1993 UK & Ireland Greyhound Racing Year

1993 UK & Ireland Greyhound Racing Year
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The 1993 UK & Ireland Greyhound Racing Year was the 67th year of greyhound racing in the United Kingdom and Ireland. ^[1]

Roll of honour

Major Winners
Award	Name of Winner
1993 English Greyhound Derby	Ringa Hustle [2] [3]
1993 Irish Greyhound Derby	Daleys Denis [4]
1993 Scottish Greyhound Derby	New Level [5]
Greyhound Trainer of the Year	John McGee Sr.
Greyhound of the Year	Heavenly Lady [6]
Irish Greyhound of the Year	Ringa Hustle
Trainers Championship	Linda Mullins

Summary

The National Greyhound Racing Club (NGRC) released the annual returns, with totalisator turnover at £88,170,111 and attendances recorded at 3,859,498 from 6054 meetings. ^[7]

The Linda Mullins trained Heavenly Lady won the 1993 Greyhound of the Year after collecting 17 of the 21 votes available. The black bitch won 25 of her 49 races including the Golden Jacket, Cearns Memorial and TV Trophy. ^[8] Ringa Hustle was voted Irish Greyhound of the Year after winning the 1993 English Greyhound Derby. ^{[9] [10]}

John McGee won the Greyhound Trainer of the Year for the sixth successive year. ^[11]

The first ever British Greyhound Racing Fund budget of £840,000 was distributed as follows - £210,000 to drug testing, £248,000 to chromatography, £180,000 in track grants, £100,000 in prize money, £50,000 to a national inter track and £42,000 to the Retired Greyhound Trust. ^[11]

News

The Greyhound Racing Association (GRA) parent company Wembley plc. suffered financial difficulties having to service a £13 million debt. The company's American greyhound operation saw profits fall from £5.9 to £3.3 million. The British tracks were faring better making a £2.1 million profit but that made little difference to the overall debt problems.

The debt ridden Brent Walker the owners of Hackney Wick Stadium were on the verge of selling William Hill to avoid administration. ^[12]

The inconsistency of chromatography is highlighted during the Oaks at Wimbledon Stadium, the pre-meeting test for a bitch called Ballinderry Gown indicates a problem and she is withdrawn from the first round, an immediate second is taken and is negative. The chromatography system has been widely criticised as being inaccurate and unreliable and although used at all licensed tracks the decision is made to phase out the system. The NGRC plans for a new more reliable system to be put into place with future samples taken by 'the flying squad' (members of unannounced staff from the NGRC taking random samples). The samples would then be tested at the Horseracing Forensic Laboratory (HFL). ^{[11] [13] [14]}

Mick Smith becomes Racing Manager at Wembley and Simon Harris switched to Wimbledon from Hall Green to be replaced by Gary Woodward. Dave Lawrence steps in at Bristol to replace the parting Woodward. Dave Baldwin replaces Dave Gunson at Sheffield. Trainer changes during the year saw Derby winning trainer Tony Meek leave Hall Green, David Mullins leave Sunderland for Catford and Pa Fitzgerald joined Reading as a trainer in his own right after helping Patsy Byrne for many years. Reading would also announce the arrival of champion trainer John McGee, his third track in four years. Reading continued to be in the news and this time it was because they increased their Reading Masters prize to a fabulous £20,000. Ken Peckham died just seven years after the exploits of the brilliant Scurlogue Champ. Manx Treasure enjoying success at stud died of cancer aged just three and a half. ^{[11] [13]}

Poor Sue retired with a race record of 77 open race wins from 157 races (a new record for open race wins). ^[15]

Competitions

Kildare Slippy made his third consecutive Grand National final but age was getting the better of him as he was easily beaten by favourite Arfur Daley. Kind of Magic trained by Litzi Miller went one place better than the previous year in the Scurry Gold Cup final at Catford Stadium and this time lifted the trophy. Beaten finalist Ardcollum Hilda achieved a good win the following month when she won the Gold Collar at Catford Stadium over a longer distance at the same track. ^{[16] [17]}

Redwood Girl trained by Ernies Gaskin Sr. won the Grand Prix at Walthamstow Stadium, the competition had attracted a good entry and in the final the brindle bitch defeated hot favourite Loch Bo Anchor competing in his second classic final and Heavenly Lady. She would also reach the Oaks final towards the end of the year finishing third behind Pearls Girl. Derby finalist Hypnotic Stag won the Blue Riband and Olympic. ^{[17] [14]}

