{{Short description|Greyhound racing competition}} {{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}} {{Use British English|date=April 2024}} {{Infobox horseraces | surface = Sand | class = Category 1 | horse race = Northern Flat | image = 150px | caption = Sullane Castle, winner in 1992 | location = Newcastle Stadium | inaugurated = 1927 | last run = | race type = | sponsor = Time Greyhound Nutrition | website = | distance = 480 metres | track = | qualification = | weight = | purse = £12,500 (winner) | bonuses = }} The '''Northern Flat''' is a greyhound racing competition held annually at Newcastle Stadium.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.arenaracingcompany.co.uk/media-centre/news/greyhounds/arc-confirm-open-race-plans-for-2021|title=ARC Confirm Open Race Plans For 2021|publisher=Arena Racing Company|access-date=21 May 2021}}</ref> The event was switched to Newcastle in 2021 following the closure of Belle Vue Stadium where it had been held from 1927 until 2018.<ref>{{cite book|last=Hobbs|first=Jonathan|title=Greyhound Annual 2008, page 142|year=2007|publisher=Raceform|isbn=978-1-905153-53-4}}</ref>
It was inaugurated in 1927 making it one of the oldest competitions in the racing calendar.<ref>{{cite book|last=Genders|first=Roy|title=The Encyclopedia of Greyhound Racing|year=1981|publisher=Pelham Books Ltd|isbn=07207-1106-1}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|last=Barnes|first=Julia|title=Daily Mirror Greyhound Fact File, pages 70-72|year=1988|publisher=Ringpress Books|isbn=0-948955-15-5}}</ref> The 1971 edition was an eight dog competition, the only time a major competition featured eight runners.<ref name=genders90>{{cite book|last=Genders|first=Roy|title=NGRC book of Greyhound Racing|year=1990|publisher=Pelham Books Ltd|isbn=0-7207-1804-X}}</ref><ref name="barnes91">{{cite book|last=Barnes|first=Julia|title=Daily Mirror Greyhound Fact File, Vol Two|year=1991|publisher=Ringpress Books|isbn=0-948955-61-9}}</ref>
== Sponsors == {{columns-list|colwidth=22em| *1989–1989 (David P.Yates) *1990–1991 (John Smith's Brewery) *1994–1994 (Demmy Racing) *1999–2009 (Ben Holmes Bookmakers) *2011–2015 (Belle Vue Owners Forum) *2016–2018 (BAPP Group of Companies) *2021–2023 (Arena Racing Company) *2024-present (Time Greyhound Nutrition) }}
== Venue & distances == *1927–1971 (Belle Vue, 500 yards) *1975–1998 (Belle Vue, 460 metres) *1999–2004 (Belle Vue, 465 metres) *2005–2018 (Belle Vue, 470 metres) *2021–present (Newcastle, 480 metres)
== Past winners == {| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" |- !width=50|Year !width=200|Winner !width=300|Breeding !width=250|Trainer !width=80|Time (sec) !width=50|SP !width=150|notes/ref |- !1927 |Great Chum||Woon - Chronic Cough||Jack Buck (Belle Vue) || 29.60 || 11/8f||<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0000272/19271008/015/0015 |title=Northern Flat Title |work=Manchester Evening News |date=8 October 1927 |via=British Newspaper Archive|url-access=subscription |access-date=22 July 2024}}</ref> |- !1928 |Mutable||Latto - Muffler|| Eddie Wright (Belle Vue)|| 