1976 UK & Ireland Greyhound Racing Year

1976 UK & Ireland Greyhound Racing Year
Barney O'Connor with Oaks champion Ballinderry Moth
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The 1976 UK & Ireland Greyhound Racing Year was the 50th year of greyhound racing in the United Kingdom and Ireland. ^[1]

Roll of honour

Major Winners
Award	Name of Winner
1976 English Greyhound Derby	Mutts Silver [2] [3]
1976 Irish Greyhound Derby	Tain Mor [4] [5]
1976 Scottish Greyhound Derby	Flip Your Top [6]
1976 Welsh Greyhound Derby	Cameo Colonel [7]
Greyhound Trainer of the Year	Phil Rees Sr.
Greyhound of the Year	Mutts Silver & Westmead Champ
Irish Greyhound of the Year	Tain Mor

Summary

The National Greyhound Racing Club (NGRC) released the annual returns, with totalisator turnover down, at £66,657,176 and attendances up, recorded at 6,517,864 from 5923 meetings. ^[8] The sport remained the UK's second most popular spectator sport behind football and Ireland's most popular sporting pastime. ^[9]

Peruvian Style equalled Westpark Mustard's world record. Mutts Silver, a fawn dog trained by Phil Rees Sr. and Westmead Champ, another fawn dog trained by Pam Heasman were voted joint winners of the Greyhound of the Year. Mutts Silver won the premier event the 1976 English Greyhound Derby and Westmead Champ won the Gold Collar at Catford Stadium, the St Leger at Wembley Greyhounds and the Regency. A new system of selecting the greyhound of the year was inaugurated; it involved thirteen members of the greyhound press voting for one greyhound each. Mutts Silver and Westmead Champ ended with six votes each and were declared joint winners. ^{[2] [10]}

The Greyhound Racing Association (GRA) Property Trust relied on a scheme of arrangement that was organised to stop the once great greyhound company from going into liquidation, they owed £15 million to creditors. The remaining GRA greyhound racing tracks were left to pay the creditors by virtue of payments from their operating profit. ^[11]

Tracks

Two bookmaking giants Corals and Ladbrokes came directly into greyhound racing, Corals purchased Romford from Romford Stadium Ltd, headed by Managing Director Archer Leggett, the same man that had started the track in 1929. They invested heavily with a new grandstand, restaurant and track facilities. John Sutton became the new Managing Director and Sidney Wood became the new Racing Manager. ^[7] Coral also bought Brighton, which received new investment and the track would go on to beat Shawfield Stadium in the final of the National Intertrack. Ladbrokes had been beaten to the purchase of the two tracks by Corals denying Ladbrokes the opportunity to own eight tracks in total because they had just purchased Totalisators and Greyhound Holdings (TGH) on 6 February. TGH owned six stadia at Brough Park, Crayford & Bexleyheath, Leeds, Gosforth, Willenhall and Monmore. ^{[12] [13] [14]} However they were successful in acquiring a seventh track in July, when they purchased Perry Barr. ^[15] Arthur Aldridge, formerly of the Greyhound Racing Association, joined Ladbroke as Racing Director. ^{[16] [17]}

Former Oaks winning trainer Mick Hawkins bought Ramsgate, under the name Northern Sports (parent company Hawkins of Harrow) from Dumpton (Thanet) Greyhounds Ltd for £185,000. ^[18] His son David Hawkins was the Managing Director of Northern Sports who also owned the independent Doncaster Greyhound Track. ^[19]

The unsold Oxford Stadium was renamed Cowley Stadium under a caretakers Don Joyce and Peter Jones and Maidstone opened following an agreement with Horace Luper and the Maidstone United Football Club. Salford closed on 30 July. ^{[16] [19]}

News

Charles Chandler Sr. (the Walthamstow Stadium Chairman) died. ^[20] Wimbledon Stadium introduced sectional timing and was one of the first tracks to use the system of grading in classes. A Romford bitch called Go Ahead Girl recorded 17 consecutive wins. ^{[16] [17]}