Principal UK races

Daily Mirror/Sporting Life Grand National, Hall Green (Mar 31, 474m h, £5,000) Pos Name of Greyhound Trainer SP Time Trap 1st Arfur Daley Bert Meadows 5-4f 28.89 2 2nd Ring Patriot Gordon Hodson 25-1 29.09 4 3rd Top Show Derek Knight 5-1 29.19 6 4th Shanavulin Jacko Peter Payne 10-1 29.25 3 5th Jolly Joker Philip Rees Jr. 12-1 29.37 1 6th Kildare Slippy Paddy Hancox 2-1 29.69 5

BBC TV Trophy, Wimbledon (Apr 20, 820m, £6,000) Pos Name of Greyhound Trainer SP Time Trap 1st Heavenly Lady Linda Mullins 6-1 51.40 1 2nd Poor Sue Stan Kennett 20-1 51.56 4 3rd Hillview Sand Kenny Linzell 16-1 51.68 2 4th Airmount Flash Jimmy Gibson 11-4 51.74 3 5th Westmead Birdie Olabode Ayegun 5-4f 51.75 6 6th Nice Enecee Dawn Milligan 5-1 53.33 5

Reading Masters, Reading (May 1, 465m, £20,000) Pos Name of Greyhound Trainer SP Time Trap 1st Im His Eric Jordan 5-4f 28.09 4 2nd Bonney Seven John Coleman 5-2 28.27 5 3rd Exile Again Tony Meek 10-1 28.29 2 4th Glengar Chipper Mrs L Berry 14-1 28.33 6 5th Ettas Star Pete Wellon 5-1 28.61 1 6th King Size S Burke 5-1 28.63 3

Regal Scottish Derby, Shawfield (May 15, 500m, £20,000) Pos Name of Greyhound Trainer SP Time Trap 1st New Level Harry Williams 3-1 30.22 3 2nd Unique Bay Linda Mullins 5-4f 30.23 5 3rd Premier Slippy J Johnston Ire 8-1 30.39 2 4th Droopys Slave Charlie Lister 8-1 30.40 1 5th Highmoor Valley Pixton 16-1 30.58 4 6th Old Money Barry Silkman 7-2 30.60 6

Fosters Scurry Gold Cup, Catford (Jul 10, 385m, £2,500) Pos Name of Greyhound Trainer SP Time Trap 1st Kind of Magic Litzi Miller 5-1 23.82 3 2nd Quality Arms Paddy Milligan 6-1 23.90 4 3rd Ardcollum Hilda Patsy Byrne 5-1 24.10 1 4th Crossdrum Damien Shirley Riches 25-1 24.22 5 5th Dell Dale Ernie Gaskin Sr. 9-4 24.42 6 6th Slippy Corner Paddy Milligan 6-4f 24.52 2

John Humphreys Gold Collar, Catford (Sep 18, 555m, £7,500) Pos Name of Greyhound Trainer SP Time Trap 1st Ardcollum Hilda Patsy Byrne 5-4f 34.84 6 2nd Seskin Support Henry Tasker 4-1 35.04 1 3rd Loch Bo Anchor John McGee Sr. 5-2 35.18 3 4th Bridies Secret Derek Knight 25-1 35.42 4 5th Shropshire Nick Brian Clemenson 25-1 35.46 5 6th Blackstairs Boy Brian Clemenson 7-1 35.70 2

Fosters Cesarewitch, Belle Vue (Sep 25, 853m, £10,000) Pos Name of Greyhound Trainer SP Time Trap 1st Killenagh Dream Charlie Lister 20-1 55.21 3 2nd Placid Who 5-1 55.61 5 3rd Spenwood Magic Charlie Lister 11-4 55.63 6 4th Redwood Pippin Ernie Gaskin Sr. 5-2f 55.65 1 5th Killeenagh Bibi Barbara Smith 7-1 56.23 2 6th Mossfield Fire Russ Kinsey 4-1 56.31 4

Laurent-Perrier Grand Prix, Walthamstow (Oct 9, 640m, £7,500) Pos Name of Greyhound Trainer SP Time Trap 1st Redwood Girl Ernie Gaskin 5-1 39.89 1 2nd Loch Bo Anchor John McGee Sr. 4-5f 40.05 5 3rd My Ciara Linda Mullins 25-1 40.13 6 4th Capolla Tom John Coleman 33-1 40.37 4 5th Heavenly Lady Linda Mullins 11-2 40.47 2 6th Gunboat Jeff Joe Kenny 9-2 40.48 3