29.08 || 5/2f||<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0000687/19280903/126/0005 |title=Mutable wins final at Manchester |work=Yorkshire Post and Leeds Intelligencer |date=3 September 1928 |via=British Newspaper Archive|url-access=subscription |access-date=22 July 2024}}</ref> |- !1929 |Mutable||Latto - Muffler|| Eddie Wright (Belle Vue)|| 29.34 || || |- !1930 |Doumergue||Dago - Beaded Jean||Harry Woolner (White City - London) ||29.17 || || |- !1931 |Ross Regatta||Red Robin - Kaiserin|| Reg Bosley (Private) ||29.14 || ||<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0000560/19310905/199/0016 |title=Greyhounds |work=Daily Mirror |date=5 September 1931 |via=British Newspaper Archive|url-access=subscription |access-date=22 July 2024}}</ref> |- !1932 |Wild Woolley||Hautley - Wild Witch||Jimmy Campbell (Belle Vue)||28.49 || ||World & Track record <ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0000669/19320602/218/0010 |title=World record broken |work=Birmingham Daily Gazette |date=2 June 1932 |via=British Newspaper Archive|url-access=subscription |access-date=22 July 2024}}</ref> |- !1933 |Deemster's Mike||Deemster - Perdita||Fred Livesly (Bradford) ||29.08 ||2/1jf|| |- !1934 |Kumm On Steve||Halmirah - Barbara Joan||Albert Jonas (White City - London) ||29.42 || || |- !1935 |Perendar||Rathwire - Ashbournes Joy||Fred Livesly (Bradford) ||29.00|| || |- !1936 |First Nobleman||Generous Nobleman - Ballinard Vue|| Ronnie Melville (Newcastle) ||29.16 || || |- !1937 |Demotic Mack ||Beef Cutlet - Kaiti Hill||Charles Cross (Clapton) ||28.66 ||7/1||<ref>{{cite web|url=http://greyhoundstar.co.uk/remember-october-2/|title=Remember When - October|date=27 October 2017|publisher=Greyhound Star}}</ref> |- !1938 |Italian Primer||Danielli - A.B.C.||Thomas Callighan (Salford)||28.92 ||8/15f|| |- !1939 |Sporting Offer||Silver Seal - Live Wiring||Austin Hiscock (Belle Vue)||28.74 ||1/3f|| |- !1946 |Dante II||Well Squared - Olives Idol||Wilf France (Harringay)||28.35 ||3/1|| |- !1947 |Tonycus||Manhattan Midnight - Dashing B.|| Leslie Reynolds (Wembley)||28.09 ||4/7f|| |- !1948 |Clan Cameron||G.R Admiral - Noramac||W McLean (Powderhall)||28.68 ||100/8|| |- !1949 |Bahattan Marquis ||Manhattan Midnight - Behattan||Bob Burls (Wembley)||28.37 ||5/2||<ref>{{cite web|url=http://greyhoundstar.co.uk/remember-bumper-edition/|title=Greyhound Star (Remember When December)|date=20 December 2018|publisher=Greyhound Star}}</ref> |- !1950 |Loyal Accomplice||Mad Tanist - Belle O'Harlem||Tom Paddy Reilly (Walthamstow)||28.10 ||6/4f|| |- !1951 |Rushton Smutty||Mad Tanist - Summer Frock||Frank Johnson (Private)||27.95 ||4/6f|| |- !1952 |Ballylanigan Tanist||Mad Tanist - Fly Dancer|| Leslie Reynolds (Wembley)||27.82 ||2/1|| |- !1953 |Baytown Caddie||Bah's Choice - Baytown Blossom|| Jack Harvey (Wembley)||28.20 ||11/4|| |- !1954 |Rushton Mac||Rushton News - Rushton Panda||Frank Johnson (Private)||28.12 ||6/1|| |- !1955 |Rushton Mac||Rushton News - Rushton Panda||Frank Johnson (Private)||27.82 ||4/11f|| |- !1956 |Duke Of Alva||Ballymac Ball - Marchioness Minnie||Frank Baldwin (Perry