| 1961 Irish Greyhound Derby | |
|---|---|
| Venue | Harold's Cross Stadium |
| Location | Dublin |
| End date | 11 August |
| Total prize money | £1,250 (winner) |
The 1961 Irish Greyhound Derby took place during July and August with the final being held at Harold's Cross Stadium in Dublin on 11 August 1961. [1]
The winner Chieftain's Guest won £1,250 and was trained and bred by Leslie McNair, and jointly owned by McNair and Eric McCullough. [2]
At Harold's Cross, 11 August (over 525 yards):
| Position | Name of Greyhound | Breeding | Trap | SP | Time | Trainer |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | Chieftain's Guest | Knock Hill Chieftain - Star Guest | 1 | 5-2 | 29.45 | Leslie McNair |
| 2nd | Skips Choice | Romola's Dante - Phil Skip | 6 | 5-1 | 29.49 | Gay McKenna |
| 3rd | The Grand Canal | Champion Prince - The Grand Duchess | 4 | 4-1 | 29.57 | Paddy Dunphy |
| 4th | Wild Maid | Champion Prince - Much Loved | 3 | 6-4f | ||
| 5th | Ballycashen Rory | unknown | 2 | 20-1 | ||
| 6th | Evening Iris | unknown | 5 | 100-7 |
½, 1 (lengths)
Long Story and Sandown Dick were major eliminations during the first round and Clonmel record holder Odd Venture broke a hock whilst leading. First round winners included The Grand Canal, Ireland's leading bitch Wild Maid, Evening Irish and Ballycashen Rory. [3]
In the second round The Grand Canal won again with Spark of Delight and Wild Maid also impressing. The first semi-final went to Wild Maid in 29.32 and The Grand Canal who remained unbeaten after recording 29.36 in the second semi-final. The final semi was won by Skips Choice in a slower time of 29.84. [4]
The final saw three greyhounds prominent early, Skips Choice had etched out a lead but the strong finishing Chieftains Guest caught him and won by half a length to land a hefty gamble with The Grand Canal also running on strongly a further length behind. Chieftains Guest who had failed to win a race leading up to the final was to finish lame on his wrist. [4]
The 1964 Greyhound Derby took place during June with the final being held on 27 June 1964 at White City Stadium. The winner was Hack up Chieftain and the winning owner Mr S Donohue received £3,000. He was bred by Leslie McNair.
The 1955 Greyhound Derby took place during June with the final being held on 25 June 1955 at White City Stadium. The winner was Rushton Mac and the winning owners Frank Johnson and Mary Johnson received £1,500.
The 1934 Irish Greyhound Derby known as the National Derby at the time took place during August and September with the final being held at Harold's Cross Stadium in Dublin.
The 1936 Irish Greyhound Derby took place during August with the final being held at Harold's Cross Stadiumin Dublin on August 28.
The 1938 Irish Greyhound Derby took place during July and August with the final being held at Harold's Cross Stadium in Dublin on August 8.
The 1943 Irish Greyhound Derby took place during July and August with the final being held at Harold's Cross Stadium in Dublin on 6 August.
The 1946 Irish Greyhound Derby took place during July and August with the final being held at Shelbourne Park in Dublin on 10 August.
The 1950 Irish Greyhound Derby took place during July and August with the final being held at Shelbourne Park in Dublin on 12 August 1950.
The 1951 Irish Greyhound Derby took place during July and August with the final being held at Harold's Cross Stadium in Dublin on 17 August 1951.
The 1955 Irish Greyhound Derby took place during July and August with the final being held at Harold's Cross Stadium in Dublin on 12 August 1955.
The 1957 Irish Greyhound Derby took place during July and August with the final being held at Harold's Cross Stadium in Dublin on 9 August 1957.
The 1959 Irish Greyhound Derby took place during July and August with the final being held at Harold's Cross Stadium in Dublin on 7 August 1959.
The 1962 Irish Greyhound Derby took place during July and August with the final being held at Shelbourne Park in Dublin on 11 August 1962.
The 1963 Irish Greyhound Derby took place during July and August with the final being held at Harold's Cross Stadium in Dublin on 9 August 1963.
The 1965 Irish Greyhound Derby took place during July and August with the final being held at Harold's Cross Stadium in Dublin on 7 August 1965.
The 1967 Irish Greyhound Derby took place during July and August with the final being held at Harold's Cross Stadium in Dublin on 4 August 1967.
The 1969 Irish Greyhound Derby took place during July and August with the final being held at Harold's Cross Stadium in Dublin on 8 August 1969.
The 1973 Irish Greyhound Derby took place during July and August with the final being held at Shelbourne Park in Dublin on 28 August 1973.
The 1934 UK & Ireland Greyhound Racing Year was the ninth year of greyhound racing in the United Kingdom and Ireland.
The 1954 UK & Ireland Greyhound Racing Year was the 29th year of greyhound racing in the United Kingdom and Ireland.