Ike Morris Laurels, Wimbledon (Oct 12, 460m, £7,500) Pos Name of Greyhound Trainer SP Time Trap 1st Slipaway Jaydee John McGee Sr. 9-4 27.61 4 2nd Toms Lodge Norman Johnson 4-1 27.75 2 3rd Farmer Patrick [18] Terry Dartnall 7-4f 27.89 6 4th Alans Wonder Norman Johnson 16-1 28.03 5 5th Glengar Chipper Mrs L Berry 12-1 28.15 1 6th Our Timmy James Barrett 5-1 28.29 3

Wendy Fair St Leger, Wembley (Nov 12, 655m, £10,000) Pos Name of Greyhound Trainer SP Time Trap 1st Galleydown Boy John Copplestone 13-2 40.06 1 2nd Gunboat Jeff Patsy Byrne 6-4f 40.14 5 3rd Highmoor Glen Charlie Lister 3-1 40.24 6 4th Loch Bo Anchor John McGee Sr. 14-1 40.30 2 5th Jubilee Rebecca Gordon Rooks 9-1 40.33 3 6th The Great Gonzo Natalie Savva 6-1 40.35 4

St Marys Hospital Oaks, Wimbledon (Dec 18, 480m, £6,000) Pos Name of Greyhound Trainer SP Time Trap 1st Pearls Girl Sam Sykes 8-11f 28.55 5 2nd Simply Free Charlie Lister 7-4 28.59 1 3rd Redwood Girl Ernie Gaskin Sr. 12-1 28.83 3 4th Stouke Tania Walter Cowans 12-1 28.89 6 5th Fast Off Terry Dartnall 6-1 29.15 4 6th Westmead Mystic Natalie Savva 25-1 29.17 2

Totalisator returns

Extended content

The totalisator returns declared to the National Greyhound Racing Club for the year 1993 are listed below. [19] Stadium Turnover £ London (Walthamstow) 12,792,314 London (Wimbledon) 11,454,253 Romford 7,218,562 Birmingham (Hall Green) 5,253,442 Brighton & Hove 5,119,748 London (Catford) 4,875,779 Manchester (Belle Vue) 4,579,486 London (Wembley) 3,291,898 Crayford 2,775,235 Glasgow (Shawfield) 2,665,568 Sheffield (Owlerton) 1,935,404 Sunderland 1,934,577 Stadium Turnover £ Birmingham (Perry Barr) 1,902,770 Newcastle (Brough Park) 1,867,195 Peterborough 1,754,275 Oxford 1,545,335 Yarmouth 1,472,310 Portsmouth 1,459,270 Reading 1,373,859 Edinburgh (Powderhall) 1,303,237 Ramsgate 1,293,515 Bristol 1,216,128 Canterbury 882,275 Nottingham 810,403 Stadium Turnover £ Milton Keynes 709,117 Swindon 684,719 Doncaster (Stainforth) 632,472 London (Hackney) 542,700 Henlow (Bedfordshire) 444,600 Cradley Heath 366,518 Hull (New Craven Park) 353,507 Mildenhall 94,927 Middlesbrough 94,475 Rye House 55,154 Swaffham 36,427

References

1. Fry, Paul (1995). The Official NGRC Greyhound Racing Yearbook. Ringpress Books. ISBN   186054-010-4.
2. "1993". Greyhound Data.
3. National Greyhound Racing Club Calendar, July 1993 edition. National Greyhound Racing Club.
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. "Remember When - February 1994". Greyhound Star. 2018.
7. NGRC calendar. National Greyhound Racing Club. January 1994.
8. "Remember When - February 1994". Greyhound Star. 2018.
9. "1993". Greyhound Data.
10. National Greyhound Racing Club Calendar, July 1993 edition. National Greyhound Racing Club.
11. Fry, Paul (1995). The Official NGRC Greyhound Racing Yearbook. Ringpress Books. p. 203. ISBN   186054-010-4.
12. ""Brent Walker confirms William Hill approach." Times, 27 July 1993, p. 22". Times Digital Archives.
13. Hobbs, Jonathan (2002). Greyhound Annual 2003. Raceform. ISBN   1-904317-07-3.
14. Hobbs, Jonathan (2004). Greyhound Annual 2005. Raceform. ISBN   1-904317-58-8.
15. "Greyhound Star (Remember When - May 1993)". Greyhound Star.
16. Hobbs, Jonathan (2004). Greyhound Annual 2005. Raceform. ISBN   1-904317-58-8.
17. Hobbs, Jonathan (2008). Greyhound Annual 2008. Raceform. ISBN   978-1-905153-534.
18. "Remember When - October 1993". Greyhound Star.
19. Totalisator returns of National Greyhound Racing Club Licensed tracks. National Greyhound Racing Club. 1993.