1939 UK & Ireland Greyhound Racing Year

1939 UK & Ireland Greyhound Racing Year
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The 1939 UK & Ireland Greyhound Racing Year was the 14th year of greyhound racing in the United Kingdom and Ireland. ^[1]

Roll of honour

Major Winners
Award	Name of Winner
1939 English Greyhound Derby [2]	Highland Rum
1939 Irish Greyhound Derby [3]	Marchin 'Thro' Georgia
1939 Scottish Greyhound Derby [4]	Misty Law II

Summary

Despite the outbreak of World War II, another ten tracks opened, buoyed on by the attendances and profits generated. Attendances and totalisator turnover at National Greyhound Racing Club (NGRC) licensed tracks was on course for a record year but was disrupted, with many tracks closing in the latter part of the year. A record 92,000 attended the 1939 English Greyhound Derby final at White City ^{[2] [5]} and the totalisator turnover for the final was £14,341 and for the meeting it was £114,780 which set a new record for a greyhound meeting. The race was won by Highland Rum.

The leading greyhound company, the Greyhound Racing Association (GRA) saw reduced profits, due to the closure of their London tracks from September. ^[6] The operating net profit for 1939 was £151,000 and attendances at GRA tracks increased rose to 3,808,994. ^[7]

Tracks

Oxford Stadium was one of twelve known tracks to open during the year, it was opened on 31 March by Lord Denham of the NGRC. ^[8] Just four days later Lord Denham was opening the new Dagenham Greyhound Stadium. ^[9] Castleford Whitwood Stadium raced for the first time and the Hull Kingston Rovers rugby league team sold the Craven Park stadium to the Greyhound Racing Company following financial difficulties. ^[10] Ten thousand attended the first meeting at the City Stadium in Norwich. ^[10]

Clapton Stadium underwent renovation and Bristol Rovers F.C. sold Eastville Stadium to the Bristol Greyhound Company for £12,000. The first General Manager was Lieut-Col Forsdike who was to become secretary of the NGRC. A successful professional punter called Len Franklin bought the flapping track site in West Caister with plans to open a new stadium. ^[11]

Many tracks closed or were refused licences during 1939, for various reasons including the threat of bombing, staffing shortages and requisitioning by the authorities. Several would never reopen such as Battersea and Brixton.

Tracks opened

Date	Stadium/Track	Location
?? January	Chester Greyhound Stadium [12]	Chester
20 February	Armadale Stadium	Armadale
31 March	Oxford Stadium	Oxford
4 April	Dagenham Greyhound Stadium	London
?? April	Castleford Whitwood Stadium	Castleford
24 April	Worksop Greyhound Stadium	Worksop
?? May	Longford Greyhound Stadium	Longford
25 July	City Stadium	Norwich
unknown date	Target Hill Greyhound Track	Hawick
unknown date	Askern Greyhound Stadium	Askern
unknown date	Chesterfield Sports Stadium	Chesterfield
unknown date	Kinsley Greyhound Stadium	Kinsley

Competitions

Two new major events were introduced, the Birmingham Cup at Perry Barr and the Essex Vase at Romford Greyhound Stadium. ^[13]

The Oaks and Pall Mall were suspended before their 1939 running and return in 1945. ^[13] Juvenile Classic reached a second Grand National final coming home three lengths behind the winner Valiant Bob and Grosvenor Ferdinand upset the odds at Catford Stadium by holding off the challenge of hot favourite Black Peter by a head in the Gold Collar final. ^[8]

Carmel Ash who finished runner-up to Highland Rum in the Derby final finished fourth behind Misty Law II in the Scottish Greyhound Derby final. The Scurry Gold Cup at the end of July went to a Derby Greyhound Stadium trained hound Silver Wire. Orlucks Best was one length behind Silver Wire and was representing trainer Charlie Ashley for a third consecutive final, winning one and finishing second twice and Gold Collar champion Grosvenor Ferdinand was third. ^[14] Gayhunter switched kennels from Harry Buck to Eddie Wright who steered the greyhound to the St Leger crown in November. ^[14]

News

All identity books were microphotoed and stored in secret in case they were lost during the war years. ^[14]

Ireland

The Irish provincial tracks had pressured the Irish Coursing Club since 1932, for the right to stage Ireland's premier event, the Irish Greyhound Derby which had been exclusively run in Dublin. During a vote in 1939, the club agreed to let Limerick Greyhound Stadium host the race and Cork Greyhound Stadium would hold the 1941 version. ^[3]

Despite the Irish Derby prize money decreasing, the event at Limerick was a success. Marchin' Thro' Georgia impressed throughout. Even two track records by other greyhounds failed to stop the red fawn dog from going through the competition unbeaten. ^{[15] [16]} The runner-up and one of the two track record breakers, Irish Rambler was bought by English buyers and sent to West Ham Stadium. The trend of selling the best Irish hounds to England would continue for many years because of the purchasing power of the English and in particular the London owners. ^[3]

