1936 UK & Ireland Greyhound Racing Year

1936 UK & Ireland Greyhound Racing Year
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The 1936 UK & Ireland Greyhound Racing Year was the 11th year of greyhound racing in the United Kingdom and Ireland. ^[1]

Summary

The nations leading Greyhound company, the Greyhound Racing Association (GRA) continued to grow and recorded record profits. The operating profit for 1936 was £215,583 (a substantial figure at the time) and attendances at GRA tracks increased from 3,817,934 to 3,849,513 despite the fact that the company held 160 fewer meetings. ^[2] The GRA then opened Harringay Arena on 10 October, which would become famous for ice hockey and boxing. ^[2]

At least ten more tracks opened as racing retained its status as a national pastime. Fine Jubilee trained by Marjorie Yate was the star of the year, after winning the 1936 English Greyhound Derby and the Gold Collar. ^{[3] [4] [5]}

Roll of honour

Major Winners
Award	Name of Winner
1936 English Greyhound Derby [6]	Fine Jubilee
1936 Irish Greyhound Derby [7]	Minstrel Rover
1936 Scottish Greyhound Derby [8]	Diamond Glory
1936 Welsh Greyhound Derby [9]	Bully Ring

Tracks

The Dolphin Stadium in Slough, was bought by New Clapton Stadium Co. Ltd and they renamed it the Slough Stadium. Rochester and Chatham Sports Stadium opened and was listed as the 55th National Greyhound Racing Club (NGRC) licensed track during 1936. The majority of tracks were independent and nicknamed flapping tracks (unlicensed). ^{[10] [11]}

A planned stadium in Barnsley on the Queens Road, with an NGRC application pending which had held whippet racing since 1928 was refused a betting licence. ^[12]

Tracks opened

Date	Stadium/Track	Location
April	Thurnscoe Greyhound Racing Track	Thurnscoe
29 May	Thornton Stadium	Thornton
1 June	Rochester Stadium	Rochester
3 June	Dunfermline Greyhound Stadium	Dunfermline
13 June	Cork Greyhound Stadium	Cork
7 July	Foresters Park	Tranent
3 October	Volunteer Park	Armadale
3 October	Portland Park	Ashington
unknown	Humbug Park	Crossgates
unknown	Hinckley Greyhound Stadium	Hinckley
unknown	Mitcham Stadium	London

Competitions

Shove Halfpenny won the West Ham Spring Cup, the Wood Lane Stakes at White City and the Daily Mirror Championship. The fawn dog then finished second in the St Leger final, which was won by his kennelmate Ataxy in a national record time of 40.39 for 700 yards. ^[13] Shove Halfpenny was out of luck again at West Ham Stadium during the Cesarewitch despite winning every round and breaking the track record to get to the final. The final however resulted in the same result when Ataxy won his second classic of the year, Shove Halfpenny failed to record a time after encountering significant trouble in the race. ^[13]

Towards the end of the year White City staged a one off invitation race simply called "The White City" which was worth £600. The race was won by Pall Mall Stakes champion Safe Rock who beat the Wembley Spring Cup and Wimbledon Spring Cup winner Shandy Gaff into second place. The Derby champion Fine Jubilee finished a disappointing fifth. ^[14]

Ireland

The first greyhound track in Cork known as The Show Grounds Greyhound Track closed on 20 September 1935, following the decision to relocate to a site nearer the city centre. The site chosen was between Western Road and the north bank of the River Lee near the Wellington Bridge and would be known as Cork Greyhound Stadium. ^[15] Minstrel Rover won the 1936 Irish Greyhound Derby. ^[16]

News

Multiple companies emerged, JR Smiths introduced a hurdle with a patent and it was endorsed by the NGRC, it allowed a cushioning effect when greyhounds hit them as they jumped over them. They also made what was called a crush barrier, fencing that surrounded the track and would also cushion a greyhound's impact should they run into it. Mortimers were selling all greyhound necessities and M.S Cable Hare Co Ltd from Belfast made the majority of the hare equipment supplies. Benbow's sold greyhound food and mixtures and medicines and Radiol sold greyhound body wash. ^{[14] [17]}

Principal UK races

Grand National, White City (May 23, 525y h) Pos Name of Greyhound Trainer SP Time Trap 1st Kilganny Bridge Patrick Higgins 3-1 30.70 1 2nd Red Car Joe Harmon 5-1 30.78 2 3rd Captain Woodcock Joe Harmon 13-8f 30.86 3 4th Hawtrey Robert Linney 9-4 31.02 4

Gold Collar, Catford (May 30, 400y) Pos Name of Greyhound Trainer SP Time Trap 1st Fine Jubilee Marjorie Yate 4-5f 26.00 4 2nd Bearsted R Bunday 100-7 26.02 1 3rd Safe Rock Leslie Reynolds 6-1 26.18 3 4th Olives Best Patrick McKinney 33-1 26.20 6 5th Border Mutton Paddy McEllistrim 7-1 26.26 2 6th Kemp Henry Parsons 7-2 26.28 5

Welsh Derby, White City (Cardiff) (Jul 4, 525y) Pos Name of Greyhound Trainer SP Time Trap 1st Bully Ring Robert Linney 4-1 30.28 2 2nd More Kute Hugh Kennedy 3-1 30.36 1 3rd Bachelors Star II Jackson 4-1 30.40 4 4th Diploma D Forward 5-2f 30.43 5 5th Juryman of Waterhall Stanley Biss 7-1 30.59 3 6th Ragalite Chester 7-1 30.75 6

