1958 UK & Ireland Greyhound Racing Year

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1958 UK & Ireland Greyhound Racing Year
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The 1958 UK & Ireland Greyhound Racing Year was the 32nd year of greyhound racing in the United Kingdom and Ireland. [1]

Contents

Roll of honour

Major Winners
AwardName of Winner
1958 English Greyhound Derby Pigalle Wonder [2] [3]
1958 Irish Greyhound Derby Colonel Perry [4] [5]
1958 Scottish Greyhound DerbyJust Fame [6]
1958 Welsh Greyhound DerbyOur Defence [7]
Greyhound of the Year Pigalle Wonder

Summary

The National Greyhound Racing Society (the management branch of the National Greyhound Racing Club agreed a deal with the BBC to provide an annual greyhound event which would be shown live on Sportsview. The race would be known as the Sportsview BBC Television Trophy with the venues to be changed each year. The first competition was at Wimbledon over 500 yards but it was soon discovered that the distance was too short for the viewers to remain interested, which resulted in a switch to longer distances the following year. The inaugural event was claimed by trainer Leslie Reynolds with a 20-1 shot called Town Prince. [8] [9]

Pigalle Wonder was voted Greyhound of the Year, after a year that included winning the 1958 English Greyhound Derby at White City, Cesarewitch at West Ham Stadium and Pall Mall Stakes at Harringay Stadium. [10] [11]

Competitions

Pigalle Wonder's victory in the Pall Mall included a time of 29.03 seconds for 525 yards, which was not beaten for years. Another time he set at Wembley (28.78sec) stood for almost twenty years until the distance was changed to metres. In the TV Trophy he gained all of the attention despite finishing fourth to Town Prince when expected to win, at odds of 1-4f. He had previously won his heat at Powderhall Stadium in a new track record time of 27.97. [12] [13] [14] [15]

There was a major gamble on Our Defence in the Welsh Greyhound Derby final, that had been moved to October due to the Commonwealth Games using the venue in the summer. Because of very wet weather the newly laid track surface became a quagmire with straw being laid on top. Despite this the gamble was landed by the owner trainer, Dr Dennis O'Brien. [13] [14] [15]

Tracks

The Franklin family took sole control of Yarmouth Stadium following the death of Clifford Yaxley and the Arms Park in Cardiff was taken over for the Commonwealth Games and afterwards the circuit was re-laid before the Welsh Derby took place. [16]

News

Harringay Arena was converted into a food storage facility following the sale of the venue the previous year by the Greyhound Racing Association (GRA). [17] The greyhound companies continued to complain at the 10% tax imposed on betting. [18] Wimbledon trainer Paddy Fortune died and his kennels were taken over by George Waterman. [9] [16] Another change came when Sidney Orton retired and his son Clare Orton (a trainer at Clapton) took up his position at Wimbledon. Clare had been a trainer in his own right for nearly ten years. [19]

The GRA senior vet James Bateman was awarded the Victory Medal by the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons. He had been successful in fitting a plastic scaphoid bone in a greyhound. [9] [16]

Con Stevens applied to the NGRC for a rule change concerning disqualifications. He believes that ungenuine greyhounds in addition to fighters should be disqualified by Racing Managers. [20]

Ireland

The Irish Greyhound Board (Bord na gCon) in Limerick was given the responsibility of all tracks in Ireland by the Dáil Éireann, with the exception of the Ulster tracks that would remain under the jurisdiction of the Irish Coursing Club. The Bord na gCon was established under the Greyhound Industry Act of 1958 with a number of aims. The body was formed to regulate the industry, operate a tote betting system, licence and authorise each stadium, its officials, and its on-course bookmakers, and promote the sport through advertising and prize grants. [21] The new Board includes Dr P.J. Maguire and Captain John Ross. [22]

Harold's Cross re-introduced sales trials and called in British auctioneers Aldridges. [9] [16] Mrs Olive Tasker took the 1958 Irish Greyhound Derby winner Colonel Perry back to England and the greyhound went on to win the Midland Flat with John Bassett. [5]

Principal UK races

Inaugural BBC Sportsview Trophy Wimbledon (May 21, 500y)
PosName of GreyhoundTrainerSPTimeTrap
1stTown Prince Leslie Reynolds 20-128.146
2ndDancing SheikTed Brennan7-13
3rdMore TalentBob Burls5-14
4th Pigalle Wonder Jim Syder Jr. 1-4f5
5thNorthern LadBob Burls7-22
6thWincot CliffordJack Toseland100/81

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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 pages 104/105/106. Ringpress Books. ISBN   0-948955-36-8.
  3. ↑ "1958". Greyhound Data.
  4. ↑ Comyn, John. 50 Years of Greyhound Racing in Ireland. Aherlow Publishers Ltd.
  5. 1 2 Fortune, Michael. Irish Greyhound Derby 1932-1981. Victory Irish Promotions Ltd.
  6. ↑ Hobbs, Jonathan (2007). Greyhound Annual 2008, pages 153-154. Raceform. ISBN   978-1-905153-53-4.
  7. ↑ Genders, Roy (1975). The Greyhound and Racing Greyhound, page 320. Page Brothers (Norwich). ISBN   0-85020-0474.
  8. ↑ Genders, Roy (1975). The Greyhound and Racing Greyhound. Page Brothers (Norwich). ISBN   0-85020-0474.
  9. 1 2 3 4 Genders, Roy (1981). The Encyclopedia of Greyhound Racing. Pelham Books Ltd. ISBN   07207-1106-1.
  10. ↑ Genders, Roy (1981). The Encyclopedia of Greyhound Racing page 110. Pelham Books Ltd. ISBN   07207-1106-1.
  11. ↑ "Hall of Fame". Greyhound Board of Great Britain.
  12. ↑ "Monthly Greyhound Star (Remember When 1958) April edition". Greyhound Star.
  13. 1 2 Barnes, Julia (1988). Daily Mirror Greyhound Fact File. Ringpress Books. ISBN   0-948955-15-5.
  14. 1 2 Barnes, Julia (1991). Daily Mirror Greyhound Fact File, Vol Two. Ringpress Books. ISBN   0-948955-61-9.
  15. 1 2 Barnes/Sellers, Julia/John (1992). Ladbrokes Greyhound Fact File. Ringpress Books. ISBN   0-948955-22-8.
  16. 1 2 3 4 Genders, Roy (1990). NGRC book of Greyhound Racing. Pelham Books Ltd. ISBN   0-7207-1804-X.
  17. ↑ ""Stores Firm To Buy Harringay Arena." Times, 25 July 1958, p. 8". The Times. Times Digital Archives. 25 July 1958. p. 8.
  18. ↑ ""G.R.A. Trust." Times, 30 July 1957, p. 14". The Times. Times Digital Archives. 30 July 1957. p. 14.
  19. ↑ "Monthly Greyhound Star (Remember When 1958) February edition". Greyhound Star. 2012.
  20. ↑ "Greyhound Star (Remember When November 1958)". Greyhound Star. 25 November 2018.
  21. ↑ "Bord na gCon". Sport Agencies. Department of Arts, Sports and Tourism. Archived from the original on 2008-04-14. Retrieved 2008-07-17.
  22. ↑ "Monthly Greyhound Star (Remember When) September edition". Greyhound Star. 2012.
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