Prominent sire Newdown Heather died at Jack Mullan's kennels aged 12. His progeny included Dolores Rocket, Westpark Mustard and Time Up Please. ^[21]

Competitions

A white and blue dog called Xmas Holiday won both the Laurels at Wimbledon and the Scurry Gold Cup at Slough Stadium. ^{[19] [10]}

Ireland

American tracks were increasing in number and with the 22 Irish tracks in operation the demand in breeding increased. Irish bred greyhounds increased in value as a consequence. ^[4] Peruvian Style returned after his winter rest in a quest to beat Westpark Mustard's world record. After winning the Callanan Cup at Harold's Cross Stadiums the sequence stood at 16 consecutive wins. Two runs and wins with a track record in 29.28 seconds, during the Truboard Gold Cup at Waterford extended the run to 18 just one short of Mick the Miller and two less than Westpark Mustard. However an injury sustained in the final would leave him side-lined for six months. Peruvian Style returned to action in October with the defence of his Waterford Glass Stakes title. In the first round he won but pulled up lame after the race resulting in a one-month break. He was then entered at his home track Galway for the Federation Championship. A heat win enabled him to overtake Mick the Miller and equal Westpark Mustard's world record. A record attendance watched the final and witnessed an incredible shock when a greyhound called Pet Ace defeated Peruvian Style and the world record was not surpassed. He was immediately retired and put to stud duties. A greyhound called Tain Mor was voted Irish Greyhound of the Year despite the exploits of Peruvian Style ^{[4] [16] [17]}

Principal UK races

BBC TV Trophy, Belle Vue (Mar 24, 815m, £1,500) Pos Name of Greyhound Trainer SP Time Trap 1st Aughadonagh Jock Brian Jay 52.77 12-1 3 2nd Dunworkin 52.93 3-1 6 3rd Go Ahead Girl 53.11 7-2 5 4th Doverdale Lady Rita Wood 53.43 8-1 4 5th Young Hostess 53.55 10-1 1 6th Butchers Trac 53.85 2-1f 2

Grand National, White City (April 10 500m h, £1,500) Pos Name of Greyhound Trainer SP Time Trap 1st Weston Pete Colin West 4-5f 30.60 3 2nd Fawn Hunter 40-1 30.66 2 3rd Ashgrove Road Paddy McEvoy 7-1 30.76 4 4th Tawny Black David Kinchett 10-1 30.86 6 5th Rokeel Striker Adam Jackson 6-1 31.10 5 6th Crefogue Special 100-30 31.22 1

Scurry Gold Cup, Slough (April 17, 434m, £2,000) Pos Name of Greyhound Trainer SP Time Trap 1st Xmas Holiday Phil Rees Sr. 11-10f 26.67 1 2nd Mutts Silver Phil Rees Sr. 11-2 26.95 2 3rd Solid Sid John Cox 14-1 27.09 5 4th Raheen Sam John Coleman 6-4 27.25 6 5th Bold Tycoon 33-1 27.26 4 6th Black Gent Joe Farrand 40-1 27.71 3

Laurels, Wimbledon (May 21, 460m, £3,000) Pos Name of Greyhound Trainer SP Time Trap 1st Xmas Holiday Phil Rees Sr. 3-1 27.66 3 2nd Sean Na Gaisce John Coleman 9-4f 27.76 6 3rd Reddans Walk George Curtis 4-1 27.84 4 4th Black Barbarian Paddy McEvoy 5-1 27.90 5 5th Vive Argente 25-1 28.02 1 6th Knockanure Champ Barney O'Connor 7-1 28.18 2

