1961 UK & Ireland Greyhound Racing Year

1961 UK & Ireland Greyhound Racing Year
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The 1961 UK & Ireland Greyhound Racing Year was the 35th year of greyhound racing in the United Kingdom and Ireland. ^[1]

Roll of honour

Major Winners
Award	Name of Winner
1961 English Greyhound Derby	Palms Printer [2] [3]
1961 Irish Greyhound Derby	Chieftain's Guest [4] [5]
1961 Scottish Greyhound Derby	Hey There Merry [6]
1961 Welsh Greyhound Derby	Oregon Prince [7]
Greyhound Trainer of the Year	Jack Harvey & Jimmy Jowett
Greyhound of the Year	Palms Printer & Clonalvy Pride [8]

Summary

The Betting and Gaming Act 1960 came into force on 1 January 1961. ^[9] The effect was almost instantaneous with afternoon attendances collapsing. ^[10] In an attempt to combat the decline, the National Greyhound Racing Society banned telephones at the track and did not allow results to be published before 9.00 pm. ^[11] In addition they attempted delaying trap draws and enforced a copyright on the tote returns but the government legislation had effectively handed over the afternoon track trade to the bookmaker industry. ^[12]

Bizarrely the government handed horse racing a levy (a deduction from bookmaker's turnover that would be paid back to the racecourses), under the Betting Levy Act 1961. The levy was given because of the losses that horse racing would incur with daytime bookmakers shops opening. Greyhound racing was not given a levy which came as a further blow to the industry. ^{[7] [12] [13]} Knowle Stadium, Stanley Greyhound Stadium (Liverpool) and Woodhouse Lane Stadium all closed. ^[14]

Tracks

The opening meeting was held at Poole football stadium on 8 May. ^[12] A track was also added around the County Ground, Taunton despite an initial betting licence refusal. ^[15] The Sheffield Corporation took over Owlerton Stadium with a £185,000 offer and converted the three private clubs into public bars which helped boost attendance figures. ^{[7] [12] [13]}

Competitions

Long Story won the Gold Collar to make up for his unlucky exit in the previous years 1960 Irish Greyhound Derby; the black dog had switched kennels from Jim Syder Jr. to Phil Rees. Oregon Prince easily won the Welsh Greyhound Derby while Palms Printer won the Scurry Gold Cup for his new handler Greg Doyle who had replaced Paddy McEvoy at the Clapton Stadium kennels; the veteran greyhound Gorey Airways was denied a third successive Scurry Gold Cup title. Clonalvy Pride finally broke his classic duck at Wimbledon, the April 1958 whelp ran a great race defeating the field that included Palms Printer and Winter Bell. Within two weeks he had also picked up the St Leger at Wembley Greyhounds. ^{[14] [16] [17]}

During the Eclipse heats the track record at Lythalls Lane Stadium is broken three times, Faithful Charlie (the eventual competition winner) set a new record of 29.19 followed by Jim's Tour in 29.16 and finally SS Leader in 29.12. ^[18]

News

John Sutton was handed control of the family-run business at Catford Stadium, following the death of his father Frank Sutton. He would introduce the first Jackpot Pool, later to be copied by horse racing. After the closure of the Knowle track, trainer John Rowe (father of Bob Rowe) joined Oxford Stadium. Within a year he had taken up the position as Racing Manager at Leicester Stadium and his son Bob became Assistant Racing Manager to Charles Boulton at Wandsworth Stadium. ^{[7] [12] [13]}

The Greyhound Racing Association introduced under track heating systems at Belle Vue Stadium, Harringay Stadium and White City following a successful trial in Scotland. Electric cables were sewn into the track by the tractor and a team of workers then placed the cables eight inches under the turf. They would prove to be useful until the advent of all sand tracks. Catford and Walthamstow Stadium would continue to use under track systems replacing electric cables with water pipes until the late 1980s. ^{[7] [12] [13]}

Former Oxford, Sheffield, Nottingham and Park Royal trainer Frank Schock leaves for Australia and takes a minor open race hound with him called Which Chariot. The greyhound provides a major bloodline in the Australian breeding industry. ^{[7] [12] [13]} Five times Derby winning trainer Leslie Reynolds died on 1 August.

Ireland

The Bord na gCon continued the process of upgrading their tracks by installing totalisator systems into seven more tracks. ^[4]

Principal UK races

Grand National, White City (April 29 525y h, £500) Pos Name of Greyhound Trainer SP Time Trap 1st Ballinatona Special Stan Martin 6-4f 29.50 1 2nd Rory's Special Joe Pickering 3-1 29.56 6 3rd Shannon Dasher Jimmy Maw 10-1 29.80 3 4th Dawn Dancer Cyril Beaumont 3-1 29.81 4 5th Prince Thomas 10-1 30.29 2 6th Bruff Chariot Jimmy Jowett 100-7 30.45 5

The Grand Prix Walthamstow (May 9, 500y, £600) Pos Name of Greyhound Trainer SP Time Trap 1st Clonalvy Romance Fred Taylor 9-2 28.57 3 2nd Twinies Pet Jimmy Jowett 100-8 28.73 4 3rd Shootover Dave Geggus 10-1 28.81 6 4th Fitz's Star Tom 'Paddy' Reilly 10-11f 29.05 5 5th Ashmount Bronco Barney O'Connor 8-1 29.08 2 6th Drakes Honey Reg 'String' Marsh 13-2 29.14 1

