1983 UK & Ireland Greyhound Racing Year

1983 UK & Ireland Greyhound Racing Year
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The 1983 UK & Ireland Greyhound Racing Year was the 57th year of greyhound racing in the United Kingdom and Ireland. ^[1]

Roll of honour

Major Winners
Award	Name of Winner
1983 English Greyhound Derby	Im Slippy [2] [3]
1983 Irish Greyhound Derby	Belvedere Bran [4]
1983 Scottish Greyhound Derby	On Spec [5]
Greyhound Trainer of the Year	George Curtis
Greyhound of the Year	Yankee Express
Irish Greyhound of the Year	Im Slippy
Trainers Championship	Natalie Savva

Summary

The National Greyhound Racing Club (NGRC) released the annual returns, with totalisator turnover slightly down at £61,932,148 and attendances also slightly down recorded at 4,245,995 from 5443 meetings. Track tote retention was 17.5%. ^[6]

Im Slippy, a white and blue brindle dog was voted Irish Greyhound of the Year, ^[7] he won the 1983 English Greyhound Derby at White City. ^[2] Yankee Express, a brindle dog, trained by George Curtis was voted Greyhound of the Year after winning a second successive Scurry Gold Cup title at Slough, the October 1980 whelp had performed well in the Derby and also won the Pall Mall Stakes. ^[8]

Tracks

After failing to secure new premises at Oxleaze and Churchdown, the decision was made to close Gloucester & Cheltenham Stadium, the final meeting was held on 22 October. ^[9] Many of the trainers and greyhounds were accommodated by the Swindon and Bristol Racing Manager's Bill Hiscock and Ken Whitrow respectively. Gloucester's leading trainer Janet Dickenson joined Bristol. Later in the year ADT (British Car Auctions) purchased Swindon and used its large car park as a base for their sales. ^{[8] [10]}

Ladbrokes sold Brough Park to Glassedin Greyhounds Ltd, headed by James Glass, father of female trainer Jane Glass. Cambridge had their NGRC licence cancelled and reverted once again to independent status leaving a some top trainers looking for a new attachment. Joe Cobbold went private and would eventually put the Utopia kennels in the hands of son and daughter in law, Trevor and Pam. Linda Mullins took up a position at Crayford, Theo Mentzis and Natalie Savva both went to Milton Keynes and Paddy Hancox moved from Perry Barr to Hall Green. Ayr Greyhound Stadium opened on 6 August. ^{[8] [10]}

News

White City trainer Randy Singleton retired and was replaced by Ray Peacock and Frank Baldwin. Walthamstow Racing Manager Ray Spalding left to be replaced by Tony Smith. Seeding for open races was controversially scrapped as a recommendation from the Greyhound Racing Association's chief racing manager Bob Rowe, there was an opinion that segregating wide runners and railers in trap draws favoured those seeded wide. ^{[10] [11]}

Five track records fell on the English Greyhound Derby final night, including that for the Derby distance when Hay Maker Mack became the first dog ever to break the 29-second barrier, posting 28.95 seconds. Hay Maker Mack had won a Derby heat before being knocked out and his racing career ended soon afterwards, when he sustained a broken hock during the Essex Vase at Romford. ^{[10] [11]}

Decoy Lassie finished runner up in the Cesarewitch at Belle Vue but took consolation from winning the Steward's Cup and Cearns Memorial. ^{[10] [11] [12]}

Whisper Wishes, an August 1981 black dog, son of Sand Man bred in Ireland by Mrs G. Naylor out of her brood bitch, Micklem Drive was put with Maidstone's Charlie Coyle. After a year that consisted of only 15 races, winning six of them including the Courage Select Stakes at Wembley he came into the ownership of Irishman John Duffy. Duffy pencilled in the following year's Derby for his hound. ^{[10] [11]}

Ireland

The Boyne Valley Greyhound Stadium in Navan is suspended by the Bord na gCon after they discovered that it owed more than £5,000 in unpaid prize money. Irish star Supreme Tiger trained by Matt O'Donnell broke a hock when preparing for the Anglo-Irish International and was retired ^[10]

English Derby champion Im Slippy returned to Northern Ireland and won the Guinness National Sprint at Dunmore remaining undefeated throughout the event and winning the final by four lengths from Ring Beacon in 29.30 seconds. He became one of a select few to win a Classic event on both sides of the Irish Sea. After being retired he went on to prove himself one of the most influential stud greyhounds of modern times. ^[10]