Welsh Derby, Arms Park (Jul 10, 500m £1,200) Pos Name of Greyhound Trainer SP Time Trap 1st Cameo Colonel John Gibbons 10-1 29.63 3 2nd Ballybeg Punter 6-1 29.69 5 3rd Cu An Oir Ralph Smith 5-1 30.03 4 4th Houghton Rip Barbara Tompkins 5-4f 30.07 2 5th Reddans Walk George Curtis 2-1 30.13 1 N/R Ardbeg Express Andy Agnew

Ladbrokes Cesarewitch, Belle Vue (July 17, 815m, £2,000) Pos Name of Greyhound Trainer SP Time Trap 1st Moy Summer Harry Bamford 16-1 51.32 5 2nd The Sheik 14-1 51.58 6 3rd Bonzo George Curtis 4-6f 51.66 1 4th Nurses Son John Coleman 7-1 51.68 4 5th Anglo Highjinks 6-1 51.82 2 6th Bedas Flame Jim Singleton 7-2 51.04 3

Scottish Greyhound Derby, Shawfield (Aug 7, 505m, £2,000) Pos Name of Greyhound Trainer SP Time Trap 1st Flip Your Top Bob Young 11-10f 30.56 2 2nd Westmead Myra Natalie Savva 2-1 30.80 4 3rd Merry Forever Pat Casey 8-1 30.92 3 4th Doon Fantasy Terry Dartnall 6-1 30.95 1 5th Dromlara Master Bertie Gaynor 10-1 5 N/R Drynham Star Natalie Savva

Gold Collar, Catford (Sep 25, 555m, £2,000) Pos Name of Greyhound Trainer SP Time Trap 1st Westmead Champ Pam Heasman 4-7f 35.02 2 2nd Mutts Silver Phil Rees Sr. 2-1 35.32 4 3rd Faypoint Flyer 33-1 35.42 1 4th Angel Eyes Ted Parker 10-1 35.82 6 5th Findon Venture Arthur Boyce 33-1 35.84 5 6th Isle of Thanet Jim Barry 40-1 36.24 3

St Leger, Wembley (Sep 6, 655m, £5,000) Pos Name of Greyhound Trainer SP Time Trap 1st Westmead Champ Pam Heasman 9-4 39.90 2 2nd Drynham Star Natalie Savva 4-1 39.94 5 3rd Bangor Boon Paddy Coughlan 6-1 39.96 1 4th Moy Summer Harry Bamford 33-1 40.22 6 5th Flip Your Top Bob Young 11-2 40.46 4 6th Picture Parade Geoff De Mulder 7-4f 40.54 3

The Grand Prix, Walthamstow (Oct 23, 640m, £2,500) Pos Name of Greyhound Trainer SP Time Trap 1st Manderlay King Geoff De Mulder 9-2 40.21 4 2nd Picture Parade Geoff De Mulder 1-1f 40.29 3 3rd Lady Denellen Pam Heasman 25-1 40.49 6 4th Sail Out Era P.Hawke 11-2 40.69 5 5th Miss Mott 33-1 40.85 2 6th Bonzo Mrs Berry Bateman 3-1 00.00 1

Oaks, Harringay (Nov 5, 475m, £1,750) Pos Name of Greyhound Trainer SP Time Trap 1st Ballinderry Moth [22] Barney O'Connor 4-6f 28.60 2 2nd Paradise Peg Ted Griffin 6-1 28.82 3 3rd Ka Boom Natalie Savva 12-1 29.06 5 4th Isle of Thanet Jim Barry 20-1 29.14 1 5th Ballybeg Seven Sid Ryall 33-1 29.22 6 6th Lucky Arrival Hugh McEntyre 7-2 29.28 4

