1994 UK & Ireland Greyhound Racing Year

1994 UK & Ireland Greyhound Racing Year
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The 1994 UK & Ireland Greyhound Racing Year was the 68th year of greyhound racing in the United Kingdom and Ireland. ^[1]

Roll of honour

Major Winners
Award	Name of Winner
1994 English Greyhound Derby	Moral Standards [2] [3]
1994 Irish Greyhound Derby	Joyful Tidings [4]
1994 Scottish Greyhound Derby	Droopys Sandy [5]
Greyhound Trainer of the Year	John McGee Sr.
Greyhound of the Year	Westmead Chick
Irish Greyhound of the Year	Joyful Tidings
Trainers Championship	John Coleman

Summary

The National Greyhound Racing Club (NGRC) released the annual returns, with totalisator turnover at £87,885,471 and attendances recorded at 3,911,447 from 6393 meetings. ^[6]

Westmead Chick trained by Nick Savva was voted Greyhound of the Year after winning the Oaks, Arc, Brighton Belle, Olympic and the Midland Flat. Joyful Tidings was voted Irish Greyhound of the Year after winning the 1994 Irish Greyhound Derby. ^[7] Tony Meek won a second successive English Greyhound Derby following the victory of Moral Standards.

John McGee won the Greyhound Trainer of the Year for the seventh successive year. McGee was then involved in a major controversy after losing his licence following a positive urine test for a greyhound called Rabatino in the Peterborough Derby final. The NGRC heard the evidence and ruled that he should be suspended for the offence which led to an court battle. A high court judge overturned the NGRC suspension just weeks before he claimed his seventh crown but the NGRC in turn would then fight that ruling imposing the sanction. McGee returned to Ireland to train and would not be seen in NGRC racing again for four years. ^[8]

Tracks

Cradley Heath closed. ^{[8] [7]}

Brent Walker completed the sale of Hackney Wick Stadium to Fleetfoot Racing. ^[9]

News

The Greyhound Racing Association (GRA) allowed Slippy Corner to participate in the Laurels, which signalled the end of their policy on disqualification and brought them in line with NGRC rules. Previously any greyhound disqualified was not allowed to compete on a GRA track, whereas under NGRC rules you were allowed a second chance. ^[10]

BAGS racing continued to grow with fixtures increasing and the betting shop service offering racing all day long. Walthamstow earned their first BAGS contract. Kevin Wilde replaced the GRA's Jarvis Astaire on the NGRC promoters association. ^[8]

John Coleman sealed the trainer's championship at Walthamstow and Linda Jones made a breakthrough after gaining a contract at Romford. ^[8]

Trevor Cobbold son of Joe Cobbold was diagnosed with cancer however continued to send out British bred winners. He died before the end of the year and left a legacy of 98 British bred winners in the year, the best return for many years. His wife Pam Cobbold took over the Utopia kennels. ^[8] Australian born Frightful Flash began stud duties after leaving his quarantine kennels in Somerset on 16 February, his keeper Michael Dunne experienced significant success following the decision to bring the greyhound to the UK and Ireland from Australia. ^[11]

Competitions

In the final of the Scottish Greyhound Derby at Shawfield Stadium the Irish trained Droopys Sandy broke the track record and propelled him to ante post favouritism for the English Derby but the black dog missed the event. Oaks champion Pearls Girl claimed the Gold Collar at Catford Stadium before Redwood Girl successfully defended her Grand Prix title at Walthamstow Stadium. ^{[8] [7]}

Another bitch, Decoy Lynx was a surprise loser at the Cesarewitch at Belle Vue Stadium to 10-1 shot Sandollar Louie, a 5½ length first round win followed by a one length second round and 6 ½ length semi-final success sent the bitch off at a price of 1-7 but was beaten by a neck. Roger Waters', of the rock group Pink Floyd, greyhound Deenside Dean won the Ike Morris Laurels at Wimbledon Stadium a year after another one of his hounds Farmer Patrick lost in the Laurels final the previous year. Derby finalist Moaning Lad was knocked over in the Laurels final. ^{[8] [7]}

