1987 UK & Ireland Greyhound Racing Year

1987 UK & Ireland Greyhound Racing Year
1987 Gold Collar winner Half Awake and trainer Barry Silkman (far right)
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The 1987 UK & Ireland Greyhound Racing Year was the 61st year of greyhound racing in the United Kingdom and Ireland. ^[1]

Roll of honour

Major Winners
Award	Name of Winner
1987 English Greyhound Derby	Signal Spark [2] [3]
1987 Irish Greyhound Derby	Rathgallen Tady [4]
1987 Scottish Greyhound Derby	Princes Pal [5]
Greyhound Trainer of the Year	Fred Wiseman
Greyhound of the Year	Signal Spark
Irish Greyhound of the Year	Randy
Trainers Championship	Geoff De Mulder

Summary

The performances of Ballyregan Bob and Scurlogue Champ during the two previous years, combined with a strong UK economy resulted in a significant increase in greyhound racing popularity. The National Greyhound Racing Club (NGRC) released the annual returns, with totalisator turnover up nearly 20% at £77,832,636 and attendances up over 5% recorded at 4,020,438 from 5255 meetings. ^[6] Track tote remained at 17.5% and a further boost to the industry came when the government abolished tote tax on 29 March. ^{[7] [8]}

Major changes took place within the Greyhound Racing Association (GRA), the company merged with Wembley Stadium owners Arena Holdings to form a new company. ^[9] The new company retained the GRA name and is valued at £68.5 million. ^[10] In March the company closed Slough Stadium and six months later in September they closed Harringay Stadium which had been sold to Sainsbury's in 1985. ^[11]

Satellite Information Services began to beam pictures into the betting shops from the 5 May, the company owned by the 'Big Four' Ladbrokes, Corals, William Hill and Mecca Bookmakers would pay the greyhound racing industry a fee for the televised rights. ^[12] Ladbrokes however abstained from negotiations because they owned some of the tracks involved. Corals also owned some tracks involved but had the foresight to realise that they should pay a fee to help maintain the health of the industry. Ladbrokes actions only further enhanced the belief that bookmakers had too much control of the industry which was already subject to an investigation by the Office of Fair Trading. ^[13] The negotiations ended with the NGRC charging £300 per each S.I.S meeting in addition to an extra 10% of the track's BAGS fee which prompts Ladbrokes to seek legal advice. ^[14]

Tracks

Two more tracks closed along with Harringay and Slough, they were Clacton and Chester but four also opened, those of Barrow, Canterbury, Swaffham and Bideford. ^[11]

Hall Green underwent refurbishment costing £400,000 and Powderhall's new grandstand was completed costing £750,000 but suffered a fire that then caused £25,000 damage. The Scottish Greyhound Derby rights, held by GRA meant that Edinburgh would hold the event for the first time leaving Glasgow with no classic race. Shawfield Greyhound Racing and Leisure Company Ltd re-opened the Shawfield despite not having the Scottish Derby as their blue riband event. ^[15]

Competitions

Harringay's closure resulted in the Oaks going to Wimbledon Stadium and the Pall Mall Stakes going to Oxford. The Scurry Gold Cup switched to Catford Stadium following the closure of Slough. ^[16] Crayford took possession of the Golden Jacket after spells at Hall Green and Monmore. Harringay had also held the event in the afternoon and it was very popular due to the television exposure of the event. Crayford also provided a new matinee meeting for their own Ladbrokes betting shops. ^[17] Role of Fame made amends for a disappointing TV Trophy performance at Oxford by winning the Cesarewitch at Belle Vue. ^[11]

The Savva camp had a double success towards the latter part of the year. First with Olivers Wish (from the same litter as Westmead Move) who won the £5,000 Gold Collar. Then in the Laurels at Wimbledon, Flashy Sir beat a field that included Derby champion Signal Spark. ^{[11] [17]}

News

Trainers Ray Peacock and Linda Mullins joined Catford and Romford respectively from Harringay, Pam Heasman joined Wembley. Trainer Joe Booth died in hospital and George Curtis retired to be replaced by head man Bill Masters. ^{[15] [16] [17]}