Scottish Greyhound Derby, Carntyne (Jul 25, 525y) Pos Name of Greyhound Trainer SP Time Trap 1st Diamond Glory Ronnie Melville 1-1f 29.99 3 2nd Tactful Joint (Warrington) 20-1 30.31 4 3rd Olives Best Patrick McKinney 3-1 30.33 6 4th Deemieope J Sharples 3-1 30.41 1 5th Reving Rupert John W Armstrong 20-1 30.49 2 N/R Trade Plate Patrick McKinney

Scurry Gold Cup, Clapton (Jul 25, 400y) Pos Name of Greyhound Trainer SP Time Trap 1st Mitzvah Arthur 'Doc' Callanan 5-2jf 23.29 1 2nd Curleys Fancy II Jerry Hannafin 4-1 23.61 3 3rd Brave Queen Stanley Biss 4-1 23.85 6 4th Bearsted R Bunday 5-2j 24.17 2 5th Book Reporter Joe Harmon 100-8 24.57 4 6th Glistening Frost Jim Syder Sr. 10-1 24.73 5

Laurels, Wimbledon (Aug 21, 500y) Pos Name of Greyhound Trainer SP Time Trap 1st Top of the Carlow Road Sidney Orton 5-2 28.39 1 2nd Fine Jubilee Marjorie Yate 10-11f 28.61 4 3rd Melksham Keystone Joe Harmon 4-1 28.63 3 4th Mitzvah Arthur 'Doc' Callanan 10-1 28.71 5 5th Fleeting Joule Marjorie Yate 33-1 28.79 2 N/R Garrick Jack Harvey

St Leger, Wembley (Sep 14, 700y) Pos Name of Greyhound Trainer SP Time Trap 1st Ataxy Leslie Reynolds 6-4 40.39 4 2nd Shove Ha'penny Jack Harvey 4-5f 40.63 3 3rd Mick the Courtier Jim Syder Sr. 66-1 40.95 6 4th Top of the Carlow Road Sidney Orton 8-1 41.31 2 5th Mick the Moocher Sidney Orton 20-1 41.55 1 6th Strappado Tom Lightfoot 66-1 41.79 5

Oaks, White City (Sep 19, 525y, £300) Pos Name of Greyhound Trainer SP Time Trap 1st Genial Radiance Austin Hiscock 4-6f 29.86 1 2nd Joy of Waterhall Leslie Reynolds 7-2 30.34 6 3rd Mick the Conundrum Sidney Orton 8-1 30.82 3 4th Hussys First Robert Forster 10-1 30.98 2 5th Another Trier Wilf France 100-6 31.30 4 6th Flawless Jewel Arch Whitcher 100-6 31.38 5

Cesarewitch, West Ham (Nov 9, 600y) Pos Name of Greyhound Trainer SP Time Trap 1st Ataxy Leslie Reynolds 2-1 31.24 2 2nd Safe Rock Fred Wilson 8-1 31.48 6 3rd Shandy Gaff Sidney Orton 4-1 31.50 1 4th Book Reporter Joe Harmon 100-6 31.54 3 5th Juryman of Waterhall Stanley Biss 50-1 31.94 4 6th Shove Ha'penny Jack Harvey 11-8f 00.00 5

The White City White City (Nov 21, 550y, £600) Pos Name of Greyhound Trainer SP Time Trap 1st Safe Rock Fred Wilson 15-2 31.21 2nd Shandy Gaff Sidney Orton 8-1 31.61 3rd Shove Ha'penny Jack Harvey 9-4jf 31.65 4th Ataxy Leslie Reynolds 3-1 31.73 5th Fine Jubilee Marjorie Yate 9-4jf 32.93 6th Roving Spring Joe Harmon 100-7 00.00

Key

U = unplaced
TR = Track Record

References

1. Fry, Paul (1995). The Official NGRC Greyhound Racing Yearbook. Ringpress Books. ISBN   186054-010-4.
2. ""Company Meeting." Times, 2 Feb. 1937, p. 19. The Times Digital Archive". The Times .
3. Dack, Barrie (1990). Greyhound Derby, the first 60 years. Ringpress Books. pp. 71–74. ISBN   0-948955-36-8.
4. "OUR SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT. "Greyhound Racing." Times [London, England] 29 June 1936". The Times .
5. "1936". Greyhound Data.
6. Dack, Barrie (1990). Greyhound Derby, the first 60 years. Ringpress Books. pp. 71–74. ISBN   0-948955-36-8.
7. Comyn, John. 50 Years of Greyhound Racing in Ireland. Aherlow Publishers Ltd.
8. Hobbs, Jonathan (2007). Greyhound Annual 2008, pages 153-154. Raceform. ISBN   978-1-905153-53-4.
9. Genders, Roy (1981). The Encyclopedia of Greyhound Racing, pages 129-130. Pelham Books Ltd. ISBN   07207-1106-1.
10. Tarter, P Howard (1949). Greyhound Racing Encyclopedia. Fleet Publishing Company Ltd.
11. Genders, Roy (1975). The Greyhound and Racing Greyhound. Page Brothers (Norwich). ISBN   0-85020-0474.
12. "Council's Decision on Barnsley's Greyhound Track Controversy, Saturday 22 February". Barnsley Chronicle and South Yorkshire News. 1936.
13. "Hall of Fame". Greyhound Board of Great Britain.
14. Genders, Roy (1981). The Encyclopedia of Greyhound Racing. Pelham Books Ltd. ISBN   07207-1106-1.
15. Fortune, Michael. "The 75 Years History of the Irish Greyhound Derby". Irish Greyhound Review. ISSN   0332-3536.
16. Fortune, Michael. Irish Greyhound Derby 1932-1981. Victory Irish Promotions Ltd.
17. Genders, Roy (1990). NGRC book of Greyhound Racing. Pelham Books Ltd. ISBN   0-7207-1804-X.