Barr)||28.68 ||20/1||dead-heat |- !1956 |Wish Me Luck||Marsh Harrier - Chaser||Jack Brennan (Owlerton)||28.68 ||10/1||dead-heat |- !1957 |Brooklands Hunter||Fly Prince - Brooklands Rose||H Harding (Private)||28.91 ||7/2|| |- !1958 |Just Fame||Colebreene Bell - More Fame||Tom Johnston Sr. (Carntyne)||28.56 ||8/11f|| |- !1959 |Low Pressure||Hi There - Belle Of Cassagh||Pam Heasman (Private)||28.09 ||8/13f|| |- !1960 |Just Fame||Colebreene Bell - More Fame||Tom Johnston Sr. (Carntyne)||28.37 ||6/1|| |- !1961 |Spider Hill||Forever Cloone - She Can Can||Joe Pickering (White City - London)||28.22 ||11/4|| |- !1962 |Faithful Charlie||Glittering Look - Lady Artic||Jim Irving (Private)||28.32 ||9/4|| |- !1963 |Super Car||Glittering Coin - Tansys Daughter||Norman Oliver (Brough Park)||27.95 ||12/1|| |- !1964 |We'll See||Knock Hill Chieftain - Bunnykins||Joe Pickering (White City - London)||28.11 ||4/1|| |- !1965 |Clonmannon Flash||Prairie Flash - Dainty Sister|| Jim Hookway (Owlerton) ||27.98 ||1/2f|| |- !1966 |Lazy Tim||Clonalvy Pride - You Little Daisy||Frank Baldwin (Perry Barr)||28.08 ||4/1|| |- !1967 |Own Luck||Careless Look - Miss Kruger||Joe Pickering (White City - London)||28.12 ||6/1|| |- !1968 |Limits Crackers||Odd Venture - Pats Regret||Coin McNally (Perry Barr)||28.09 ||11/10f|| |- !1969 |Infatuated||Prairie Flash - Clomoney Grand||Jim Irving (Private)||28.23 ||7/4f|| |- !1970 |The Other Green||Prairie Flash - The Other Flash||Jim Irving (Private)||27.66 ||1/3f|| |- !1971 |Knockmant Pride||Always Proud - Bonfire Grand||Bill Adams (White City - Manchester) ||28.12 ||7/1|| |- |colspan=7| '''1972 to 1974 not held''' |- !1975 |Milebush Heron||Infatuated - Kellys For Cash||Bill Adams (Belle Vue) ||28.14 ||1/1f|| |- !1976 |Detties Joy||Wafer Thin - Silver Torch|| Geoff De Mulder (Hall Green)||27.91 ||7/4jf|| |- !1977 |Colonel Pearloma||Lively Band - Certral|| John Coleman (Wembley) ||27.52 ||7/1|| |- !1978 |Dale Lad||Lively Band - Kerry Pal|| Geoff De Mulder (Hall Green)||27.56 ||4/7f||<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0004985/19790707/031/0031 |title=Sarah's Bunny in Northern Bid |work=Manchester Evening News |date=7 July 1979 |via=British Newspaper Archive|url-access=subscription |access-date=22 June 2025}}</ref> |- !1979 |Ella's Sound||Monalee Champion - Current Flash||Frank Baldwin (Perry Barr)||27.45 ||6/1|| |- !1980 |Jon Barrie||Clashing - Famous Heart||Ray Andrews (Leeds)||27.85 ||11/4|| |- !1981 |Thanks Kev||Ahaveen Spitfire - Slide Over Baby||Frank Melville (Harringay)||27.67|| 11/8f|| |- !1982 |Oakfield Tracey||Westmead Power - Pride Of Aston||Rita Hayward (Perry Barr)||27.40 ||8/1|| |- !1983 |Slender Boy||Minnesota Mark - The Tunnel||Ken Reynolds (Cradley Heath)||27.80 ||7/1|| |- !1984 |Precious Prince||Fred {{not a typo|Flinstone}} - Minnesota Oaks||Harry Crapper (Sheffield)||27.99 ||5/2||Track record |- !1985 |Ebony Fox||Ballyderg Fox - Pile It High||Sam Salvin (Sheffield)||28.23 ||9/4f|| |- !1986 |Fearless Action||Ron Hardy - Sarahs Bunny|| Geoff De Mulder (Oxford)||28.04 ||2/7f|| |- !1987 |Kingsmeadow King||Lauries Panther - Millies