Principal UK races

Daily Mirror/Sporting Life Grand National, Hall Green (Mar 26, 474m h, £5,000) Pos Name of Greyhound Trainer SP Time Trap 1st Randy Savage Kevin Connor 8-1 29.50 5 2nd Heavenly Dream Linda Mullins 5-2 29.66 6 3rd Gis A Smile Phil Rees Jr. 11-10f 29.98 2 4th Jamesie Cotter Tom Foster 8-1 30.28 3 5th Super Spy Linda Mullins 16-1 30.32 1 6th Hi Brazil Sam Tom Lanceman 12-1 30.52 4

BBC TV Trophy, Sunderland (Apr 6, 827m, £6,000) Pos Name of Greyhound Trainer SP Time Trap 1st Jubilee Rebecca Gordon Rooks 2-1 53.13 1 2nd Killeenagh Dream 7-2 53.75 4 3rd Decoy Lynx Pam Cobbold 4-1 53.83 6 4th Newry Town 13-8f 53.93 2 5th Mossfield Fire Pat McCombe 50-1 54.25 3 6th Tonduff Susie 12-1 54.33 5

Reading Masters, Reading (Apr 30, 465m, £20,000) Pos Name of Greyhound Trainer SP Time Trap 1st Druids Elprado John McGee Jr. 11-8 27.99 1 2nd Longvalley Manor John Coleman 10-1 28.11 5 3rd Farmer Patrick Terry Dartnall 6-4f 28.15 4 4th Salthill Champ Ron Peckover 7-1 28.16 3 5th Lyons Double Donna Pickett 7-1 28.34 6 6th Micks Rover David Pruhs 14-1 28.35 2

Regal Scottish Derby, Shawfield (May 21, 500m, £20,000) Pos Name of Greyhound Trainer SP Time Trap 1st Droopys Sandy Francie Murray 1-1f 29.39+ 6 2nd So I Heard 20-1 30.09 4 3rd Sure Fantasy Charlie Lister 6-1 30.15 3 4th Master Buck A Watson Ire 7-1 30.23 2 5th Moral Standards Tony Meek 5-2 30.25 5 6th Droopys Evelyn Harry Williams 25-1 30.39 1 +Track record

Fosters Scurry Gold Cup, Catford (Jul 9, 385m, £2,500) Pos Name of Greyhound Trainer SP Time Trap 1st Rabatino John McGee Jr. 7-2 23.57 4 2nd Highway Leader Michael Bacon 7-4f 23.71 1 3rd Decoy Apache Pam Cobbold 5-1 23.89 6 4th Libra John John Gibbons 25-1 23.99 5 5th Ardream Richard Yeates 7-2 24.09 3 6th Rickys Mate David Puddy 10-1 24.29 2

John Humphreys Gold Collar, Catford (Sep 17, 555m, £7,500) Pos Name of Greyhound Trainer SP Time Trap 1st Pearls Girl Sam Sykes 7-4jf 34.82 6 2nd Decoy Cheetah Pam Cobbold 7-1 34.85 5 3rd Heres Seanie Pat Ryan 7-4jf 35.17 2 4th Decoy Holly Pam Cobbold 33-1 35.41 4 5th Westmead Mystic Nick Savva 20-1 35.63 3 6th Paradise Slippy Arthur Boyce 4-1 35.79 1

Fosters Cesarewitch, Belle Vue (Sep 24, 853m, £10,000) Pos Name of Greyhound Trainer SP Time Trap 1st Sandollar Louie Kevin Connor 10-1 55.20 6 2nd Decoy Lynx Pam Cobbold 1-7f 55.23 1 3rd First Defence Mary Harding 8-1 55.35 3 4th Double Polano R Wright 14-1 55.45 5 5th Lone Rider Jenny Walters 33-1 55.71 4 6th Mossfield Fire Pat McCombe 66-1 56.13 2

Laurent-Perrier Grand Prix, Walthamstow (Oct 8, 640m, £7,500) Pos Name of Greyhound Trainer SP Time Trap 1st Redwood Girl Ernie Gaskin Sr. 2-1 39.74 1 2nd Twin Rainbow John McGee Jr. 6-1 39.75 6 3rd Decoy Lion Pam Cobbold 13-8f 39.83 2 4th Pat Brownside Terry Dartnall 6-1 39.87 5 5th Sonic Blue Arthur Hitch 16-1 39.90 3 6th Speakers Choice John Honeysett 20-1 40.02 4