Belvedere Bran won the £25,000 Carroll's 1983 Irish Greyhound Derby. ^[4] Litter sisters Kerogue Nella and Kerogue Sarah finished first and second during the running of the Irish TV Trophy. ^[13]

Principal UK races

Daily Mirror Grand National, White City (April 2 500m h, £4,000) Pos Name of Greyhound Trainer SP Time Trap 1st Sir Winston George Curtis 5-1 31.09 5 2nd Master Bob Mark Sullivan 13-8f 31.13 2 3rd Wolseleys Scout Gunner Smith 7-1 31.29 1 4th Anner Duke Phil Rees Jr. 5-2 31.51 3 5th Bonnet Up Stan Gudgin 3-1 31.54 6 6th Black Steel 8-1 31.58 4

BBC TV Trophy, Walthamstow (Mar 3, 820m, £3,000) Pos Name of Greyhound Trainer SP Time Trap 1st Sandy Lane George Curtis 7-4 52.43 5 2nd Adamstown Miller 33-1 52.77 4 3rd Minnies Matador Paddy Milligan 5-4f 52.87 2 4th Glenbrien Ranger 14-1 52.93 6 5th Jos Gamble Jerry Fisher 5-1 52.97 3 6th Eastern Highway 10-1 53.15 1

Laurels, Wimbledon (May 6, 460m, £5,000) Pos Name of Greyhound Trainer SP Time Trap 1st Darkie Fli F Stevens 2-1f 27.87 5 2nd Raceway Mick Adam Jackson 5-1 27.99 3 3rd Deep Gold Paddy Milligan 8-1 28.02 2 4th Winning Line Chandler - MK 10-1 28.34 4 5th Big Ideas Terry Duggan 4-1 28.44 1 6th Aglish Poacher Jerry Fisher 5-2 28.47 6

Scurry Gold Cup, Slough (Jul 16, 442m, £5,000) Pos Name of Greyhound Trainer SP Time Trap 1st Yankee Express George Curtis 8-11f 26.84 4 2nd Squire Cass Terry Dartnall 9-1 27.18 2 3rd Thor John Cox 5-1 27.34 1 4th Sammy Bear George Curtis 10-1 27.42 6 5th Ebony Chieftain John Copplestone 6-1 27.43 3 6th Adventure Kit 12-1 27.69 5

Scottish Greyhound Derby, Shawfield (Aug 19, 500m, £4,000) Pos Name of Greyhound Trainer SP Time Trap 1st On Spec Harry Crapper 2-1 30.50 4 2nd Go Winston Ralph Smith 1-1f 30.58 3 3rd Kylehill Legart 6-1 30.92 5 4th Cooladine Jet Edna Armstrong 10-1 31.00 6 5th Knockhill Action 33-1 31.24 2 6th Hot Darkie 5-1 31.34 1

St Leger, Wembley (Sep 2, 655m, £7,500) Pos Name of Greyhound Trainer SP Time Trap 1st Easy And Slow Adam Jackson 5-2 40.37 3 2nd Kings Merlin Arthur Hitch 5-2 40.38 2 3rd Bally Star Linda Mullins 9-4f 40.50 4 4th Tally Ho Bomber Arthur Hitch 6-1 40.54 6 5th Decoy Diamond 20-1 40.82 1 6th Gabriel Hilda 14-1 40.98 5

Gold Collar, Catford (Sep 24, 555m, £5,000) Pos Name of Greyhound Trainer SP Time Trap 1st Rathduff Tad Tony Dennis 7-1 35.13 5 2nd Easy And Slow Adam Jackson 1-1f 35.19 6 3rd Huberts Shade Adam Jackson 4-1 35.27 3 4th Rathkenny Lassie Miss M Coleman 20-1 35.33 4 5th Wheelers Tory Peter Payne 5-1 35.36 2 6th Copper Beechers George Curtis 8-1 35.52 1

Cesarewitch, Belle Vue (Oct 1, 815m, £3,000) Pos Name of Greyhound Trainer SP Time Trap 1st Jos Gamble Jerry Fisher 5-2 50.90 1 2nd Decoy Lassie Joe Cobbold 5-1 51.14 5 3rd Gala Special Barney O'Connor 7-1 51.36 2 4th Sandy Lane George Curtis 7-4f 51.37 3 5th Send A Dream Brian Thompson 7-2 51.63 4 6th Forever Cruising Linda Mullins 8-1 52.17 6

