1966 UK & Ireland Greyhound Racing Year

1966 UK & Ireland Greyhound Racing Year
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The 1966 UK & Ireland Greyhound Racing Year was the 40th year of greyhound racing in the United Kingdom and Ireland. ^[1]

Roll of honour

Major Winners
Award	Name of Winner
1966 English Greyhound Derby	Faithful Hope [2] [3]
1966 Irish Greyhound Derby	Always Proud [4] [5]
1966 Scottish Greyhound Derby	Dusty Trail [6]
1966 Welsh Greyhound Derby	I'm Quickest [7]
Greyhound of the Year	Dusty Trail [8]
Greyhound Trainer of the Year	Paddy Milligan [8]
Irish Greyhound of the Year	Hairdresser

Summary

The industry celebrated its 40th anniversary but the event was marred by the government extended betting tax to all greyhound tracks and attendances suffered because of the 1966 World Cup. Wembley however refused to cancel regular greyhound racing resulting in the World Cup match between Uruguay and France being played at White City Stadium. ^{[7] [9] [10]}

Dusty Trail is voted Greyhound of the Year after winning the Scottish Greyhound Derby, Select Stakes, International at Wimbledon and Anglo Irish International at White City, in addition to finishing runner-up in the Welsh Derby and reaching the Laurels final. ^[11]

Competitions

The racing schedule suffered bad organisation, with the Welsh Greyhound Derby, Oaks and Scurry Gold Cup all clashing in July and the Scottish Greyhound Derby and St Leger clashing in September. The Regency at Brighton & Hove Greyhound Stadium changed status from a produce race for British Bred greyhounds to an open competition for all-comers. ^[12]

Halfpenny King nearly won the triple crown of jumping; after winning the English Grand National and Scottish Grand National he headed for Arms Park but finished second. ^[11]

Tracks

After eighteen years of attempting to gain a licence to run under National Greyhound Racing Club rules without success the Cradley Heath track were finally given a licence. The management led by Fred Jeffcott (the breeder of Fine Jubilee) and Racing Manager Lionel Clemmow started NGRC racing for the first time in September. ^{[10] [13]} Charlton Stadium re-opened, it had closed in 1962 and it took possession of the Olympic and Cloth of Gold from Wandsworth Stadium which closed. ^[12]

Slough Stadium was purchased by the Greyhound Racing Association (GRA) and the Clapton Stadium shareholders contemplated a bid from GRA which included two training sites with 180 acres and an interest in the West Ham Stadium site. ^[14] The deal goes ahead later in the year but there were concerns regarding the fact that the GRA policy was now buying and selling property sites. Both Horsley Hill in South Shields and Gateshead closed. ^[12]

Wisbech Greyhound Stadium owner Herbert Barrett purchased independent track King's Lynn Stadium and introduced greyhound racing there. ^[15]

News

The Greyhound Express received a phone call from an Irishman asking if the reward for missing Juvenile winner Hi Joe was still on offer (he had been stolen the previous year). His trainer Noreen Collin contacted owner Victor Chandler and he said that it had been reduced from £2,000 to £1,000. The man called again and a meeting was arranged in the Three Greyhounds pup in Soho, where it was agreed that the reward would be paid through a lawyer but the police had been alerted and Detective Peter Jarrott tracked the case to a wooden garage in Dunstable and Hi Joe was found with some pups. The garage belonged to Bartholomew Casey and he had raced Hi Joe on the Bletchley flapping track under the name of Super Black. The culprit was caught and sent to court, but were released due to a bizarre ancient law stating that if a stolen dog goes missing for more than six months you cannot be charged with theft. However Casey was charged with stealing the dog's coat. ^[16]

Ireland

Val's Prince gained revenge on Always Proud during the Guinness 600, winning by three lengths from his rival. Always Proud had defeated Val's Prince in the final of the Irish Greyhound Derby. ^[17]

Clomoney Grand won two major events by taking the Easter Cup and Callanan Cup. ^[18]

Ballybunion opened for racing on 18 May. ^[19]

Principal UK races

Grand National, White City (April 23 525y h, £500) Pos Name of Greyhound Trainer SP Time Trap 1st Halfpenny King John Shevlin 7-2 30.28 5 2nd Husky Breeze John Bassett 6-4f 30.38 1 3rd Lough Chief J.Ramsden 4-1 30.44 2 4th Feakles Wish George Carrigill 12-1 30.45 3 5th Greenane Star 12-1 30.65 4 6th Westpark Beech Phil Rees Sr. 4-1 30.75 6