Totalisator returns

Extended content

The totalisator returns declared to the licensing authorities for the year 1976 are listed below. [23] Stadium Turnover £ London (White City) 7,171,665 London (Walthamstow) 6,064,978 London (Wimbledon) 5,003,053 London (Harringay) 3,623,272 London (Catford) 3,043,604 London (Wembley) 2,830,998 Romford 2,791,227 Manchester (Belle Vue) 2,220,451 Edinburgh (Powderhall) 2,058,957 Brighton & Hove 2,040,800 Birmingham (Perry Barr, old) 1,964,389 Slough 1,943,452 Birmingham (Hall Green) 1,850,297 Crayford & Bexleyheath 1,712,226 Southend-on-Sea 1,681,924 Newcastle (Brough Park) 1,474,211 Stadium Turnover £ Leeds (Elland Road) 1,348,174 Glasgow (Shawfield) 1,299,425 Sheffield (Owlerton) 1,296,725 Wolverhampton (Monmore) 1,059,563 Manchester (White City) 1,021,854 Bristol (Eastville) 950,559 London (Hackney) 914,507 Rochester & Chatham 847,248 Derby 826,794 Gloucester & Cheltenham 794,251 Yarmouth 746,716 Cardiff (Arms Park) 714,614 Newcastle (Gosforth) 712,773 Willenhall 635,844 Portsmouth 554,330 Ramsgate (Dumpton Park) 492,386 Stadium Turnover £ Reading 467,861 Poole 438,026 Oxford 418,730 Hull (Old Craven Park) 402,424 Cradley Heath 380,621 Milton Keynes 377,668 Middlesbrough 359,338 Manchester (Salford) 320,129 Leicester (Blackbird Rd) 313,524 Swindon 263,913 Rye House 240,275 Ipswich 213,311 Norton Canes 200,000 Preston 200,000 Halifax 58,496

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 154/155/156/157. Ringpress Books. ISBN   0-948955-36-8.
3. "1976". 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 (1981). The Encyclopedia of Greyhound Racing. Pelham Books Ltd. ISBN   07207-1106-1.
8. NGRC calendar. National Greyhound Racing Club. January 1977.
9. Slaughter, Tony (31 July 1976). "Slaughter, Tony. "Going to the dogs-Britain's second most popular spectator sport." Times, 31 July 1976, p. 12". The Times. Times Digital Archives. p. 12.
10. Barnes, Julia (1991). Daily Mirror Greyhound Fact File, Vol Two. Ringpress Books. ISBN   0-948955-61-9.
11. "Walters, Margaret. "GRA Trust puts forward plan to avoid liquidation." Times, 15 May 1976, p. 17". Times Digital Archives.^{[ permanent dead link ‍]}
12. "Ladbroke bids for six tracks". The Guardian. London. 7 February 1976 – via Newspapers.com.
13. Report and Accounts 1976 (Report). Ladbroke Group. 27 July 1977. pp. 10 & 30 – via Companies House.
14. Tisdall, Patricia (16 February 1976). "Tisdall, Patricia. "The sporting life attracts a further Ladbroke stake." Times, 16 Feb. 1976, p. 17". The Times. Times Digital Archives. p. 17.
15. "Ladbroke buys P Barr". The Guardian. London. 2 July 1976 – via Newspapers.com.
16. Roy Genders (1981). The Encyclopedia of Greyhound Racing. Pelham Books Ltd. ISBN   07207-1106-1.
17. Roy Genders (1990). NGRC book of Greyhound Racing. Pelham Books Ltd. ISBN   0-7207-1804-X.
18. "Monthly Greyhound Star (Remember When 1976) March edition". Greyhound Star. 2012.
19. Barnes, Julia (1988). Daily Mirror Greyhound Fact File. Ringpress Books. ISBN   0-948955-15-5.
20. ""Obituary." Times, 2 Aug. 1976, p. 14". Times Digital Archives.^{[ permanent dead link ‍]}
21. "Monthly Greyhound Star (Remember When) May edition". Greyhound Star. 2016.
22. "Monthly Greyhound Star (Remember When 1976) November edition". Greyhound Star. 2012.
23. Particulars of Licensed tracks, table 1 Licensed Dog Racecourses. Licensing Authorities. 1976.