Principal UK races

Grand National, White City (May 20, 525y h, £300) Pos Name of Greyhound Trainer SP Time Trap 1st Valiant Bob Paddy Fortune 8-1 30.50 6 2nd Lemon Produce Jerry Hannafin 8-1 30.58 2 3rd Juvenile Classic Joe Harmon 11-10f 30.74 3 4th Printer Paddy McEllistrim 4-1 31.22 5 5th Baltinglass Hope Montague Howard 4-1 31.54 4

Gold Collar, Catford (June 3, 440y, £500) Pos Name of Greyhound Trainer SP Time Trap 1st Grosvenor Ferdinand F S Rolfe 13-2 25.92 6 2nd Black Peter Stan Raymond 1-1f 25.94 2 3rd Return Fare II Albert Jonas 7-1 26.00 3 4th Congleton Tiger Bert Heyes 20-1 26.12 5 5th Trevs Despatch Johnny Bullock 3-1 27.32 4 6th Gay Restorer Wilfred Taylor 100-6 27.40 1

Scottish Greyhound Derby, Carntyne (Jul 8, 525y, £300) Pos Name of Greyhound Trainer SP Time Trap 1st Misty Law II James Anderson 5-1 29.60 6 2nd Keeries Pride Harry Buck 3-1 29.76 5 3rd Ballycurreen Soldier Patrick McKinney 20-1 29.77 1 4th Carmel Ash Eddie Wright 4-1 29.89 3 5th Sporty Offer Albert Jonas 12-1 29.93 4 6th Selsey Cutlet Leslie Reynolds 5-4f 29.97 2

Scurry Gold Cup, Clapton (Jul 29, 400y, £500) Pos Name of Greyhound Trainer SP Time Trap 1st Silver Wire C.J.Green 9-4f 23.52 6 2nd Orlucks Best Charlie Ashley 7-2 23.60 1 3rd Grosvenor Ferdinand F S Rolfe 3-1 23.72 5 4th Half A Mo Johnny Bullock 100-8 23.80 3 5th Trevs Despatch Johnny Bullock 4-1 23.96 4 6th Larry of Waterhall Bill Cowell 100-8 24.16 2

Laurels, Wimbledon (Aug 11, 500y, £700) Pos Name of Greyhound Trainer SP Time Trap 1st Musical Duke Cornelius Crowley 1-1f 28.42 5 2nd Ballydancer Sidney Orton 3-1 6 3rd Return Fare II Albert Jonas 7-1 4 4th Abbeylara Leslie Reynolds 100-8 3 5th Ballyjoker Sidney Orton 11-2 2 6th Roe Side Scottie Michael Downey 20-1 1

St Leger, Wembley (Nov 6, 700y, £126) Pos Name of Greyhound Trainer SP Time Trap 1st Gayhunter Eddie Wright 7-4 41.79 2 2nd Colonel of Waterhall Leslie Carpenter 100-6 41.99 1 3rd Ballyjoker Sidney Orton 8-1 42.23 4 4th Gretas Rosary Eddie Wright 10-1 42.24 5 5th Ballydancer Sidney Orton 11-8f 42.26 3 6th Great Record Eddie Wright 10-1 42.36 6

References

1. Fry, Paul (1995). The Official NGRC Greyhound Racing Yearbook. Ringpress Books. ISBN   186054-010-4.
2. Dack, Barrie (1990). Greyhound Derby, the first 60 years. Ringpress Books. pp. 77–78. ISBN   0-948955-36-8.
3. Comyn, John. 50 Years of Greyhound Racing in Ireland. Aherlow Publishers Ltd.
4. Hobbs, Jonathan (2007). Greyhound Annual 2008, pages 153-154. Raceform. ISBN   978-1-905153-53-4.
5. "OUR SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT. "Athletics." Times [London, England] 26 June 1939". The Times .
6. ""Sports in Brief." Times, 2 Sept. 1939, p. 3". The Times .
7. ""Greyhound Racing Association Trust." Times, 5 Mar. 1941, p. 9". The Times .
8. Barnes, Julia (1988). Daily Mirror Greyhound Fact File. Ringpress Books. ISBN   0-948955-15-5.
9. "Greyhound Star (Remember When - April)". Greyhound Star.
10. Genders, Roy (1975). The Greyhound and Racing Greyhound. Page Brothers (Norwich). ISBN   0-85020-0474.
11. Barnes, Julia (1991). Daily Mirror Greyhound Fact File, pages 161-165. Ringpress Books. ISBN   0-948955-61-9.
12. "Chester Greyhound Racing with Electric Totalisator, Friday 6 January". Liverpool Evening Express. 1939.
13. Genders, Roy (1990). NGRC book of Greyhound Racing. Pelham Books Ltd. ISBN   0-7207-1804-X.
14. Genders, Roy (1981). The Encyclopedia of Greyhound Racing. Pelham Books Ltd. ISBN   07207-1106-1.
15. Fortune, Michael. Irish Greyhound Derby 1932-1981. Victory Irish Promotions Ltd.
16. Fortune, Michael. "The 75 Years History of the Irish Greyhound Derby". Irish Greyhound Review. ISSN   0332-3536.