BBC Sportsview TV Trophy, Walthamstow (Apr 28, 880y, £1,000) Pos Name of Greyhound Trainer SP Time Trap 1st Bedford [20] Bob Thompson 20-1 52.46 4 2nd Lucky Arrow II Peter Collett 11-2 52.66 5 3rd Sonora 14-1 52.69 1 4th Greenane Flash Jimmy Quinn 11-8f 52.85 6 5th Breachs Blizzard Judy Pattinson 13-2 52.97 2 6th Miss Vanilla 5-2 53.09 3

Gold Collar, Catford (May 14, 570y, £1,500) Pos Name of Greyhound Trainer SP Time Trap 1st Dark Symphony Peter Collett 100-8 33.21 1 2nd Scaragh Brae John Bassett 15-8f 33.33 6 3rd Major Triumph II Adam Jackson 16-1 33.65 5 4th Wonder Settler John Bassett 3-1 34.13 4 5th Shake the Key Reg Webb 2-1 34.53 2 6th Mimi II Ivy Regan 12-1 34.65 3

The Grand Prix, Walthamstow (May 31, 500y, £500) Pos Name of Greyhound Trainer SP Time Trap 1st Westpark Bison Barney O'Connor 8-11f 40.14 5 2nd Bousy Jim Singleton 13-7 40.26 2 3rd Park Nightingale 5-1 40.29 1 4th Miss Taft Bob Burls 12-1 40.69 6 5th Kenler Dandy Barney O'Connor 25-1 40.75 4 6th Misery Me Adam Jackson 6-1 40.91 3

Welsh Derby, Arms Park (Jul 2, 525y £500) Pos Name of Greyhound Trainer SP Time Trap 1st I'm Quickest Randy Singleton 3-1 29.59 1 2nd Dusty Trail Paddy Milligan 4-1 29.87 3 3rd Double Rock Paddy Milligan 12-1 30.47 5 4th Harmony Jim Irving 20-1 30.63 6 5th Handsome Teddy John Perrin 10-1 30.71 2 6th Greenane Flash Jimmy Quinn 1-1f 31.27 4

Oaks, Harringay (Jul 4, 525y, £1,000) Pos Name of Greyhound Trainer SP Time Trap 1st Merry Emblem Matt Bruton 7-4 29.58 6 2nd Lucky Dawn Nora Gleeson 11-2 29.61 5 3rd Greek Lady Jimmy Quinn 13-8f 29.64 2 4th Marjone Mick O'Toole 20-1 29.67 3 5th Office Problem Bill Kelly 10-1 29.77 1 6th Rebeccas Pet Eric Adkins 14-1 29.78 4

Scurry Gold Cup, Clapton (Jul 9, 400y £1,000) Pos Name of Greyhound Trainer SP Time Trap 1st Geddys Blaze Stan Gudgin 9-2 22.79 4 2nd Near The Fire Clare Orton 4-1 22.93 6 3rd Gaultier King Randy Singleton 7-1 23.13 5 4th Beech Walk Rover Adam Jackson 10-1 23.16 3 5th Fallen Rock John Coleman 9-2 23.26 2 6th Stately Val Brian Jay 13-8f 23.34 1

Laurels, Wimbledon (Aug 12, 500y, £1,500) Pos Name of Greyhound Trainer SP Time Trap 1st Super Fame Nora Gleeson 9-2 28.05 5 2nd Handsome Teddy John Perrin 7-1 28.07 2 3rd Geddys Blaze Stan Gudgin 8-1 28.29 3 4th Dusty Trail Paddy Milligan 11-10f 28.30 1 5th Mr Model Tom Reilly 10-1 28.48 6 6th Alley Rose 40-1 28.50 4

Scottish Greyhound Derby, Carntyne (Sep 3, 525y, £1,000) Pos Name of Greyhound Trainer SP Time Trap 1st Dusty Trail Paddy Milligan 4-5f 28.59 1 2nd Corville Gallant Jimmy Quinn 3-1 28.87 3 3rd Heckler Bessie Lewis 8-1 29.43 4 4th Im Quickest Randy Singleton 6-1 29.67 5 5th Bawn Heather Harry Ward 12-1 29.68 2 6th Lax Law J.Doyle 8-1 30.08 6

St Leger, Wembley (Sep 5, 700y, £1,500) Pos Name of Greyhound Trainer SP Time Trap 1st Summer Guest Wilf France 11-8f 40.03 1 2nd Peculiar Way George Curtis 12-1 40.13 6 3rd Bousy Jim Singleton 10-1 40.25 2 4th Breachs Blizzard Judy Pattinson 7-2 40.39 3 5th Handsome Teddy John Perrin 9-4 40.47 4 6th Rainbow Trout John Brown 12-1 40.55 5

