1979 UK & Ireland Greyhound Racing Year

1979 UK & Ireland Greyhound Racing Year
Sarahs Bunny, 1979 English Derby winner
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The 1979 UK & Ireland Greyhound Racing Year was the 53rd year of greyhound racing in the United Kingdom and Ireland. ^[1]

Roll of honour

Major Winners
Award	Name of Winner
1979 English Greyhound Derby	Sarahs Bunny [2] [3]
1979 Irish Greyhound Derby	Penny County [4] [5]
1979 Scottish Greyhound Derby	Greenville Boy [6]
Greyhound Trainer of the Year	Geoff De Mulder
Greyhound of the Year	Desert Pilot & Kilmagoura Mist
Irish Greyhound of the Year	Nameless Pixie
Trainers Championship	John Honeysett

Trainers Championship, Crayford & Bexleyheath Stadium (24 March) Pos Name of Trainer Points 1st John Honeysett [7] 42 2nd John Coleman 40 3rd Ted Dickson 36 4th Pat Mullins 34 5th Geoff De Mulder 32 6th Natalie Savva 24

Summary

The National Greyhound Racing Club (NGRC) released the annual returns, with totalisator turnover down, at £70,685,971 and attendances up, recorded at 6,585,491 from 5712 meetings. ^[8] White City remains the top earner with an average meeting tote turnover of £55,677, some £5,000 more than closest rival Walthamstow Stadium. ^[9]

Desert Pilot, a white and brindle dog and Kilmagoura Mist, a brindle bitch, were voted joint Greyhound of the Year. Desert Pilot won the Select Stakes and Wembley Summer Cup, Kilmagoura Mist won the St Leger. ^[10] Sarahs Bunny, a kennelmate of Desert Pilot won the 1979 English Greyhound Derby. ^[2]

Tracks

Three tracks closed, Rochester (4 October), Halifax and the Horton Road Stadium in Gloucester (6 July). ^[11]

News

The BGRF (British Greyhound Racing Federation) went into voluntary liquidation, the organisation body that had only been formed in 1977 between the NGRC and track promoters had been a disaster. Bizarrely despite the financial losses of the body a new replacement called the British Greyhound Racing Board was set up within months, with the aim to promote and elevate the greyhound racing industry, to improve the welfare and rules of racing. ^{[12] [13]}

Leeds closed their track kennels and lost three top trainers in the process, Joe Kelly, Tommy Brown and Jim Brennan (better known for his spell at Sheffield). Kelly was recruited by Racing Manager Terry Meynell and moved into the kennels of the late Harry Bamford, who had died aged just 40 while Brown and Brennan retired. Contracted trainers replacing them at Leeds were Pete Beaumont, Jim Brown and Ray Andrews. ^{[10] [12]} New Southend trainer Tom Lanceman also supplied runners for Ipswich, he was one of the first ever trainers to take up a dual attachment. Lanceman also trained the Grand National winner Topofthetide to a second successive win, the greyhound had won in 1978 for Tim Forster at odds on. ^{[11] [12] [14]}

Lacca Champion was retired after the Derby and Joe De Mulder, former trainer and father of Geoff De Mulder died. ^[10]

Competitions

A newcomer called Sports Promoter reared by Pat and Linda Mullins broke the track record over 400 metres at Cambridge in his first race ^[15] and went on to win the Romford Puppy Cup and Sporting Life Juvenile. ^{[12] [14]} The Olympic returned after an eight-year absence, the event was resurrected by Brighton. ^{[11] [16]}

John Honeysett won a closely fought Trainers Championship at Crayford after defeating John Coleman by just two points. Both had three winners on the night, Honeysett (Sandpiper Folly, Langford Dan, Triple Aspect), Coleman (Noble Brigg, Head Prefect, Our Rufus). ^[17]

Ireland

The Bord na gCon announced a massive 60% hike in prize money. The grand re-opening of Galway was on 25 May, with the modernisation costing over £500,000. ^[12]

Principal UK races

Grand National, White City (April 7 500m h, £2,000) Pos Name of Greyhound Trainer SP Time Trap 1st Topothetide Tom Lanceman 6-4f 31.60 1 2nd Killallen Jack Phil Rees Jr. 16-1 32.24 3 3rd Tax Band Joe Pickering 9-4 32.25 5 4th Cherryhill King 10-1 32.65 2 5th Oscar B Norah McEllistrim 5-1 32.69 6 6th Elton Smasher Richard Griffin 8-1 32.87 4