The kennel of Gary Baggs contained Puppy Derby champion Spiral Darkie, in addition to Fifty Pence, Fiddlers Run, Signal Spark and Karens Champ. Signal Spark emerged as the star when winning the 1987 English Greyhound Derby. Signal Spark was then transferred to Ernie Gaskin following a well-documented dispute between Gary Baggs and owner Towfiq Al-Aali, resulting in the latter removing his dogs from the Walthamstow trainer. ^[18] Fred Wiseman also had a strong kennel including Scurry champion Rapid Mover, head man John McGee was credited for much of the success from the kennel. ^{[15] [16]} Signal Spark was voted Greyhound of the Year. ^[17]

Principal UK races

Grand National, Hall Green (Mar 28, 474m h, £3,000) Pos Name of Greyhound Trainer SP Time Trap 1st Cavan Town Mel Cumner 4-1 30.01 4 2nd Monroe Tiger 20-1 30.04 3 3rd Mondays Cannon Phil Rees Jr. 5-2 30.08 1 4th Parktown Ranger Tom Foster 7-1 30.24 2 5th Distant Echo Mel Fordham 11-2 30.42 5 6th Diamonds Sparkle Stan Gudgin 6-4f 30.70 6

BBC TV Trophy, Oxford (April 8, 845m, £4,000) Pos Name of Greyhound Trainer SP Time Trap 1st Glenowen Queen Dick Hawkes 7-1 53.37 4 2nd Super Spell Tony Martin 33-1 53.55 6 3rd Change Guard Trevor Draper 5-1 53.59 5 4th Role of Fame Adam Jackson 4-9f 53.67 1 5th Tender Champ Walter Dewbury 10-1 54.27 3 6th Irish Pallas Ernie Wiseman 50-1 55.27 2

Scurry Gold Cup, Catford (Jul 18, 385m, £5,000) Pos Name of Greyhound Trainer SP Time Trap 1st Rapid Mover Fred Wiseman 1-1f 23.62 2 2nd Lyons Turbo Kenny Linzell 25-1 23.80 4 3rd Quarrymount Sigh John Honeysett 7-1 23.86 6 4th High St Franz Linda Mullins 5-1 23.92 3 5th Lively Sailor John Gibbons 10-1 23.98 1 6th Up For One Mick Puzey 7-2 24.00 5

St Leger, Wembley (Aug 28, 655m, £12,500) Pos Name of Greyhound Trainer SP Time Trap 1st Life Policy Bob Young 12-1 39.96 5 2nd Lone Wolf Bill Masters 5-2 40.06 6 3rd Longcross Jim Phil Rees Jr. 7-1 40.20 2 4th Yellow Emperor Derek Knight 6-4f 40.40 1 5th Bankers Benefit Adam Jackson 6-1 40.58 3 6th Deal Now Geoff De Mulder 6-1 40.82 4

Scottish Greyhound Derby, Powderhall (Aug 29, 465m, £10,000) Pos Name of Greyhound Trainer SP Time Trap 1st Princes Pal Matt Travers 1-1f 27.58 2 2nd Killouragh Chris Pete Beamount 6-1 27.74 5 3rd Karens Champ Gary Baggs 11-2 27.88 3 4th Twiggys Rose Hugh Davies 33-1 28.06 1 5th Fiddlers Run Gary Baggs 14-1 28.07 6 6th Tapwatcher Bob Young 3-1 dnf 4

Gold Collar, Catford (Sep 19, 555m, £5,000) Pos Name of Greyhound Trainer SP Time Trap 1st Half Awake Barry Silkman 4-1 34.90 4 2nd Justa Mo Dinky Luckhurst 2-1f 35.02 1 3rd Moths Dysert Mick Puzey 4-1 35.20 6 4th Eldorado Bob Young 4-1 35.32 2 5th Blackie Comehome John Honeysett 16-1 35.48 5 6th Rashane Glory Hugh Davies 7-2 35.58 3

Cesarewitch, Belle Vue (Sep 26, 853m, £3,000) Pos Name of Greyhound Trainer SP Time Trap 1st Role Of Fame Arthur Hitch 1-7f 52.41 1 2nd Denes Mutt Fred Wiseman 10-1 53.01 2 3rd Gotoon Peg Carol Aymes 20-1 53.31 6 4th Mollifrend Es Colin Packham 8-1 53.37 4 5th Little Dragonfly John Coleman 14-1 53.65 5 6th Tender Champ Walter Dewberry 12-1 53.68 3

