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Grand National (Irish Greyhounds)
The Grand National was a greyhound racing competition held annually at various tracks throughout Ireland. The race was inaugurated in 1928 at Shelbourne Park and was shared between the two Dublin tracks of Shelbourne and Harold's Cross Stadium before being switched to the old Cork (Western Road) Greyhound Stadium just before World War II. Kilkenny Greyhound Stadium hosted the race in 1960 & 1961 until Thurles Greyhound Stadium took over from 1962 to 1984. The competition returned to Shelbourne in 1985 for another 15 years but once again the nomadic race switched to Harold's Cross and was staged from 2001 to 2016 at the track. Following the closure of Harold's Cross, the event was switched to Cork in 2017. It was the leading hurdle event in Ireland and an integral part of the Irish greyhound racing calendar. The event came to an end after the 2020 edition. Past winners + No SP due to COVID-19 pandemic restrictions Venues & distances * Shelbourne Park (525yH 1928) * Harol ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Greyhound Racing In Ireland
Greyhound racing is a popular sport in Ireland. There are 17 stadiums operating in Ireland (two in Northern Ireland) of which nine are fully operated by Rásaíocht Con Éireann / Greyhound Racing Ireland (formerly named Irish Greyhound Board IGB, ''Bord na gCon'') with the remaining six owned and operated by private enterprise but licensed by GRI. Most have modern facilities including grandstand restaurants and parimutuel betting tote system with on-course and off-course betting available. History Greyhound racing as it is seen today evolved from a sport called coursing. In 1926 the oval form of racing arrived in Britain at Belle Vue Stadium in Manchester which resulted in the creation of hundreds of tracks all over the United Kingdom and Ireland in the following ten years. The sport of greyhound racing in Ireland mainly takes place in the Republic of Ireland but also in Northern Ireland. However, any tracks in Northern Ireland have always been in a regulatory limbo due to th ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
1938 UK & Ireland Greyhound Racing Year
The 1938 UK & Ireland Greyhound Racing Year was the 13th year of greyhound racing in the United Kingdom and Ireland. Roll of honour Summary 1938 in the United Kingdom was a place of tension due to the unrest in Europe and the ongoing negotiations between the Prime Minister, Neville Chamberlain and Germany. However the public continued to embrace greyhound racing which was an affordable national pastime. Attendances at the National Greyhound Racing Club (NGRC) licensed tracks topped 26 million with totalisator turnover recorded as £39,352,839. The track tote deduction was 6% and the government tote tax was an additional 6%. The leading greyhound company, the Greyhound Racing Association (GRA) significantly increased profits once again. The operating profit for 1938 was £278,000 (a substantial figure at the time) and attendances at GRA tracks increased rose to 4,408,412. The GRA also invested heavily into their breeding facility on the company owned Fan Court Farm, on the Longc ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
1968 UK & Ireland Greyhound Racing Year
The 1968 UK & Ireland Greyhound Racing Year was the 42nd year of greyhound racing in the United Kingdom and Ireland. Roll of honour Summary A greyhound called Yellow Printer arrived on the racing scene and was regarded as the fastest greyhound for many years. The fawn dog was voted Greyhound of the year and won the Irish Greyhound Derby, in addition to setting a new world record over 525 yards of 28.30 seconds at White City Greyhounds. Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh was presented with greyhound called Camira Flash, to become the sports most prominent greyhound owner. The fawn and white greyhound was given to him at a charity meeting at Harringay Stadium just over a month before the Derby started, with the condition that all prize money earned would go to the Duke Of Edinburgh Awards Scheme. The greyhound went on to win the 1968 English Greyhound Derby. Tracks The Greyhound Racing Association (GRA) closed the operation at Stamford Bridge on 1 August, which left a gap on t ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
1967 UK & Ireland Greyhound Racing Year