BBC TV Trophy, Hall Green (Apr 11, 815m, £1,750) Pos Name of Greyhound Trainer SP Time Trap 1st Westown Blaze Reg Young 53.16 5-1 6 2nd Aglish Boss Joe Cobbold 53.40 20-1 2 3rd Welsh Cobbler John Honeysett 53.44 11-4 4 4th Westown Adam Natalie Savva 53.58 15-8f 3 5th Olvera 53.74 5-1 1 6th Ellas Melody Bertie Gaynor 53.75 6-1 5

Laurels, Wimbledon (May 18, 460m, £3,000) Pos Name of Greyhound Trainer SP Time Trap 1st Another Spatter [18] Joe Pickering 7-2 27.75 3 2nd Pigeon Flyer Tom Reilly 7-1 27.93 1 3rd Across the Miles R Young 10-1 28.09 6 4th Sampsons Pal Pat Mullins 9-4f 28.33 2 5th Young Toby Eric Pateman 4-1 28.41 4 6th Its Stylish 4-1 28.42 5

Scurry Gold Cup, Slough (Jul 21, 442m, £3,000) Pos Name of Greyhound Trainer SP Time Trap 1st Northway Point George Morrow 20-1 27.20 6 2nd The Grand Devil Phil Rees Jr. 9-4 27.46 1 3rd Knockrour Brandy Freda Greenacre 7-2 27.49 4 4th Teddy Boy 33-1 27.61 5 5th Johns Luck John Coleman 4-1 27.69 2 6th Saucy Buck Ted Dickson 1-1f 27.77 3

Scottish Greyhound Derby, Shawfield (Aug 11, 500m, £3,000) Pos Name of Greyhound Trainer SP Time Trap 1st Greenville Boy Pat Mullins 6-4f 30.49 1 2nd Dually Lad G Barnett 3-1 30.59 3 3rd Blissful Hero Bertie Gaynor 4-1 30.65 5 4th Black Haven 7-1 30.85 2 5th Backdeed Man 4-1 30.93 6 6th Miss Olivia Graham Mann 8-1 31.05 4

St Leger, Wembley (Sep 3, 655m, £10,000) Pos Name of Greyhound Trainer SP Time Trap 1st Kilmagoura Mist Tom Johnston Jr. 9-2 40.04 1 2nd Black Earl Ted Dickson 2-1f 40.05 4 3rd Owners Guide Tony Jowett 25-1 40.31 6 4th Columns Corner John Gibbons 7-2 40.67 5 5th Frame That Ted Dickson 14-1 40.85 3 6th Dangerous Lad Joe Pickering 9-4 00.00 2

Gold Collar, Catford (Sep 22, 555m, £5,000) Pos Name of Greyhound Trainer SP Time Trap 1st Gayflash [19] Paddy Milligan 7-2 35.08 5 2nd Corduroy John Honeysett 4-1 35.54 1 3rd Quest for Gold 12-1 35.60 2 4th Im A Smasher Norah McEllistrim 10-1 35.86 4 5th Taranaki Peter Rich 7-2 36.16 6 6th Dangerous Lad Joe Pickering 7-4f 00.00 3

The Grand Prix, Walthamstow (Sep 29, 640m, £5,500) Pos Name of Greyhound Trainer SP Time Trap 1st Frame That Ted Dickson 11-2 39.57 1 2nd Roystons Supreme Adam Jackson 11-2 39.69 5 3rd Brainy Prince Geoff De Mulder 2-1 39.71 2 4th Black Earl Ray Iremonger 15-8f 39.79 4 5th Strange Dame Phil Rees Jr. 8-1 39.85 6 6th Seagulls Gunner Smith 16-1 39.99 3

Cesarewitch, Belle Vue (Oct 6, 815m, £3,000) Pos Name of Greyhound Trainer SP Time Trap 1st Roystons Supreme Adam Jackson 7-4 51.47 2 2nd Cloutie Comment George Curtis 7-1 51.53 4 3rd Karnos Lady 11-8f 51.77 1 4th Portland Dusty Frank Melville 20-1 51.89 5 5th Lynns Pride 7-1 51.99 6 6th Corelish Ron Brian Jay 16-1 52.00 3

