Who will be the top Greyhounds for the 2024/25 season?
Peter Fenemor • July 3rd, 2025 12:02 PM • 4 min read
Entering the last month of the 2024/25 racing season sees several of the NZ Greyhound of the Year categories being closely contested, while others already have clear cut winners.
A Greyhound Racing New Zealand appointed judging panel will determine the eventual category winners with them, along with the overall 2024/25 NZ Greyhound of the Year, being announced during GRNZ’s awards function in Wellington on 20 September.
Here’s a look at some of the leading category contenders, based on performance points awarded for each race win and placing. Bonus points are awarded for Group races, plus any track record breakers.
The Sprinter of the Greyhound of the Year (up to 449m) has developed into a north verses south paw wrestle.
Currently leading the points for the straight-out speed merchants is the Dave Fahey and Katie Wyllie prepared Opawa Mocha with 106 points, while kennelmate Jerry Cola, who has successfully mixed his race distances, is sitting on 99 points.
Vying with this pair are a couple of Lisa and Tracey Craik mentored sprinters Quintessential (100) and Lion’s Den (93).
The Middle Distance Greyhound of the Year (450m-599m) category saw the Garry Cleeve trained Stuck Throttle taking over the points lead following his second place in last Friday’s NZ Futurity final, having earned 89.5 points.
The Fahey/Wyllie trained Addington 525m track specialist and the NZ Cup winner One Hot Bandit has concluded his season with 88 points, while his Group 1 winning kennelmate Original Warrior has accumulated 77 points.
It’s looming as a two-dog battle for the Distance Greyhound of the Year (600m plus). The points situation has the 650m/660m specialist Johnny Football leading on 93 points for Lisa Cole.
Johnny Football has also won the most races during the season, having been placed on top of the podium on 25 occasions. He has also accumulated the most stakes, with his current tally sitting at $131,198.
It has been another stellar season for the Bob Pringle conditioned dual Group race winning stayer Grande Vue Ace who has secured 84 points.
A period on the sideline hasn’t helped the claims for the Matt Roberts trained stayer Chief Dribble (62). He did win a pair of Addington 732m Group races.
An overall New Zealand Bred Greyhound of the Year (all distances) will be named. This section is dominated by the Fahey/Wyllie training partnership.
The New Zealand Derby winner Jerry Cola leads on 127 points, followed by the Galaxy Sprint winner Opawa Marsh (118), then Opawa Mocha (106).
The leading New Zealand based Sires are recognized with the category currently being led by Gary Harding owned Thrilling Boris, having sired 112 winners.
The Robin Wales stood stud dog Winsome Opawa has featured in this section over numerous seasons, and he has left 83 winners so far this season.
The Dam of the Year sees the Dave and Jean Fahey owned prolific producing brood bitch Isavana featuring having whelp the winner of 151 races.
Opawa Tab has enjoyed another successful season leaving 97 winners for Robin Wales.
Obviously, the NZ Trainer of the Year has been clearly decided with the high-flying Lisa Cole kennels heading into today’s racing with 723 winners ($2,921,610 in stakes) for the season.
Jonathon McInerney leads the chasing pack with 555 winners ($1,817,125 stakes).
The NZ Trainers Strike Rate title has developed into a fascinating battle. It is a tale of two halves for the season.
Dave and Jean Fahey currently lead the table with an impressive UDR score of 0.4897. The couple trained together from 1 August until 31 December, mentoring 148 winners (118 minors) from the 417 starters they raced.
The new Dave Fahey and Katie Wyllie training partnership commenced on 1 January and currently they are sitting on an equally impressive UDR score of 0.4860. They have saluted the judge on 156 occasions (134 minors), having placed 449 starters into the traps.
It promises to be an intriguing finish to the 2024/25 greyhound racing season.
