having. Of course, this comes at a huge financial price for Mike, not least the cost of trying to buy top-class or potential top-class dogs to try to achieve the goals we set.”

“We are also in the middle of a massive redevelopment of our kennels and paddocks. It will be at least another year before our original plan will be finalised. What’s great is that whilst doing all these major changes, we have won 13 Category 1 titles under the MWD Partnership and our first ‘Owners of the Year’ award for 2024.”

“One of our biggest challenges is trying to rehome our retired dogs. Like all kennels in the sport, none are discarded or euthanised. But it does take time to find the right forever homes for our retired stars.”

The Greyhound Board of Great Britain recently launched a Keep Welfare On Track campaign to introduce a statutory levy on bookmakers to contribute to long-term greyhound welfare across the sport.

Time Is Right for This Family Business

“Talking of retirement,” I ask, with a wry smile, “how long has Mark Wallis left in him? When are you planning on hanging up your leads?”

Matter-of-factly, the trainer declares, “I reached a milestone, my 60th birthday last August. Thankfully, the new changes under the MWD Partnership have given me more free time. There is no way I could continue working the 100-120 hours a week I once did.”

“My wife, Sarah, my son, Daniel, and daughter, Emily, all play a huge part in our kennel’s success – as do our other staff, Sid, Liam and Justine. Furthermore, Linda still helps out. Daniel is now 26 and has worked at the kennels since he left school. He is now my assistant trainer and will take over from me when the time is right.”

“I have no doubt he will enjoy great success. I would still be heavily involved, but I could certainly step back. Emily is at university studying media and journalism and is doing well. Her dream is to be a sports presenter. Judging by her work so far, she has every chance of achieving her dream.”

Friends in High Places and No Back-Stabbing

And so the question, akin to suggesting to a Roman Catholic that the Vatican’s days are numbered. “In light of recent track closures and the decision of the Welsh Government, can Daniel have a career that potentially matches your 25-plus years as a licenced trainer? “ I ask.

“There is no doubt the sport is in a crisis, and the recent closure of Crayford was a real shame. The Welsh Government’s decision to ban Greyhound racing stinks of back-stabbing deals in politics and this ban can be overturned once the facts are made clear.”

“The far-right animal extremists who shout lie after lie about our sport seem to have got their way at the moment. Hopefully, it’s a temporary victory. Without a doubt, the sport needs a complete turnaround in fortunes.”

“And how can a turnaround be achieved, Mark?” Without a split-second of thought, Wallis fires: “No one is trying harder than my business partner, Mike Davis. A massive new promotion of the sport is underway under the Greyhound Racing UK banner that Mike has put together.”

“There will also be big personal changes at the Greyhound Board of Great Britain (GBGB) this year. We can only hope the organisation raises its game to give the sport a bright future. Yes, there could be another track or two that bites the dust, but there’s nothing stopping a new one or two being opened if the sport can regain popularity.”

“The GBGB are pressing the government for a levy which would be a total game changer. We need lots of friends in high places for this, but first, we must get the public on our side.”

Weekend Warrior With Evening Dreams

Ordering another coffee while taking further draws on a fresh cigarette in a clear display of frustration, the trainer continues:

“We have a media rights war with both Arc (Arena Racing Company) and SIS (Sports Information Services) dividing the sport. At last, it seems there is light at the end of the tunnel as, for the first time in years, they are at least talking.”

“As everyone knows, we have way too much racing, and it’s not sustainable. It’s a misconception that the bookmakers are responsible for this; the amount of racing we have is down to the media rights companies!”

“If I were at the GBGB, I wouldn’t give any tracks a licence unless they raced at least one nightly meeting over the weekend. This would be the biggest change I want to see in the sport.”

“Having a huge percentage of daytime meetings does not allow the public to watch our sport live. We all know that 99 percent of the public who go for a night at the dogs love it.”

“So why do we have so much racing in the daytime that they can’t get to watch? So, when it comes to questions like ‘should greyhound racing be banned?’ too many say yes because they don’t get a chance to see what a great spectacle it is.”

Telly, Turnover and Levy Need Addressing

“The loss of our daily live show Racing Post Greyhound TV (broadcast on the Sky platform) last year has greatly impacted bookmakers’ turnover. So, I would dearly love to see a nightly industry show come back on the air.”

“I’m not sure we will see the sport back on Sky Sports again, but the new ‘Gone To The Dogs’ live shows on YouTube make those big nights feel special again. Only in its infancy at the moment, I can see this growing enormously.”

“We rely on a voluntary bookmaker levy, and with turnover going down all the time, it means less and less goes into the fund. The biggest culprit for this is bookmakers who are either restricting the bets of clued-up greyhound punters or are losing millions in greyhound betting turnover by intrusive affordability checks. These are driving thousands of customers away.”

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