BROUGH PARK prepares for a capacity crowd tonight as it hosts the North-East's richest-ever night of greyhound racing, centred round the final of the Regal All England Cup.

The winner of the prestigious event will leave Tyneside with a handsome trophy and a cheque for £7,500 - the region's biggest open-race prize - and the entire 12-race programme will consist of open events which have attracted a nationwide entry.

"It will be the North-East's biggest ever night of greyhound racing," said Brough Park's owner and managing director Allan Hutton, who has transformed the track since it was threatened with closure four years ago.

The highlight of the night - and the focus of television cameras - will be the All England Cup Final, which started back in 1946.

Six dogs have battled their way through the two rounds, and Hutton said: "It is a final where I would not rule anything out."

The favourite is expected to be Scottish raider Barney The Bold which, by all accounts, was the subject of an unsuccessful bid of £30,000 before the start of the competition.

The Shawfield-trained flyer almost came a cropper in the first round, when it just qualified by finishing third. But Janis Carmichael's charge made amends in the semi-final winning in a rapid 28.81 secs and is the 2-1 ante-post favourite to land the big prize.

But hard on his heels is another Carmichael-trained Shawfield dog, the phenomenal Harsu Super, winner of the 2000 Regal Puppy Derby at Sunderland.

Local interest is provided by Pond Leontes, trained at Witton-le-Wear by Harry Williams and a 16-1 outsider depite being drawn in his favourite trap one.

Such is the standard of the finalists racing manager Terry Meynell believes that, weather and track conditions permitting, the 480m record of 28.63 secs could come under threat.

Line-up and betting: 1 Pond Leontes (Harry Williams, Sunderland) 16-1; 2 Royston John (Elaine Parker, Sheffield) 4-1; 3 Potto Knows ( Dave Mullins, Romford) 8-1; 4 Barney The Bold (Janis Carmichael, Shawfield) 2-1; 5 Harsu Super (Janis Carmichael) 5-2; 6 Carloway Vito (Graeme Frew, unatt) 6-1.

Two dogs who have set new track records at Brough Park, current holder Larkhill Slaney, trained by Harry Williams, and Waterbay clash in the sprint open when another top notcher, Elliotts Pride seeks to add to his recent eye-catching two-bend success at Hull.

Brough Park's best chance of a winner rests with Ballyhane Rio, the 480m hurdles record-holder, but he will face his biggest-ever test against the top jumpers from the Sheffield, Crayford and Romford tracks.

Tonight's programme starts at 7.40pm with seven of the 12 races televised live on Sky.