Midget||Dawn Milligan (Brough Park)||28.48 ||5/2f|| |- !1988 |Pond Hurricane||Lindas Champion - Soda Pop II||Harry Williams (Brough Park)||28.30 ||2/5f|| |- !1989 |Barnacuiga Lass||Dads Bank - Lady Rossmore||Geoff De Mulder (Norton Canes)||28.26 ||4/7f|| |- !1990 |Social Circle||Nelsons Dasher - Gorgeous|| Linda Mullins (Romford)||28.05 ||2/1jf|| |- !1991 |Aylesbury Duck||Whisper Wishes - Judys First||David Budd (Peterborough)||28.14 ||2/1f|| |- !1992 |Sullane Castle||Tapwatcher - Airhill Foam||Nigel Saunders (Belle Vue)||28.03 ||11/8f|| |- !1993 |Toms Lodge||Druids Lodge - Grannys Black||Norman Johnson (Norton Canes)||27.59 ||8/13f|| |- !1994 |Gold Doon||Top Flash - Doon Duchess||Eddie Palmer (Sunderland)||28.02 ||6/1||<ref>{{cite book|last=Fry|first=Paul|title=The Official NGRC Greyhound Racing Yearbook|year=1995|pages=27–28|publisher=Ringpress Books|isbn=186054-010-4}}</ref> |- !1995 |Countrywide Cub||SatharnBeo - Free Fancy|| John Coleman (Walthamstow)||28.66 ||6/4f|| |- !1996 |Rainstorm||Murlens Slippy - Westmead Bubble|| Geoff De Mulder (Hall Green)||28.10 ||7/1|| |- !1997 |Brannigans Gig||Just Right Kyle - Castlelyons Link||Charlie Lister (Nottingham) ||28.00 ||7-/1|| |- !1998 |Ratsatory||Vintage Prince - Sunset Blonde||Pat Ryan (Private)||28.09 ||5/2|| |- !1999 |Killaree George||Billy George - Toffee Money||Dave Hopper (Sheffield)||28.43 ||8/1|| |- !2000 |El Dante||Airmount Coal - Jubilee Joy|| Linda Mullins (Walthamstow)||28.00 ||8/1|| |- !2001 |Carhumore Cross||He Knows - Laurdella Risk|| Nick Savva (Private)||27.65 ||4/1|| |- !2002 |Cool Scenario||Spiral Nikita - Bangor Jane||Barrie Draper (Sheffield)||28.15 ||5/2cf|| |- !2003 |One Yard||Larkhill Jo - Gold Commentary||Andy Johnson (Private)||27.74 ||4/7f|| |- !2004 |Tarn Bay Flash||Larkhill Jo - Tarn Bay Ace||June McCombe (Belle Vue)||27.74 ||7/1|| |- !2005 |Phone for Who||Frisby Flashing - Suir Trio||Graham Hutt (Private)||27.75 ||3/1|| |- !2006 |Giddy Kipper||Larkhill Jo - Harsu Heather||June McCombe (Belle Vue)||27.70 ||25/1|| |- !2007 |Ballymac Charley||Daves Mentor - Ballymac Bargain||Charlie Lister (Private)||27.70 ||5/4f|| |- !2008 |Droopys Sheehy||Droopys Cahill - Droopys Millie||Elaine Parker (Sheffield)||27.79 ||7/4f|| |- !2009 |Anhid Bertie ||Droopys Vieri-AnhidReta ||Martin Cutler (Belle Vue) ||27.61 ||4/1|| |- !2010 |Sundance Kid ||World Class – Droopys Kara ||Otto Kueres (Belle Vue) ||28.19 ||4/1|| |- !2011 |Mountjoy Rock ||Black Shaw – Noelles Amarillo ||Elaine Parker (Sheffield) ||27.37 ||4/6f|| |- !2012 |Alien Planet ||Droopys Scolari-Betfowl ||Stuart Mason (Private) ||27.50 ||4/6f|| |- !2013 |Gurrane Boy||Black Shaw – Hawthorn Lily ||John Walton (Belle Vue) ||28.04 ||5/1|| |- !2014 |Bush Standard||Droopys Vieri – Lady Bluebell ||Pat Rosney (Perry Barr) ||27.98 ||3/1||<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.gbgb.org.uk/meeting/?meetingId=290562&raceId=39184|title=2014 Northern Flat Final|publisher=Greyhound Board of Great Britain|access-date=21 May 2021}}</ref> |- !2015 |Graigues Diva||Barefoot Bolt – Graigues Haze ||Pat Rosney (Private) ||27.70 ||7/2||<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.gbgb.org.uk/meeting/?meetingId=303721&raceId=141005|title=Belle Vue Owners Forum Northern Flat Final|publisher=Greyhound Board of Great Britain|access-date=21 May 2021}}</ref> |- !2016 |Ballymac Galtee||Ballymac Vic – Galtee Ellie ||Brian Stuart (Private) ||27.75 ||4/1||<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.gbgb.org.uk/meeting/?meetingId=318031&raceId=262212|title=BAPP Group Of Companies Northern Flat Championship Final|publisher=Greyhound Board of Great Britain|access-date=21 May 2021}}</ref> |- !2017 |Dropzone || Sh Avatar – Bonus ||Elaine Parker (Sheffield) ||28.10||6/4f||<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.gbgb.org.uk/meeting/?meetingId=331418&raceId=378667|title=BAPP Group of Companies Northern Flat Final |publisher=Greyhound Board of Great Britain|access-date=21 May 2021}}</ref> |- !2018 |Fernhill Rex || Iso Octane – Fernhill Jess || Lee Field (Doncaster) || 27.56 || 5/2 ||<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.gbgb.org.uk/meeting/?meetingId=342669&raceId=479422|title=2018 Northern Flat final|publisher=Greyhound Board of Great Britain|access-date=21 May 2021}}</ref> |- |colspan=7| '''2019 to 2020 not held''' |- !2021 |Pacemaker Ted ||Laughil Blake – Droopys Harbour||Tom Heilbron (Newcastle)||28.37||9/4f||<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.gbgb.org.uk/meeting/?meetingId=373614&raceId=741225|title=Arena Racing Company Northern Flat Final|publisher=Greyhound Board of Great Britain |access-date=21 May 2021}}</ref> |- !2022 |Jaguar Macie ||Droopys Jet – Droopys Breeze||Graham Rankin (Monmore)||28.27||10/11f||<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.gbgb.org.uk/meeting/?meetingId=383522&raceId=827529|title=The Arena Racing Company Northern Flat Final|publisher=Greyhound Board of Great Britain |access-date=30 March 2022}}</ref> |- !2023 |Brookside Richie||Droopys Sydney – Droopys Greatest||James Fenwick (Newcastle)||28.15||8/15f||<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.gbgb.org.uk/meeting/?meetingId=395527&raceId=926355 |title=Arena Racing Company Northern Flat Final |publisher=Greyhound Board of Great Britain |access-date=5 April 2023}}</ref> |- !2024 |Wicky Ned||Droopys Sydney – Ballycowen Lucy||James Fenwick (Newcastle)||28.81||7/4f||<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.gbgb.org.uk/meeting/?meetingId=414305&raceId=1056301 |title=2024 Northern Flat |publisher=Greyhound Board of Great Britain |access-date=26 July 2024}}</ref> |- !2025 |Naochra||Pestana – Lemon Kerrie||John Flaherty (Private)||28.66||9/2||<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.gbgb.org.uk/meeting/?meetingId=433409&raceId=1147069 |title=2025 Time Greyhound Nutrition Northern Flat Final |website=Greyhound Board of Great Britain |access-date=25 July 2025}}</ref> |}
== References == {{Reflist}}
{{UK & Irish greyhound competitions}}
Category:Greyhound racing competitions in the United Kingdom Category:Sports competitions in Manchester Category:Recurring sporting events established in 1927 Category:Sport in Newcastle upon Tyne