Gold Collar, Catford (May 20, 440y, £1,000) Pos Name of Greyhound Trainer SP Time Trap 1st Long Story Phil Rees Sr. 20-1 25.69 6 2nd Skips Choice Leslie Reynolds 1-1f 25.97 4 3rd Spinning Coin II Phil Rees Sr. 4-1 26.00 2 4th Crazy Invitation Bob Burls 11-4 26.16 1 5th Flying Fox II Jimmy Jowett 10-1 26.17 3 6th Ashfield Miller Jimmy Jowett 8-1 26.41 5

Welsh Derby, Arms Park (Jul 1, 525y £500) Pos Name of Greyhound Trainer SP Time Trap 1st Oregon Prince Phil Rees Sr. 2-5f 28.86 6 2nd Galbally Airways Dr Dennis O'Brien 10-1 29.58 5 3rd Early Foot Jimmy Jowett 4-1 29.70 1 4th Clonmannon Fire 8-1 29.82 4 5th Gallant Leader Ronnie Mills 20-1 30.04 2 6th Crazy Holiday Bob Burls 16-1 30.68 3

Oaks, Harringay (Jul 3, 525y, £500) Pos Name of Greyhound Trainer SP Time Trap 1st Ballinasloe Blondie Jack Harvey 2-7f 29.58 1 2nd Linda's Flier Mrs.E.Eade 7-2 29.88 2 3rd Wins Eye Duckie Ivor Morse 10-1 29.92 4 4th Black Rattler Jack Harvey 33-1 30.04 3 5th Morning Moonlight Joe Pickering 50-1 30.44 6 N/R About July Wilf France 5

Scottish Greyhound Derby, Carntyne (Jul 3, 525y, £500) Pos Name of Greyhound Trainer SP Time Trap 1st Hey There Merry Hugo Spencer 12-1 29.11 5 2nd Tutcher 7-1 29.13 6 3rd Desert Rambler Joe Booth 1-1f 29.19 3 4th Ballinclogher Champion 3-1 29.35 2 5th Prince of Honour 25-1 29.41 1 6th Dainty Spark Harry Ward 5-1 29.45 4

Scurry Gold Cup, Clapton (Jul 232, 400y £1,000) Pos Name of Greyhound Trainer SP Time Trap 1st Palms Printer Greg Doyle 10-11f 22.63 3 2nd Jims Tour Bob Burls 7-2 22.85 6 3rd Shootover Dave Geggus 7-1 23.03 1 4th Irish Blood Jimmy Jowett 5-1 23.33 5 5th Crazy Holiday Bob Burls 25-1 23.47 2 6th Gorey Airways Jimmy Jowett 10-1 23.55 4

Laurels, Wimbledon (Aug 18, 500y, £1,000) Pos Name of Greyhound Trainer SP Time Trap 1st Clonalvy Pride Jack Harvey 2-1jf 27.66+ 5 2nd Galbally Airways Dr Dennis O'Brien 20-1 27.94 4 3rd Golden Arrow II Bob Burls 10-1 27.95 2 4th Violets Duke Barney O'Connor 2-1jf 28.09 1 5th Palms Printer Greg Doyle 3-1 28.23 3 6th Winter Bell Clare Orton 100-8 23.24 6 +Equalled Track Record

St Leger, Wembley (Sep 4, 700y, £1,000) Pos Name of Greyhound Trainer SP Time Trap 1st Clonalvy Pride Jack Harvey 4-7f 39.64 1 2nd Desert Rambler Joe Booth 3-1 39.76 6 3rd Old Berry Silver Jack Toseland 10-1 40.16 2 4th Chubbys Choice Ted Brennan 6-1 40.32 4 5th Avis Jimmy Rimmer 50-1 40.36 5 6th Utellme Clare Orton 50-1 40.40 3

Cesarewitch, West Ham (Oct 6, 600y, £1,000) Pos Name of Greyhound Trainer SP Time Trap 1st Prairie Flash Jack Harvey 9-4 32.91 2 2nd Nans Land 3-1 33.09 6 3rd Desert Rambler Joe Booth 11-8f 33.25 1 4th Cross Word Arthur Hancock 20-1 33.37 5 5th Laird O'The Glen Ken Moody 6-1 33.59 4 6th Raymond Gift Tony Dennis 20-1 33.77 3

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 111/112. Ringpress Books. ISBN   0-948955-36-8.
3. "1961". Greyhound Data.
4. Comyn, John. 50 Years of Greyhound Racing in Ireland. Aherlow Publishers Ltd.
5. 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 Brothers (Norwich). ISBN   0-85020-0474.
8. "Remember When - April 1962". Greyhound Star. 7 April 2018.
9. "1960: Game on for British betting shops". BBC News. September 1960.
10. ""Decline In Greyhound Racing Attendances." Times, 26 Feb. 1962, p14". Times Digital Archives.^{[ permanent dead link ]}
11. ""Embargo Likely On Dog Race Results." Times, 14 Jan. 1961, p. 4". Times Digital Archives.^{[ permanent dead link ]}
12. Genders, Roy (1981). The Encyclopedia of Greyhound Racing. Pelham Books Ltd. ISBN   07207-1106-1.
13. Genders, Roy (1990). NGRC book of Greyhound Racing. Pelham Books Ltd. ISBN   0-7207-1804-X.
14. Barnes, Julia (1988). Daily Mirror Greyhound Fact File. Ringpress Books. ISBN   0-948955-15-5.
15. ""Sports in Brief." Times, 15 Mar. 1961, p. 21". Times Digital Archives.^{[ permanent dead link ]}
16. Barnes, Julia (1991). Daily Mirror Greyhound Fact File, Vol Two. Ringpress Books. ISBN   0-948955-61-9.
17. Barnes/Sellers, Julia/John (1992). Ladbrokes Greyhound Fact File. Ringpress Books. ISBN   0-948955-22-8.
18. "Remember When - September 1961". Greyhound Star. 19 September 2018.