Clonmel Greyhound Stadium

Clonmel Greyhound Stadium

Location	Davis Road, Clonmel, County Tipperary, Ireland
Coordinates	52°21′12″N7°41′32″W / 52.353344°N 7.692148°W / 52.353344; -7.692148
Date opened	1931
Race type	greyhound racing
Official website

Clonmel Greyhound Stadium is a greyhound racing track located in Clonmel, County Tipperary, Ireland. ^[1]

Racing takes place every Friday and Sunday evening and the facilities include a grandstand restaurant, fast food facilities, a number of bars, totalisator betting and seating. ^[2]

Race distances are 300, 525, 550, 575, 790 and 1,015 yards and the feature competition at the track is the National Produce Stakes. ^[3]

Competitions

current and former

• National Produce Stakes
• Oaks
• St Leger

History

Opening

The first race held at Clonmel took place on 20 March 1931. The track is situated on the Old Waterford Road just off Davis Road and is also the headquarters of the Irish Coursing Club (ICC). ^[4] The ICC moved into the town of Clonmel in 1921 and the secretary Tom Morris became the first managing director of the greyhound racecourse. In 1931 the Horse Show Society agreed with the Greyhound Racing Club of Clonmel to lease the grounds for £250 per year. The Racing Manager was Tim Rice and the circuit was 480 yards in circumference running the standard main distance of 525 yards. ^[5]

The Oaks was held here in 1932 and the Clonmel public were lucky to see the magnificent bitch Queen of the Suir win the race. The following year the track was selected to host both the Oaks and St Leger. The running of the Irish St Leger was the one and only time at the track and resulted in a victory for the legendary Brilliant Bob. The May 1931 whelp was introduced to track racing in 1933 and after finishing runner-up in the Easter Cup won the St Leger over 550 yards in 31.53. ^[6]

The premier racing event to be held at Clonmel would be the National Sapling Stakes (which would become the National Breeders Produce Stakes). The first running was in 1939 and was claimed by Sporting Fancy. A year later in 1940 Tanist became the first greyhound to break 30 seconds at Clonmel recording 29.85 over 525 yards. The track renamed the National Sapling Stakes to the National Puppy Cup before it became the National Breeders Produce Stakes in 1947. ^[7]

Post War

The next milestone came in 1946 when in the second round of the National Puppy Cup a greyhound called Quare Times clocked an amazing 29.75sec to set a new track record. In 1947 the ICC moved into new headquarters so that they could administer the sport in addition to housing 'The Sporting Press' a newspaper owned by the ICC. The struggling racecourse known as Powerstown Park had also been acquired by the ICC which used the venue for coursing inside the horse racing circuit. They retained some horse racing meetings maintaining the Park as a going concern.

The track would come under the control of the Bord na gCon in 1960 that purchased the track from the Morris family. There were no major developments over the next couple of decades except for the introduction of a new event called the Munster Cup and the 1979 retirement of Christy Mulcahy the Racing Manager. One event that was not welcome was the regular flooding of the track from the nearby River Suir. ^[8]

In 1986 the track was closed to allow a complete renovation with the re-opening in spring 1987, the track underwent major changes as well going all-sand and introducing the controversial Australian Noel Bramwich hare. ^[9] The track improvements changed the expected times recorded and Balalika set a new track record of 28.68 over 525 yards on a circumference of 593 yards.

The lease for Clonmel was bought out by the Clonmel Leisure Group from the Bord na gCon in 1991 but the track closed down in 1998 following an ongoing dispute over the lease and freehold agreements between the Clonmel Leisure Group and the Clonmel Agricultural Show. ^[10]

Recent history

In 2000 it was hoped that a new track could be constructed at Powerstown Park. Meetings were held between the Irish Coursing Club (tenants at Powerstown Park), the Irish Greyhound Board, the Tipperary County Council, Government Minister Noel Davern, and Clonmel's Mayor, Tom Ambrose but the problems continued and a solution was not found. Eventually it was agreed that the greyhound track section of the showgrounds would be sold to the Davis Road Greyhound Racing Company. ^[11]

Before re-opening in 2003 the stadium was upgraded and modernised signalling a new start with Red Mills becoming sponsors of the National Produce Stakes and Barry Coleman becoming Racing Manager. ^[12] The former Racing Manager Gus Ryan retired in 2009 after 42 years in racing. ^[13]

In 2012, Clonmel earned contributions from Greyhound Racing Ireland and received a €1 million investment allowing the owners to knock down the old stand and rebuild a new modern grandstand.

In 2023, the stadium announced a contract agreement (as part of the GRI) with S.I.S regarding the broadcasting rights of the racing. ^{[14] [15]}

Current track records

^[16]

Yards	Greyhound	Time	Date	Notes
300	Calling Spice [17]	15.81	1 February 2011
525	Clares Rocket	27.87	1 May 2016
550	Cabra Buck	29.60	24 January 2013
575	Compass Smash	31.03	5 October 2008
750	Kiltrea Kev	41.10	29 August 2010
790	Volcano	43.66	7 February 2015
1015	Ferdia Bound	57.78	10 October 2010