Ike Morris Laurels, Wimbledon (Oct 15, 460m, £7,500) Pos Name of Greyhound Trainer SP Time Trap 1st Deenside Dean [12] Terry Dartnall 5-2 27.97 5 2nd Dancing Lance 14-1 28.33 6 3rd Egmont Scoby Charlie Lister 6-1 28.43 2 4th Jurassic Park Patsy Byrne 9-2 28.93 3 5th Moaning Lad Theo Mentzis 4-5f 00.00 4 N/R Parquet Paddy Arthur Hitch

Wendy Fair St Leger, Wembley (Nov 11, 655m, £12,000) Pos Name of Greyhound Trainer SP Time Trap 1st Ballarue Minx Bill Masters 7-2 39.65 4 2nd Twin Rainbow John McGee Jr. 3-1 39.73 1 3rd Decoy Lion Pam Cobbold 5-1 39.79 3 4th Clongeel Fern Ray Peacock 2-1f 40.01 2 5th Sandanita Lorraine Sams 5-1 40.03 6 N/R Coolmona Road Derek Knight

St Marys Hospital Oaks, Wimbledon (Dec 17, 480m, £6,000) Pos Name of Greyhound Trainer SP Time Trap 1st Westmead Chick Nick Savva 8-11f 28.60 1 2nd Droopys Fergie Michael Dunphy 7-1 29.08 5 3rd Egmont Joan Charlie Lister 7-1 29.09 2 4th Twin Rainbow John McGee Jr. 16-1 29.21 4 5th Not My Line Hazel Walden 7-2 29.61 3 6th Coomlogane Euro John Cox 8-1 29.63 6

Totalisator returns

Extended content

The totalisator returns declared to the National Greyhound Racing Club for the year 1994 are listed below. [13] [14] Stadium Turnover £ London (Walthamstow) 12,814,342 London (Wimbledon) 10,647,193 Romford 6,444,861 Birmingham (Hall Green) 5,362,104 London (Catford) 5,073,607 Brighton & Hove 5,022,073 Manchester (Belle Vue) 4,788,192 London (Wembley) 3,282,911 Crayford 2,784,522 Birmingham (Perry Barr) 2,285,133 Glasgow (Shawfield) 2,228,312 London (Hackney) 2,165,153 Sheffield (Owlerton) 2,119,876 Stadium Turnover £ Peterborough 1,953,811 Sunderland 1,897,544 Newcastle (Brough Park) 1,791,153 Wolverhampton (Monmore) 1,682,387 Portsmouth 1,586,672 Oxford 1,549,700 Yarmouth 1,387,021 Reading 1,235,903 Ramsgate 1,196,763 Edinburgh (Powderhall) 1,117,783 Bristol 1,091,199 Doncaster (Stainforth) 873,516 Milton Keynes 844,294 Stadium Turnover £ Canterbury 778,088 Nottingham 757,706 Swindon 678,515 Henlow (Bedfordshire) 572,445 Middlesbrough 450,499 Hull (New Craven Park) 421,915 Swaffham 381,854 Cradley Heath 320,482 Mildenhall 198,371 Rye House 89,271 Dundee 11,200

References

1. Fry, Paul (1995). The Official NGRC Greyhound Racing Yearbook. Ringpress Books. ISBN   186054-010-4.
2. "1994". Greyhound Data.
3. Fry, Paul (1995). NGRC Greyhound Racing Yearbook, pages 104-108. Ringpress Books. ISBN   186054-010-4.
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 1995.
7. Fry, Paul (1995). The Official NGRC Greyhound Racing Yearbook. Ringpress Books. ISBN   186054-010-4.
8. Hobbs, Jonathan (2002). Greyhound Annual 2003. Raceform. ISBN   1-904317-07-3.
9. "Clark, Michael. "Rothschild seeks Brent Walker's dog track." Times, 19 July 1993, p. 33". Times Digital Archives.
10. "Remember When - October 1994". Greyhound Star.
11. "Monthly Greyhound Star (Remember When) February edition". Greyhound Star. 2015.
12. "Remember When - October 1994". Greyhound Star.
13. Totalisator returns of National Greyhound Racing Club Licensed tracks. National Greyhound Racing Club. 1994.
14. "Down Down Down, Big Drop in Tote and Attendance Figures". Greyhound Star. March 1996.