Cesarewitch, West Ham (Oct 7, 600y, £1,500) Pos Name of Greyhound Trainer SP Time Trap 1st Rostown Victor [21] Tom Johnston Jr. 66-1 34.06 6 2nd Corville Gallant Jimmy Quinn 8-13f 34.10 4 3rd Petes Regent Bob Burls 11-4 34.16 1 4th Bimco Kevin O'Neill 25-1 34.56 5 5th Greenane Squire 10-1 34.92 3 6th Fast Buffalo 14-1 34.93 2

Totalisator returns

Extended content

The totalisator returns declared to the licensing authorities for the year 1966 are listed below. [22] Stadium Turnover £ London (White City) 5,710,047 London (Harringay) 3,769,431 London (Wimbledon) 3,577,943 London (Walthamstow) 3,021,339 London (Wembley) 2,571,368 London (Catford) 2,087,003 London (Clapton) 1,961,728 Manchester (Belle Vue) 1,885,789 London (West Ham) 1,870,596 London (Hendon) 1,402,975 London (New Cross) 1,400,474 Edinburgh (Powderhall) 1,313,721 Romford 1,313,372 Birmingham (Perry Barr, old) 1,259,139 London (Stamford Bridge) 1,249,301 Manchester (White City) 1,180,380 Brighton & Hove 1,113,400 London (Hackney) 1,069,414 Birmingham (Hall Green) 1,064,660 Stadium Turnover £ Glasgow (Shawfield) 1,053,926 London (Park Royal) 958,985 Glasgow (White City) 894,246 Newcastle (Brough Park) 874,990 Wolverhampton (Monmore) 857,881 Slough 807,796 Leeds (Elland Road) 790,528 Sheffield (Owlerton) 763,417 Southend-on-Sea 727,345 Manchester (Salford) 723,707 Bristol (Eastville) 682,734 Newcastle (Gosforth) 662,458 Willenhall 662,304 Crayford & Bexleyheath 659,831 Birmingham (Kings Heath) 634,780 Gloucester & Cheltenham 614,884 Cardiff (Arms Park) 602,790 London (Charlton) 598,470 Liverpool (White City) 559,306 Stadium Turnover £ Reading (Oxford Road) 552,145 Bradford (Greenfield) 542,376 Hull (Old Craven Park) 542,376 Ramsgate (Dumpton Park) 533,552 Glasgow (Carntyne) 472,316 Derby 466,274 Poole 435,382 Rochester & Chatham 402,941 Oxford 385,945 Middlesbrough 368,436 Nottingham (White City) 320,029 Portsmouth 317,176 Leicester (Blackbird Rd) 306,339 Preston 302,101 Aberdeen 278,233 Rayleigh (Essex) 200,829 Norwich (City) 185,395

References

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3. "1966". 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 320. Page Brothers (Norwich). ISBN   0-85020-0474.
8. "Monthly Greyhound Star (Remember When) December edition". Greyhound Star. 2015.
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10. Genders, Roy (1990). NGRC book of Greyhound Racing. Pelham Books Ltd. ISBN   0-7207-1804-X.
11. "Monthly Greyhound Star (Remember When 1966) September edition". Greyhound Star.
12. Barnes, Julia (1988). Daily Mirror Greyhound Fact File. Ringpress Books. ISBN   0-948955-15-5.
13. "Remember When December". Greyhound Star. 6 December 2020. Retrieved 10 December 2020.
14. ""Bid For Clapton Stadium." Times, 17 Dec. 1965, p. 18". The Times. Times Digital Archives. 17 December 1965. p. 18.
15. Furby, R (1968). Independent Greyhound Racing. New Dominion House.
16. ""Evidence On Finding Of Hi Joe."". The Times. 22 February 1966. p. 3 – via Times Digital Archives.
17. Fortune, Michael. Irish Greyhound Derby 1932–1981. Victory Irish Promotions Ltd.
18. "Monthly Greyhound Star (Remember When 1967) May edition". Greyhound Star.
19. "Opening Night". Kennelly Archive.
20. "Remember When - May 2020". Greyhound Star. 3 May 2020.
21. "Remember When - September". Greyhound Star. 2 September 2018.
22. Particulars of Licensed tracks, table 1 Licensed Dog Racecourses. Licensing Authorities. 1966.