The 1967 UK & Ireland Greyhound Racing Year was the 41st year of greyhound racing in the United Kingdom and Ireland. Roll of honour Summary The Bookmakers Afternoon Greyhound Service (BAGS) was formed to alleviate some of the ongoing problems of afternoon racing. The leading bookmaking firms funded BAGS who would pay the National Greyhound Racing Society (NGRS) a set fee for the off course rights. The NGRS would then distribute the money between all NGRC affiliated tracks. This system would continue until 1978. The first tracks selected to host the race meetings were Park Royal, Kings Heath, Stamford Bridge and Oxford. Government tote tax was reduced from 5% to 2.5%. The annual totalisator turnover was £66,216,938 but attendances dipped below 10 million for the first time since 1927. There were 6009 meetings. Tracks The expected sale of West Ham Stadium to the Greyhound Racing Association went ahead followed by the GRA purchase of Charlton Stadium. The GRA property trust ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
1966 UK & Ireland Greyhound Racing Year
The 1966 UK & Ireland Greyhound Racing Year was the 40th year of greyhound racing in the United Kingdom and Ireland. Roll of honour Summary The industry celebrated its 40th anniversary but the event was marred by the government extended betting tax to all greyhound tracks and attendances suffered because of the 1966 World Cup. Wembley however refused to cancel regular greyhound racing resulting in the World Cup match between Uruguay and France being played at White City Stadium. Dusty Trail is voted Greyhound of the Year after winning the Scottish Greyhound Derby, Select Stakes, International at Wimbledon and Anglo Irish International at White City, in addition to finishing runner-up in the Welsh Derby and reaching the Laurels final. Competitions The racing schedule suffered bad organisation, with the Welsh Greyhound Derby, Oaks and Scurry Gold Cup all clashing in July and the Scottish Greyhound Derby and St Leger clashing in September. The Regency at Brighton & Hove Greyh ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
1965 UK & Ireland Greyhound Racing Year
The 1965 UK & Ireland Greyhound Racing Year was the 39th year of greyhound racing in the United Kingdom and Ireland. Roll of honour Summary The industry experienced a small rise in attendances and totalisator turnover for the first time since 1946. The National Greyhound Racing Club (NGRC) affiliated tracks saw 11,213,730 paying customers at 5972 meetings with tote turnover of £58,480,219. However the possibility of future increases was unlikely because there was competition from television, which had found its way into many of Britain's households, bingo halls (a recent gambling rival) which was now established and dance halls pulled in the younger generation. In addition many companies that owned tracks had evaluated that selling them for redevelopment brought large short term financial gain, especially in major cities. Tracks Staines Greyhound Stadium was demolished, five years after closing and the Mexborough greyhound track called the Dog Daisy Stadium, which was situate ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
1964 UK & Ireland Greyhound Racing Year
The 1964 UK & Ireland Greyhound Racing Year was the 38th year of greyhound racing in the United Kingdom and Ireland. Roll of honour Summary The Dagenham Coup incident that took place at Dagenham Greyhound Stadium on 30 June 1964 took all the headlines and became one of the most infamous moments in greyhound racing history. Despite the government reducing the totalisator tax to 5% from 10%, the industry saw a further fall in attendances. The National Greyhound Racing Club (NGRC) affiliated tracks saw 11,208,657 paying customers at 6011 meetings with tote turnover of £50,178,166. Tracks The Greyhound Racing Association (GRA) acquired Catford Stadium. Crayford & Bexleyheath Stadium owners Northumbrian and Crayford Trust Ltd joined the Totalisator Holdings group, owners of six other tracks. The Liverpool tracks of Seaforth Greyhound Stadium and White City Stadium (Liverpool) re-joined the NGRC set up after spells as independent tracks. A new independent opened called the Bosto ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
1963 UK & Ireland Greyhound Racing Year
The 1963 UK & Ireland Greyhound Racing Year was the 37th year of greyhound racing in the United Kingdom and Ireland. Roll of honour Summary The Greyhound Afternoon Service was established whereby tracks supplied afternoon racing for the larger bookmaking clients. However the track promoters made a request for a guaranteed payment for the off course rights from all bookmakers taking bets from their stadium. Negotiations would continually take place between the stadiums, the National Greyhound Racing Society (NGRS) and the bookmakers. The problems had been ongoing since the introduction of the Betting and Gaming Act 1960. Clapton Stadiums Ltd owners of Clapton Stadium, Slough and Reading scrapped evening starting times in an attempt to disrupt the betting in bookmaker's shops. Tracks racing during the afternoon had already implemented this procedure. A further development resulted in the tracks ending the annual £100,000 agreement with the off course bookmakers to provide forecas ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