The Grand Prix, Walthamstow (Oct 15, 640m, £5,000) Pos Name of Greyhound Trainer SP Time Trap 1st Flying Duke Paddy Coughlan 4-1 40.49 2 2nd Forever Cruising Linda Mullins 7-1 40.69 6 3rd Winning Line Chandler – MK 7-2 40.79 5 4th Split Image Rita Hayward 13-8f 40.87 1 5th Alleys Goldie George Curtis 6-1 41.01 4 6th Killury Sunset 25-1 41.33 3

Oaks, Harringay (Oct 28, 475m, £7,000) Pos Name of Greyhound Trainer SP Time Trap 1st Major Grove Eric Pateman 6-1 28.59 3 2nd Gals Girl Arthur Hitch 11-4 28.69 6 3rd Astrosyn Doll Ray Peacock 10-1 28.99 4 4th If So Sam Sykes 6-4f 29.00 2 5th Hollywood Molly Ted Griffin 8-1 29.01 5 6th Ferns Best Pete Beamount 6-1 29.07 1

Totalisator returns

Extended content

The totalisator returns declared to the National Greyhound Racing Club for the year 1983 are listed below. [14] Stadium Turnover £ London (White City) 7,189,442 London (Walthamstow) 6,690,172 London (Wimbledon) 4,641,423 Romford 3,677,493 London (Harringay) 3,453,476 Brighton & Hove 3,264,841 London (Catford) 2,686,946 Slough 2,628,665 London (Wembley) 2,391,662 Manchester (Belle Vue) 2,152,987 Birmingham (Hall Green) 2,060,096 Edinburgh (Powderhall) 1,758,864 Crayford & Bexleyheath 1,404,539 Southend-on-Sea 1,329,850 Glasgow (Shawfield) 1,272,656 Stadium Turnover £ Sheffield (Owlerton) 1,218,412 Ramsgate 945,028 Wolverhampton (Monmore) 875,571 Newcastle (Brough Park) 866,041 Yarmouth 861,687 Portsmouth 734,353 London (Hackney) 703,589 Gloucester & Cheltenham 665,600 Birmingham (Perry Barr, old) 600,277 Maidstone 587,750 Derby 567,487 Bristol 535,712 Oxford 525,200 Milton Keynes 523,380 Ipswich 426,693 Stadium Turnover £ Newcastle (Gosforth) 400,510 Hull (Old Craven Park) 398,817 Reading 377,441 Rye House 357,687 Nottingham 355,503 Henlow (Bedfordshire) 352,251 Cradley Heath 347,357 Cambridge 344,841 Poole 334,152 Middlesbrough 317,806 Leicester 260,907 Coventry 247,418 Swindon 228,707 Peterborough 188,959 Norton Canes 180,000

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 178/179/180/181/182. Ringpress Books. ISBN   0-948955-36-8.
3. "1983". Greyhound Data.
4. Fortune, Michael. The 75 Years History of the Irish Greyhound Derby 1932-2006. Irish Greyhound Review. ISSN   0332-3536.
5. Hobbs, Jonathan (2007). Greyhound Annual 2008, pages 153-154. Raceform. ISBN   978-1-905153-53-4.
6. NGRC calendar. National Greyhound Racing Club. January 1984.
7. "Im Slippy profile". Greyhound Data.
8. Barnes, Julia (1988). Daily Mirror Greyhound Fact File. Ringpress Books. ISBN   0-948955-15-5.
9. "Remember When - October 1983". Greyhound Star.
10. Genders, Roy (1990). NGRC book of Greyhound Racing. Pelham Books Ltd. ISBN   0-7207-1804-X.
11. Barnes, Julia (1991). Daily Mirror Greyhound Fact File, Vol Two. Ringpress Books. ISBN   0-948955-61-9.
12. Barnes/Sellers, Julia/John (1992). Ladbrokes Greyhound Fact File. Ringpress Books. ISBN   0-948955-22-8.
13. "Remember When - September 1983". Greyhound Star.
14. Totalisator returns of National Greyhound Racing Club Licensed tracks. National Greyhound Racing Club. 1983.