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Puppy Derby (Irish Greyhounds)
The Puppy Derby also known as the Juvenile Derby is a greyhound racing competition held annually at Shelbourne Park in Dublin, Ireland. The event switched to Shelbourne following the closure of Harold's Cross Stadium in the city district of Harold's Cross. It is a major competition inaugurated in 1943 and is an integral part of the Irish greyhound racing calendar. The event is the Irish equivalent of the Puppy Derby held in the UK at Wimbledon Stadium. The competition restricted to puppies has a tradition for providing many stars of the future. Following the closure of Harold's Cross the event was switched to Shelbourne Park in 2017. Past winners Venues & Distances *1943–1998 (Harold's Cross 525 yards) *1999–1999 (Shelbourne Park 525 yards) *2000–2016 (Harold's Cross 525 yards) *2017–present (Shelbourne 525 yards) Sponsors *1994–1994 Red Mills *2007–2012 Harold's Cross Bookmakers *2013–2020 Dublin Coach *2021–2021 SIS *2022–present Racing Post ' ... [...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] |
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] |
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] |
Gay McKenna
Gay McKenna was an Irish greyhound trainer who won the Irish Greyhound Derby five times. He was considered the leading trainer in Ireland from 1960 until 1972. Early life McKenna was born in Birr, County Offaly. He operated his kennels at Cabinteely, Dublin. He was introduced to the sport by his father Joe McKenna who had two finalists in the 1934 Irish Greyhound Derby and won the 1936 Irish Grand National. Career After many attempts, in 1965 he won the Irish Greyhound Derby with Ballyowen Chief. He repeated the feat a year later with Always Proud. In 1971, Monalee Pride provided the third success for and a fourth and final win in 1972 by Catsrock Daisy. In addition, McKenna also won the Irish Oaks The Irish Oaks is a Group 1 flat horse race in Ireland open to three-year-old thoroughbred fillies. It is run at the Curragh over a distance of 1 mile and 4 furlongs (2,414 metres), and it i ... with Drumsough Princess ... [...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] |
1958 UK & Ireland Greyhound Racing Year
The 1958 UK & Ireland Greyhound Racing Year was the 32nd year of greyhound racing in the United Kingdom and Ireland. Roll of honour Summary The National Greyhound Racing Society (the management branch of the National Greyhound Racing Club agreed a deal with the BBC to provide an annual greyhound event which would be shown live on Sportsview. The race would be known as the Sportsview BBC Television Trophy with the venues to be changed each year. The first competition was at Wimbledon over 500 yards but it was soon discovered that the distance was too short for the viewers to remain interested, which resulted in a switch to longer distances the following year. The inaugural event was claimed by trainer Leslie Reynolds with a 20-1 shot called Town Prince. Pigalle Wonder was voted Greyhound of the Year, after a year that included winning the 1958 English Greyhound Derby at White City, Cesarewitch at West Ham Stadium and Pall Mall Stakes at Harringay Stadium. Competitions Pig ... [...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] |