Oaks, Harringay (Nov 2, 475m, £1,750) Pos Name of Greyhound Trainer SP Time Trap 1st Sunny Interval Phil Rees Jr. 12-1 28.77 4 2nd Kilmagoura Mist Tom Johnston Jr. 11-4 28.80 3 3rd Kings Lace 10-1 28.86 2 4th Masslock Lady George Curtis 10-1 28.89 5 5th Certain Style Terry Keith 2-1f 29.01 6 6th Trinas Baby Edna Wearing 11-4 29.07 1

Totalisator returns

Extended content

The totalisator returns declared to the licensing authorities for the year 1979 are listed below. [20] Stadium Turnover £ London (White City) 7,905,509 London (Walthamstow) 7,630,996 London (Wimbledon) 5,848,415 London (Harringay) 4,120,864 Romford 3,722,154 London (Catford) 3,411,092 London (Wembley) 3,323,693 Brighton & Hove 3,116,599 Slough 2,891,961 Manchester (Belle Vue) 2,838,682 Birmingham (Hall Green) 2,453,519 Edinburgh (Powderhall) 2,143,634 Crayford & Bexleyheath 2,083,446 Birmingham (Perry Barr, old) 1,798,197 Southend-on-Sea 1,735,488 Newcastle (Brough Park) 1,693,168 Stadium Turnover £ Glasgow (Shawfield) 1,587,686 Sheffield (Owlerton) 1,536,270 Leeds (Elland Road) 1,468,622 Wolverhampton (Monmore) 1,169,108 Bristol (Eastville) 981,641 London (Hackney) 959,881 Gloucester & Cheltenham 932,580 Derby 908,209 Yarmouth 874,426 Ramsgate 752,516 Portsmouth 731,711 Newcastle (Gosforth) 709,980 Rochester & Chatham 673,251 Oxford 533,299 Poole 522,825 Reading 508,507 Stadium Turnover £ Coventry 499,405 Willenhall 497,531 Middlesbrough 476,980 Milton Keynes 472,971 Ipswich 420,570 Hull (Old Craven Park) 396,472 Manchester (White City) 369,691 Leicester 344,470 Cradley Heath 304,187 Swindon 288,765 Rye House 269,309 Henlow (Bedfordshire) 253,537 Cambridge 131,990 Norton Canes 100,000 Long Eaton 91,115

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 165/166/167/168/169. Ringpress Books. ISBN   0-948955-36-8.
3. "1979". Greyhound Data.
4. Fortune, Michael. The 75 Years History of the Irish Greyhound Derby 1932-2006. Irish Greyhound Review. ISSN   0332-3536.
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. "Monthly Greyhound Star (Remember When 1979) March 2010 edition". Greyhound Star.
8. NGRC calendar. National Greyhound Racing Club. January 1980.
9. "Remember When - February 1979". Greyhound Star.
10. Genders, Roy (1981). The Encyclopedia of Greyhound Racing. Pelham Books Ltd. ISBN   07207-1106-1.
11. Barnes, Julia (1988). Daily Mirror Greyhound Fact File. Ringpress Books. ISBN   0-948955-15-5.
12. Genders, Roy (1990). NGRC book of Greyhound Racing. Pelham Books Ltd. ISBN   0-7207-1804-X.
13. "Greyhound Star (Remember When - January 1979)". Greyhound Star.
14. Barnes, Julia (1991). Daily Mirror Greyhound Fact File, Vol Two. Ringpress Books. ISBN   0-948955-61-9.
15. "Remember When - November 1979". Greyhound Star.
16. Barnes/Sellers, Julia/John (1992). Ladbrokes Greyhound Fact File. Ringpress Books. ISBN   0-948955-22-8.
17. "Monthly Greyhound Star (Remember When 1979) March 2010 edition". Greyhound Star.
18. "Remember When - November". Greyhound Star.
19. "Remember When - September 2019". Greyhound Star.
20. Particulars of Licensed tracks, table 1 Licensed Dog Racecourses. Licensing Authorities. 1979.