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McAlinden Cup
The McAlinden Cup was a greyhound racing competition held annually at Shelbourne Park in Dublin, Ireland. The race was also known by the name the Hugh McAlinden Memorial Cup. Hugh McAlinden was the chairman of Belfast Celtic F.C. and one of the founders of greyhound racing in Ireland introducing racing to Celtic Park in Belfast in 1927. The competition was a feature competition in the Irish racing calendar and was seen as a good test for the Irish Greyhound Derby because it was held over the same race distance and course. The event was inaugurated in 1939. In 1942 it was run at Cork Greyhound Stadium for the only time in its history when it was won by 1942 Irish Greyhound Derby champion Uacterlainn Riac. In 1944 Robeen Printer recorded 29.90 sec in the heats which was the fastest ever time recorded at Shelbourne Park by a bitch at the time. The event lost its status as a major race and was replaced by the Champion Stakes ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
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 ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
1945 UK & Ireland Greyhound Racing Year
The 1945 UK & Ireland Greyhound Racing Year was the 20th year of greyhound racing in the United Kingdom and Ireland. Roll of honour Summary The Second World War came to an end in Europe on 8 May, leaving time for the industry to complete a full racing schedule including a return of the 1945 English Greyhound Derby that was won by Ballyhennessy Seal. Attendances and totalisator turnover for NGRC tracks reached record highs, with over 50 million paying customers going through the turnstiles. It was also announced that the NGRC tracks had earned the government £120,000 for war charities during the duration. Annual totalisator turnover nearly doubled to 137,715,273 (a phenomenal sum in 1945). The leading greyhound company, the Greyhound Racing Association (GRA) recorded a record profit of £1,616,000 but £1,230,000 of that was allocated for the liability of excess profit tax and National Defence Contribution. The annual report indicated that greyhound racing had served servic ... [...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] |
1957 UK & Ireland Greyhound Racing Year
The 1957 UK & Ireland Greyhound Racing Year was the 31st year of greyhound racing in the United Kingdom and Ireland. Roll of honour Summary Marsh Barton Stadium in Exeter closed; many smaller independent tracks were susceptible to closure, mainly due to the fact that government taxing of tote profits outweighed the income from attendances. This was leaving many of them untenable. Regulated tracks under the National Greyhound Racing Club (NGRC) banner were better off and remained successful, with annual tote turnover still around £55 million. The Greyhound Racing Association (GRA) continued to be the most successful greyhound company (as it had been every year since the introduction of racing in 1926). The Chairman Francis Gentle announced that net profits had increased to £119,000 but the sale of Harringay Arena had been agreed because it was operating at a loss. It was sold to the Home and Colonial Stores Ltd. Gentle remains Chairman of the company but relinquishes his ro ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
1956 UK & Ireland Greyhound Racing Year
The 1956 UK & Ireland Greyhound Racing Year was the 30th year of greyhound racing in the United Kingdom and Ireland. Roll of honour Summary Attendances and Totalisator turnover had stabilised, with the latter resulting in a turnover of around £55 million. The Churches' Council on gambling quoted a figure of £119 million but that figure was for total gambling spend within the industry. One problem for the industry was the fact that the biggest names Spanish Battleship, Rushton Mac and Pauls Fun had all retired leaving the search for a new star. Competitions No single greyhound was able to secure more than one classic race success, the main Derby titles went to Dunmore King and Keep Moving. The 1956 English Greyhound Derby runner-up Duet Leader won the Laurels at Wimbledon Stadium and the Derby final third Gulf of Darien, reached the St Leger final at Wembley and the Cesarewitch at West Ham Stadium. The Welsh Greyhound Derby failed to take place again. Shipping magnate Noel ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
1955 UK & Ireland Greyhound Racing Year
The 1955 UK & Ireland Greyhound Racing Year was the 30th year of greyhound racing in the United Kingdom and Ireland. Roll of honour Summary Spanish Battleship became the greatest greyhound in Irish history by securing a third consecutive Irish Greyhound Derby title. No other greyhound had managed to win more than one Irish Derby previously. Before retiring, he broke the track record at Cork during his Laurels victory and won another McCalmont Cup title. His connections turned down a £15,000 bid from a London syndicate. Rushton Mac defeated the versatile and hot favourite Barrowside in the English Greyhound Derby final. Competitions Barrowside dominated the Grand National at White City, the red fawn dog claimed a five length victory at odds of 1-3 in a track record time of 29.43. The Gold Collar at Catford Stadium was won by Firgrove Slipper, a competition that featured 1953 English Greyhound Derby champion Daws Dancer. The new Derby champion Rushton Mac won the Welsh Greyhoun ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
1954 UK & Ireland Greyhound Racing Year