The Grand Prix, Walthamstow (Oct 10, 640m, £5,000) Pos Name of Greyhound Trainer SP Time Trap 1st Olivers Wish Nick Savva 7-2 39.86 4 2nd Super Duchess Kim Marlow 6-4f 39.98 2 3rd Moths Dysert Mick Puzey 4-1 40.08 6 4th Winsor Way Fred Wiseman 7-1 40.44 5 5th Giblet Ernie Gaskin Sr. 16-1 40.74 1 6th Silver Walk Ernie Gaskin Sr. 7-1 40.80 3

Oaks, Harringay (Oct 23, 475m, £5,000) Pos Name of Greyhound Trainer SP Time Trap 1st Lucky Empress Allen Briggs 2-1 28.43 6 2nd Foretop Kenny Linzell 7-4f 28.57 1 3rd Louise Champion Eric Vose 5-1 28.79 3 4th Holiday Hope Pat Ryan 6-1 28.89 5 5th Giblet Ernie Gaskin Sr. 20-1 29.03 2 6th Dominique Phil Rees Jr. 12-1 29.11 4

Laurels, Wimbledon (Dec 26, 460m, £5,000) Pos Name of Greyhound Trainer SP Time Trap 1st Flashy Sir Nick Savva 11-4 27.52 2 2nd Pike Alert Tom Foster 10-1 27.66 3 3rd Wendys Dream Tom Foster 8-1 27.78 4 4th Signal Spark Ernie Gaskin Sr. 1-2f 27.84 5 5th Skomal Barry Silkman 14-1 27.86 1 N/R Lissadell Tiger Ernie Gaskin Sr.

Totalisator returns

Extended content

The totalisator returns declared to the National Greyhound Racing Club for the year 1987 are listed below. [19] [20] Stadium Turnover £ London (Walthamstow) 12,915,186 London (Wimbledon) 11,992,684 London (Catford) 5,328,078 London (Wembley) 5,199,032 Brighton & Hove 4,956,464 Romford 4,913,624 Birmingham (Hall Green) 3,011,000 Manchester (Belle Vue) 2,830,723 London (Harringay) 2,319,045 Crayford 2,296,855 Edinburgh (Powderhall) 1,789,171 Newcastle (Brough Park) 1,694,113 Oxford 1,691,894 Stadium Turnover £ Sheffield (Owlerton) 1,552,649 Ramsgate 1,409,112 Wolverhampton (Monmore) 1,397,324 Yarmouth 1,145,974 Portsmouth 1,124,862 Maidstone 1,007,390 Glasgow (Shawfield) 992,903 Reading 873,921 Bristol 791,570 Milton Keynes 762,064 London (Hackney) 720,476 Swindon 634,107 Derby 598,136 Stadium Turnover £ Henlow (Bedfordshire) 514,742 Rye House 472,527 Hull (Old Craven Park) 467,553 Poole 439,697 Nottingham 363,550 Middlesbrough 346,800 Cradley Heath 329,951 Peterborough 325,466 Norton Canes 320,783 Ipswich 150,111 Canterbury 135,000

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 192/193/194/195/196. Ringpress Books. ISBN   0-948955-36-8.
3. "1987". 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 1988.
7. ""No on-course betting tax." Times, 18 Mar. 1987, p. 1". The Times. Times Digital Archive. 18 March 1987. p. 1.
8. "Remember When July". Greyhound Star. 28 July 2019.
9. ""Pledge on future of Wembley." Times, 23 Oct. 1987, p. 48". The Times. Times Digital Archive. 23 October 1987. p. 48.
10. "Remember When - October 1987". Greyhound Star. 28 October 2018.
11. Barnes, Julia (1988). Daily Mirror Greyhound Fact File. Ringpress Books. ISBN   0-948955-15-5.
12. "Monthly Greyhound Star (Remember When 1987) May edition". Greyhound Star.
13. Goodbody, John (23 April 1987). "Goodbody, John. "Ladbrokes split from Big Four." Times, 23 Apr. 1987, p. 42". The Times. Times Digital Archive. p. 42.
14. "Remember When - October 1987". Greyhound Star. 28 October 2018.
15. Genders, Roy (1990). NGRC book of Greyhound Racing. Pelham Books Ltd. ISBN   0-7207-1804-X.
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. "1987". Greyhound Data.
19. Totalisator returns of National Greyhound Racing Club Licensed tracks. National Greyhound Racing Club. 1987.
20. "Running Hard to Stand Still". Greyhound Owner. 28 January 1988.