1997 Irish Greyhound Derby
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1997 Irish Greyhound Derby
The 1997 Irish Greyhound Derby took place during August, September and October with the final being held at Shelbourne Park in Dublin on 4 October 1997. The winner Toms The Best won £50,000 and was trained by Nick Savva, owned by Eddie Shotton and bred by Ian Greaves. The race was sponsored by the Ireland on Sunday. Final result At Shelbourne, 4 October (over 550 yards): Distances ¾, 2, 3¼, head, ½ (lengths) Competition Report The English challenge for the newly sponsored Ireland on Sunday Irish Greyhound Derby was very strong with the 1997 English Greyhound Derby and 1997 Scottish Greyhound Derby champion Some Picture leading the ante-post betting and looking to become the first greyhound in history to achieve the modern triple crown (Irish Derby instead of Welsh Greyhound Derby). Toms the Best was also considered a leading contender for the event. In the qualifying round Some Picture recorded a fast win in 30.24 and there were good wins for Forest Jet and Spira ...
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Irish Greyhound Derby
The Irish Greyhound Derby held at Shelbourne Park, is the premier greyhound racing competition in Ireland. First held at Harold's Cross in 1928, the event was unofficial until 1932 and called the National Derby. The first winner in 1928 was Tipperary Hills who won in a time of 30.56 sec at a starting price of 1-1f. It controversially switched to Shelbourne Park in 1932 and then it was held in alternate years between the two tracks. The defunct Markets Field Greyhound Stadium in Limerick and the defunct Cork Greyhound Stadium in Western Road both hosted the event once in 1939 and 1942 respectively. The 1969 Irish Greyhound Derby was the last renewal held at Harold's Cross and the competition remained at Shelbourne Park from 1970. The most successful greyhound has been Spanish Battleship who won the event three times. Today it is considered to be one of the two biggest races in the calendar by the UK & Ireland greyhound racing industries, alongside the English Greyhound Derby ...
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Shelbourne Park
Shelbourne Park is a greyhound racing stadium in the south Dublin inner city suburb of Ringsend. Greyhound Racing Opening The plans to open a greyhound track in Dublin were drawn up by Paddy O’Donoghue, Jerry Collins, Patsy McAlinden and Jim Clarke. Shelbourne Park opened on 14 May 1927 hot on the heels of Celtic Park (Belfast). The stadium located in the docklands in Ringsend was Dublin's answer to the Belfast track and the pair became the two most greyhound prestigious tracks in Irish racing. When opening in 1927 the track employed four resident trainers in Mick Horan, Paddy Quigley, Billy Donoghue and Ben Scally. History One year later it was decided to introduce the Easter Cup which commemorated the 1916 Easter Monday Rising in Dublin. However, the race soon became known for its own fame rather than its naming origins. The first winner was a greyhound called Odd Blade and the brindle dog went on to successfully defend his title the following year. Famously Mick the Mill ...
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Dublin
Dublin (; , or ) is the capital and largest city of Republic of Ireland, Ireland. On a bay at the mouth of the River Liffey, it is in the Provinces of Ireland, province of Leinster, bordered on the south by the Dublin Mountains, a part of the Wicklow Mountains range. At the 2016 census of Ireland, 2016 census it had a population of 1,173,179, while the preliminary results of the 2022 census of Ireland, 2022 census recorded that County Dublin as a whole had a population of 1,450,701, and that the population of the Greater Dublin Area was over 2 million, or roughly 40% of the Republic of Ireland's total population. A settlement was established in the area by the Gaels during or before the 7th century, followed by the Vikings. As the Kings of Dublin, Kingdom of Dublin grew, it became Ireland's principal settlement by the 12th century Anglo-Norman invasion of Ireland. The city expanded rapidly from the 17th century and was briefly the second largest in the British Empire and sixt ...