Former track records

Extended content

[18] 1937 track record holder Monarch Of All was sold for a record price at the time of 350 guineas at the Harold's Cross Stadium sales. [19] [20] Yards Greyhound Time Date Notes 300 Quiet Spring 16.50 14 May 1970 300 Im Game 16.54* 27 April 1987 300 Greenpark Fox =16.34 01.1989 300 Greenpark Fox 16.12 01.02.1989 300 Marshals Music 16.25* 7 August 2003 300 Derwent Storm 16.21 18 January 2004 300 Droopys Hughes 16.15 5 February 2004 300 Run for Alice 16.08 1 May 2005 300 Rising Fire 16.04 16 July 2006 300 Rising Fire 16.01 24 August 2006 300 Unique Option 15.95 12 November 2006 300 Toms Zorro 15.94 14 January 2007 300 Four Dubs 15.94 1 April 2007 300 Rising Fire 15.89 22 April 2007 300 Rising Fire 15.85 29 April 2007 330 Brilliant Tulip 18.30 1950 500 Odd Venture 28.25 18 May 1961 525 Tanist 29.85 1940 525 Quare Times 29.75 1946 525 Barna Derg 29.65 1950 525 The Grand Fire 29.40 25 April 1957 525 The Potman 29.34 Sep 1979 525 Balalika 28.68* 8 April 1987 525 Arran Court Duke 28.38 13 April 1989 525 Vintage Prince 28.55* 29 May 1995 525 College Prime 28.60 6 April 2003 525 Velvet Cash 28.54 17 March 2004 525 Charity Jack 28.36 5 March 2006 525 St Louis Spirit 28.33 05.04.2009 Produce Stakes first round 525 Ardera Power 28.29 12.04.2009 Produce Stakes second round 525 Shaneboy Lee 28.24 12.04.2009 Produce Stakes second round 525 Colorful Champ 28.23 25 October 2009 525 Amazing Dude =28.23 31 May 2015 550 Flighty Rover 31.30 1950 550 Mad Mac 30.50* 15 June 1987 550 Fiddlers Wish 30.04 31 January 1989 550 Meet Me Halfway 29.80 01.08.1989 550 Man of Lamancha 30.02* 04.02.2003 550 Toms Little Jo 29.88 3 June 2004 550 Swahili Eile 29.85 16 February 2007 550 Off the Fags 29.81 6 July 2007 550 Leahs Boss 29.81 8 October 2008 550 Mardocs Heinze 29.63 12 October 2008 550 Mahogany Rumble 29.63 12 July 2009 550 Carib King 29.63 26 July 2009 550 Movealong Tony 29.62 17 July 2011 575 Silver Shout 31.23 27 April 2003 575 Charity Jack 31.15 24 October 2003 575 Lucky Lindsey 31.05 23 August 2007 700 Lady Bon 40.40 18 May 1961 730 Manx Sky 41.52* 9 November 1987 730 Crohane Lucy 41.16 1 February 1989 730 Benedine Rose 41.16 1 February 1989 730 Mid Clare Lass 40.88 3 February 1990 750 Just George 41.28 1988 750 Top Award 41.90 17 April 2003 750 Brave Legend 41.82 24 August 2006 750 Musical Beauty 41.49 29 October 2006 750 Dromana Blue 41.47 15 November 2007 750 Flying Winner 41.26 22 November 2007 790 Able Queen 45.06 17 July 2003 790 Smooth Slippy 44.73 22 August 2004 790 Lady Norma 44.72 22 August 2004 790 Five Gold Bars 44.50 23 March 2008 790 Thatll Do Jack 44.41 25 January 2011 790 Freedom Marconi 44.14 14 August 2011 790 Kerryroad Baba 44.24 14 August 2011 790 Usual Story 44.06 26 August 2012 790 Razldazl Marilyn 44.00 17 January 2013 1000 Tokio Lady 58.99 1988 1015 Original Charm 58.15 27 July 2003 1025 Cute Way 59.34 30 January 1989 1025 Fairy Surprise 59.26 7 November 1991 500 H Knockdrina Ranger 29.95 2 May 1957 525 H Fair King 31.00 1950 525 H Jerrys Wonder 30.90 11 May 1963 525 H Unguarded Moment =30.90 16 May 1963 525 H Mars Mist 30.12 1988 550 H Quarter Cross 32.55 1950

References

1. "Clonmel Greyhound Stadium". Tipperary Tourism. Archived from the original on 16 August 2016. Retrieved 9 July 2016.
2. "Clonmel Greyhound Stadium". Irish Greyhound Board.
3. "Clonmel". Greyhound Data.
4. "About Us". Irish Coursing Club.
5. Genders, Roy (1981). The Encyclopedia of Greyhound Racing. Pelham Books Ltd. ISBN   07207-1106-1.
6. Fortune, Michael (1979). Irish Greyhound Annual. Victory Irish Promotions Ltd.
7. Genders, Roy (1981). The Encyclopedia of Greyhound Racing. Pelham Books Ltd. ISBN   07207-1106-1.
8. Genders, Roy (1981). The Encyclopedia of Greyhound Racing. Pelham Books Ltd. ISBN   07207-1106-1.
9. "Remember When – September 1989". Greyhound Star.
10. "Clonmel group, Bord na gCon settle case". The Irish Times.
11. "History". Clonmel Agricultural Show.
12. Hobbs, Jonathan (2007). Greyhound Annual 2008. Raceform. ISBN   978-1-905153-53-4.
13. "Monthly Greyhound Star (Remember When 2009) August edition". Greyhound Star.
14. "Thursday Round Up". Greyhound Star. Retrieved 9 December 2023.
15. "SIS GRA 2024 Agreement". Greyhound Racing Ireland. Retrieved 9 December 2023.
16. "Track records". Greyhound Star.
17. "The Imelda Phelan Open Sprint Stake final". Irish Greyhound Board.
18. "Clonmel track records". Greyhound Data.
19. "Remember When – April 1937". Greyhound Star. 2012.
20. "Track records". Greyhound Data.