The 1954 UK & Ireland Greyhound Racing Year was the 29th year of greyhound racing in the United Kingdom and Ireland. Roll of honour Summary Spanish Battleship secured a second consecutive Irish Greyhound Derby title becoming the first greyhound in history to do so. In addition to the Derby win, during the year he won the Tostal Cup at Harold's Cross Stadium and Easter Cup at Shelbourne Park before an injury curtailed his efforts in the Callanan Cup final. After his historic Derby win he would win the Tipperary Cup with two track record runs and a victory in the McCalmont Cup but would be a shock loser in the final of the McAlinden Cup for the second year running. Pauls Fun won the English Greyhound Derby for Leslie Reynolds securing a record fifth title for the trainer. The annual totalisator was £56,139,001. Competitions Prince Lawrence and Ardskeagh Ville claimed the pre-derby classics, the Grand National and Gold Collar respectively. Jack Harvey went on a significant thre ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
1953 UK & Ireland Greyhound Racing Year
The 1953 UK & Ireland Greyhound Racing Year was the 28th year of greyhound racing in the United Kingdom and Ireland. Roll of honour Summary The annual totalisator was £61,522,849 which constituted a solid year. The main stars of the year were Spanish Battleship, in Ireland and Magourna Reject, in the United Kingdom. Competitions There was a surprise in store during the first major event of the year when 1951 Scurry Gold Cup runner up Mushera Silver won the Gold Collar, at 13-2 beating Monachdy Girlie by two lengths. The Scottish Greyhound Derby was cancelled for the second successive year due to insufficient entries but the Welsh Greyhound Derby received a high standard of entry. Glittering Look made amends for his unlucky Derby performance beating fellow Derby finalists Small Town, Galtee Cleo in addition to Endless Gossip and Ollys Pal. A competition called the London Tracks Coursing Cup (confined to London track greyhounds) was held near Cambridge and was won by Must Ventu ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
1952 UK & Ireland Greyhound Racing Year
The 1952 UK & Ireland Greyhound Racing Year was the 27th year of greyhound racing in the United Kingdom and Ireland. Roll of honour Summary The annual totalisator was £64,263,725, which indicated that the industry had stabilised following a few turbulent years. The year focused on the performances of two greyhounds, Endless Gossip and Magourna Reject. Despite the fact that Magourna Reject had failed to land a classic competition during the year, he drew the crowds everywhere he went and Endless Gossip was denied the chance to win the Triple Crown because the Scottish Greyhound Derby had been cancelled. Competitions Match racing was still popular even twenty years after the Mick the Miller era. One such match was between XPDNC (the Grand National champion against this year's favourite Lambourn Blackflash. Lambourn Blackflash won by five lengths and both competed in the Grand National at White City during May. The two rivals qualified for the final, but it was a 20-1 shot (Whis ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
1951 UK & Ireland Greyhound Racing Year
The 1951 UK & Ireland Greyhound Racing Year was the 26th year of greyhound racing in the United Kingdom and Ireland. Roll of honour Summary The annual totalisator was £65,548,855, a fifth consecutive drop since 1946 but considerably more stable than the significant decreases experienced during 1950. Once again the blame was directed towards the government and their tax policies of 10% tote tax and an additional 45% entertainment tax. Two tracks closed claiming that they could not continue to trade under the current taxation. In January Tamworth Greyhound Stadium and in May White City Stadium (Newcastle), the latter closed after the Managing Director Mr Whatley reported unmanageable figures. The tote receipts were £75,000 of which £47,000 was taken out by taxation. Restrictions on gambling were very much still considered by the government to be in the interests of the general public. A record 140 entries were received at the initial stage of the 1951 English Greyhound Derby, B ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
1950 UK & Ireland Greyhound Racing Year
The 1950 UK & Ireland Greyhound Racing Year was the 25th year of greyhound racing in the United Kingdom and Ireland. Roll of honour Summary The annual totalisator was £70,408,231, a fourth consecutive drop since 1946. Seventy-one of the tracks were affiliated to the National Greyhound Racing Club (NGRC) which accounted for £61,068,000 of the total. The drop at the 71 tracks constituted 18% and paid attendances were 21,549,000, a drop of 10%. The returns further increased the friction between the industry and the government, with the former blaming the tote tax cost of £9,182,000 in addition to normal income tax on other areas of the business. Ballymac Ball continued his exceptional form from 1949 by winning the English Greyhound Derby. Tracks The Boyne Valley Greyhound Stadium in Navan and Spennymoor Greyhound Stadium both open. Competitions The News of the World in association with the National Greyhound Racing Club announced plans to sponsor a national intertrack competit ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
1949 UK & Ireland Greyhound Racing Year
The 1949 UK & Ireland Greyhound Racing Year was the 24th year of greyhound racing in the United Kingdom and Ireland. Roll of honour Summary The annual totalisator turnover was a healthy £85,643,207, which although the fifth highest ever recorded was also the third consecutive drop since 1946. Another concern was the fact that there were 207 tracks operating which was 63 less than during 1934. The industry put the blame squarely on government legislation that continued to squeeze operating profits. The government however were under pressure from organisations such as the Committee of Churches and ordered a public session. They presented evidence to the Royal Commission of Betting Lotteries and Gaming attacking all forms of betting with greyhound racing being singled out in particular, with mention of all under 18s being banned from tracks and the deduction from the totalisator to be brought down from its current percentage with no gain for promoters through the operations of th ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