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1996 Irish Greyhound Derby
The 1996 Irish Greyhound Derby took place during August and September with the final being held at Shelbourne Park in Dublin on 30 September 1996. The winner Tina Marina won £50,000 and was trained by Seamus Graham, owned by the Greenvale Syndicate (consisting of Michael Butler Sr., Michael Butler Jr., Michael McElhatton, Sean Muldoon and Aidan O'Regan) and bred by Lizzie Maher. The race was sponsored by the Kerry Group's dog food product 'Respond'. Final result At Shelbourne, 30 September (over 550 yards): Distances neck, 2½, 5¾, 1½, short-head (lengths) Competition Report Matt O'Donnell had two major challengers in the defending champion Batties Rocket and his sister Batties Spirit whilst Mountleader Peer edged the pair in the ante-post betting after a win in the Febo Champions Stakes and a sequence of nine straight wins. It was the Christy O'Callaghan brindle Mountleader Peer that showed first recording a fast 30.20 in qualifying. During the first round the 28.7 ...
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1998 Irish Greyhound Derby
The 1998 Irish Greyhound Derby took place during August and September with the final being held at Shelbourne Park in Dublin on 19 September 1998. The winner Eyeman won £50,000 and was trained by Eddie Wade, owned by Gerard Kervick and bred by Jim Moore. The race was sponsored by the Ireland on Sunday. Final result At Shelbourne, 19 September (over 550 yards): Distances ½, short-head, 2, ½, 5 (lengths) Competition Report In the qualifying round Eyeman trained by Eddie Wade equalled Dew Reward's track record of 29.97 and immediately became the favourite for the competition. Larkhill Jo then posted a very fast 30.00 and the original ante-post favourite Plasterscene Gem drifted in the betting despite winning his heat. In the second round the fastest winners were She Will Survive in 30.24, Westpark Lemon and Droopys Eric in 30.25. Eyeman then broke the Shelbourne track record again in the quarter-finals, the brindle dog stopped the clock at 29.92. Larkhill Jo won the fi ...
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Toms The Best
Toms The Best was a leading racing greyhound during the 1990s. He is the only greyhound to have won both the English Greyhound Derby and the Irish Greyhound Derby. He was also voted the 1998 UK Greyhound of the Year. Whelping and rearing He was whelped in June 1995, from a mating between Frightful Flash and Ladys Guest. He was bred by Ian Greaves at Monasterevin. Racing 1997 After winning a race at Shelbourne Park he was purchased by Eddie Shotton for £10,000 and sent to trainer Nick Savva at Walthamstow Stadium. The black dog was aimed at the 1997 English Greyhound Derby after just seven UK races (one of which resulted in a steward's inquiry for time finding in a graded race). He performed well during the Derby, progressing to the semi-finals before being knocked out and won the Consolation on final night. After the Derby he won the Midland Gold Cup at Monmore and the Sussex Cup at Hove, before heading for the 1997 Irish Greyhound Derby. He progressed through the rou ...
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Nick Savva
Nicolas Savva known as Nick Savva is a greyhound trainer and breeder. He is a four times winner of the English Greyhound Derby and is regarded as Britain's most successful breeder, along with his late wife Natalie Savva (1935–2019) who also held the kennels training licence at one time. Early life Savva was born in 1934 in Cyprus and left the island country for London where he gained work in an engineering factory and then a restaurant. He started attending race meetings at Harringay Stadium in 1952 and started a dressmaking business. He met Natalie Drew in 1957 and they married in 1961 before selling his dressmaking business and buying a kennels. Career Nick and Natalie started training and breeding greyhounds and became increasingly successful. Many of the greyhounds bred at their Westmead Kennels base were given a name with the Westmead prefix and in 1972 the kennel gained their first major success with Westmead Lane after winning the Cesarewitch (greyhounds), Cesarewitch. N ...
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Ireland On Sunday
''Ireland on Sunday'' was a national Sunday newspaper published in Ireland from September 1997 until September 2006, when it was renamed the ''Irish Mail on Sunday''. The newspaper was founded in 1996 as a sports-only newspaper called ''The Title'', but was soon expanded into a general broadsheet Sunday newspaper with its founder, former County Meath Gaelic football player Liam Hayes, carrying on as editor. The paper was considered a ' middle-market' publication. History ''The Title'' was founded in 1996 by journalists Liam Hayes and Cathal Dervan. Hayes, a former captain of the Meath Gaelic football team who made five All-Ireland final appearances, had worked with Dervan at the ''Meath Chronicle'' before spending seven years at the ''Sunday Press'', a national newspaper which folded in 1995. ''The Title'' focused exclusively on sports, covering events from local to international in scale. The newspaper attracted a niche audience, garnering a circulation of 29,000. On 21 Septembe ...
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Some Picture
Some Picture was a leading racing greyhound during the 1990s. He won both the English Greyhound Derby and the Scottish Greyhound Derby. He was also voted the 1997 UK Greyhound of the Year and unusually for an English trained greyhound was voted 1997 Irish Greyhound of the Year, being Irish bred. Whelping and rearing He was whelped on 2 June 1995, from a mating between Slaneyside Hare and Spring Season. He was bred by Theresa Hamill. Racing 1996 He won the Eclipse at Nottingham and the Select Stakes at Wembley. The performances were good enough for many to consider him a leading prospect for the English Greyhound Derby the following year. 1997 In April he was aimed at the first major Derby of the year, the 1997 Regal Scottish Greyhound Derby and won the event earning the first prize of £20,000 for owner Steve Spiteri. The success propelled him into favouritism for the 1997 English Greyhound Derby and was looking to become the first Scottish Derby champion since Patricias ...
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Charlie Lister
Charles 'Charlie' Richard Lister OBE (born 1940) is a former English greyhound trainer. He is a four times winner of the Greyhound Trainer of the Year and is regarded as one of the leading trainers of all time. He also holds the record for English Greyhound Derby wins with seven. Early life He was born in Yorkshire and used to attend coursing with his father. He then owned some greyhounds with a trainer called Joe Booth who ran on the independent circuit, known as flapping (unregulated racing). Career After learning his trade on independent tracks he applied for a National Greyhound Racing Club C-licence. He was then gained a professional trainers licence and was awarded a contract at Leicester Stadium by Mick Wheble. His first breakthroughs were with Swift Band, who won the 1981 East Anglian Derby and Glamour Hobo who finished runner up in the 1985 Scottish Greyhound Derby. The first Classic race success came in the 1993 Cesarewitch with Killenagh Dream at Belle Vue Stadium ...
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1997 English Greyhound Derby
The 1997 Daily Mirror/Sporting Life Greyhound Derby took place during May & June with the final being held on 28 June 1997 at Wimbledon Stadium. The winner Some Picture received £50,000. The competition was sponsored by the Sporting Life and Daily Mirror. Final result At Wimbledon (over 480 metres): Distances 6¼, ½, 3¾, head, 3 (lengths) The distances between the greyhounds are in finishing order and shown in lengths. One length is equal to 0.08 of one second. Race Report Some Picture the recent Scottish Greyhound Derby champion remained unbeaten going into the final. Three greyhounds broke well out of the traps, they were Stows Val, Annies Bullet and Some Picture but as they came to the first bend Annies Bullet was squeezed out and lost all chance of winning. Some Picture and Stows Val led around the first two bends well clear of the pack but the Charlie Lister trained black dog forged ahead down the back straight leading to an comfortable victory. He Knows made up ...
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Scottish Greyhound Derby
The Scottish Greyhound Derby was an original classic greyhound competition held at Shawfield Stadium. Held at Carntyne Stadium from 1928 to 1968, after the closure of Carntyne the race appeared at Shawfield from 1970 until 1985. In 1988 the Greyhound Racing Association (GRA), moved the race to Powderhall Stadium in Edinburgh because they had the rights to the event and wanted it to take place at one of their tracks. After just two years it returned to Glasgow and Shawfield following the sale of Powderhall by the GRA. Past winners Venues & Distances *1928–1968 (Carntyne 525 y) *1969 (Cancelled) *1970–1974 (Shawfield 525 y) *1975 (Shawfield 485 m) *1976 (Shawfield 505 m) *1977 (Shawfield 480 m) *1978–1985 (Shawfield 500 m) *1987–1988 (Powderhall 465 m) *1989–1994 (Shawfield 500 m) *1995–2019 (Shawfield 480 m) Sponsors *1982-1983 ( Harp Lager) *1989-1990 (Ladbrokes) *1991-2003 ( Regal) *2004-2005 (Totesport) *2006-2006 ...
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