1962 UK & Ireland Greyhound Racing Year
The 1962 UK & Ireland Greyhound Racing Year was the 36th year of greyhound racing in the United Kingdom and Ireland. Roll of honour Summary The decrease in attendances continued as a result of the Betting and Gaming Act 1960, which contributed to more track closures. Boundary Park Stadium in the Hellesdon area of Norwich closed on 1 December 1962, to become a redeveloped site for the Eastern Electricity Company. Rochdale switched to independent status and Charlton Stadium closed after difficulties (it would re-open four years later however), in the meantime their top event the Cloth of Gold would take place at Wandsworth Stadium. English Greyhound Derby finalist Dromin Glory, a brindle dog trained by John Bassett had a brilliant year winning both the Scottish Greyhound Derby and Cesarewitch at West Ham Stadium in consecutive months. This was achieved in addition to lifting the Birmingham Cup, Gymcrack and Select Stakes and was voted Greyhound of the Year. Competitions The G ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
1961 UK & Ireland Greyhound Racing Year
The 1961 UK & Ireland Greyhound Racing Year was the 35th year of greyhound racing in the United Kingdom and Ireland. Roll of honour Summary The Betting and Gaming Act 1960 came into force on 1 January 1961. The effect was almost instantaneous with afternoon attendances collapsing. In an attempt to combat the decline, the National Greyhound Racing Society banned telephones at the track and did not allow results to be published before 9.00 pm. In addition they attempted delaying trap draws and enforced a copyright on the tote returns but the government legislation had effectively handed over the afternoon track trade to the bookmaker industry. Bizarrely the government handed horse racing a levy (a deduction from bookmaker's turnover that would be paid back to the racecourses), under the Betting Levy Act 1961. The levy was given because of the losses that horse racing would incur with daytime bookmakers shops opening. Greyhound racing was not given a levy which came as a furth ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
1960 UK & Ireland Greyhound Racing Year
The 1960 UK & Ireland Greyhound Racing Year was the 34th year of greyhound racing in the United Kingdom and Ireland. Roll of honour Summary The National Greyhound Racing Club released the 1960 figures for their affiliated tracks, which showed that 14,243,808 paying customers attended 5,736 meetings. The totalisator turnover was £54,188,302 but government tote tax remained at 10% with track deductions remaining at 6%. Turnover and attendances remained stable but one piece of government legislation was about to have a dramatic impact on the industry. The Betting and Gaming Act 1960 was passed on 1 September 1960 and would come into effect four months later, on 1 January 1961. Tracks Staines Greyhound Stadium closed, forcing Jack Walsh to open a bookmakers shop in Egham, Surrey, Walsh had been part owner with William Hill of the 1938 English Greyhound Derby winner Lone Keel. Gerry Bailey and Jack Carter took over the lease at Rye House Stadium from the Lea Valley Regional Pa ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
1959 UK & Ireland Greyhound Racing Year
The 1959 UK & Ireland Greyhound Racing Year was the 33rd year of greyhound racing in the United Kingdom and Ireland. Roll of honour Summary Mile Bush Pride was voted Greyhound of the Year after becoming only the second greyhound, after Trev's Perfection to win the Triple Crown which consisted of the English Greyhound Derby, Scottish Greyhound Derby and Welsh Greyhound Derby. Trained by Jack Harvey for owner Noel Purvis, a shipping magnate, the brindle greyhound also won the Pall Mall, Select Stakes and Cesarewitch in 1959. Competitions Irish Greyhound Derby champion Colonel Perry moved kennels from John Bassett to Tom Baldwin and finished a disappointing fourth in the final of the Gold Collar behind Dunstown Warrior. After his English Greyhound Derby success, Mile Bush Pride ran out an eleven and a quarter winner of the Welsh Derby, in 28.80 seconds, eclipsing the previous track record by over five lengths. Mile Bush Pride then achieved the Triple Crown by winning the Scotti ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |