1979 UK & Ireland Greyhound Racing Year Sarahs Bunny, 1979 English Derby winner
The 1979 UK & Ireland Greyhound Racing Year was the 53rd year of greyhound racing in the United Kingdom and Ireland.[ 1]
The National Greyhound Racing Club (NGRC) released the annual returns, with totalisator turnover down, at £70,685,971 and attendances up, recorded at 6,585,491 from 5712 meetings.[ 8] White City remains the top earner with an average meeting tote turnover of £55,677, some £5,000 more than closest rival Walthamstow Stadium .
[ 9]
Desert Pilot, a white and brindle dog and Kilmagoura Mist, a brindle bitch, were voted joint Greyhound of the Year . Desert Pilot won the Select Stakes and Wembley Summer Cup, Kilmagoura Mist won the St Leger .[ 10] Sarahs Bunny, a kennelmate of Desert Pilot won the 1979 English Greyhound Derby .[ 2]
Three tracks closed, Rochester (4 October), Halifax and the Horton Road Stadium in Gloucester (6 July).[ 11]
The BGRF (British Greyhound Racing Federation) went into voluntary liquidation, the organisation body that had only been formed in 1977 between the NGRC and track promoters had been a disaster. Bizarrely despite the financial losses of the body a new replacement called the British Greyhound Racing Board was set up within months, with the aim to promote and elevate the greyhound racing industry, to improve the welfare and rules of racing.[ 12] [ 13]
Leeds closed their track kennels and lost three top trainers in the process, Joe Kelly, Tommy Brown and Jim Brennan (better known for his spell at Sheffield). Kelly was recruited by Racing Manager Terry Meynell and moved into the kennels of the late Harry Bamford, who had died aged just 40 while Brown and Brennan retired. Contracted trainers replacing them at Leeds were Pete Beaumont, Jim Brown and Ray Andrews.[ 10] [ 12] New Southend trainer Tom Lanceman also supplied runners for Ipswich , he was one of the first ever trainers to take up a dual attachment. Lanceman also trained the Grand National winner Topofthetide to a second successive win, the greyhound had won in 1978 for Tim Forster at odds on.[ 11] [ 12] [ 14]
Lacca Champion was retired after the Derby and Joe De Mulder, former trainer and father of Geoff De Mulder died.[ 10]
A newcomer called Sports Promoter reared by Pat and Linda Mullins broke the track record over 400 metres at Cambridge in his first race [ 15] and went on to win the Romford Puppy Cup and Sporting Life Juvenile .[ 12] [ 14] The Olympic returned after an eight-year absence, the event was resurrected by Brighton .[ 11] [ 16]
John Honeysett won a closely fought Trainers Championship at Crayford after defeating John Coleman by just two points. Both had three winners on the night, Honeysett (Sandpiper Folly, Langford Dan, Triple Aspect), Coleman (Noble Brigg, Head Prefect, Our Rufus).[ 17]
The Bord na gCon announced a massive 60% hike in prize money. The grand re-opening of Galway was on 25 May, with the modernisation costing over £500,000.[ 12]
Grand National , White City (April 7 500m h, £2,000)
Pos
Name of Greyhound
Trainer
SP
Time
Trap
1st
Topothetide
Tom Lanceman
6-4f
31.60
1
2nd
Killallen Jack
Phil Rees Jr.
16-1
32.24
3
3rd
Tax Band
Joe Pickering
9-4
32.25
5
4th
Cherryhill King
10-1
32.65
2
5th
Oscar B
Norah McEllistrim
5-1
32.69
6
6th
Elton Smasher
Richard Griffin
8-1
32.87
4
BBC TV Trophy , Hall Green (Apr 11, 815m, £1,750)
Pos
Name of Greyhound
Trainer
SP
Time
Trap
1st
Westown Blaze
Reg Young
53.16
5-1
6
2nd
Aglish Boss
Joe Cobbold
53.40
20-1
2
3rd
Welsh Cobbler
John Honeysett
53.44
11-4
4
4th
Westown Adam
Natalie Savva
53.58
15-8f
3
5th
Olvera
53.74
5-1
1
6th
Ellas Melody
Bertie Gaynor
53.75
6-1
5
Laurels , Wimbledon (May 18, 460m, £3,000)
Pos
Name of Greyhound
Trainer
SP
Time
Trap
1st
Another Spatter [ 18]
Joe Pickering
7-2
27.75
3
2nd
Pigeon Flyer
Tom Reilly
7-1
27.93
1
3rd
Across the Miles
R Young
10-1
28.09
6
4th
Sampsons Pal
Pat Mullins
9-4f
28.33
2
5th
Young Toby
Eric Pateman
4-1
28.41
4
6th
Its Stylish
4-1
28.42
5
Scurry Gold Cup , Slough (Jul 21, 442m, £3,000)
Pos
Name of Greyhound
Trainer
SP
Time
Trap
1st
Northway Point
George Morrow
20-1
27.20
6
2nd
The Grand Devil
Phil Rees Jr.
9-4
27.46
1
3rd
Knockrour Brandy
Freda Greenacre
7-2
27.49
4
4th
Teddy Boy
33-1
27.61
5
5th
Johns Luck
John Coleman
4-1
27.69
2
6th
Saucy Buck
Ted Dickson
1-1f
27.77
3
Scottish Greyhound Derby , Shawfield (Aug 11, 500m, £3,000)
Pos
Name of Greyhound
Trainer
SP
Time
Trap
1st
Greenville Boy
Pat Mullins
6-4f
30.49
1
2nd
Dually Lad
G Barnett
3-1
30.59
3
3rd
Blissful Hero
Bertie Gaynor
4-1
30.65
5
4th
Black Haven
7-1
30.85
2
5th
Backdeed Man
4-1
30.93
6
6th
Miss Olivia
Graham Mann
8-1
31.05
4
St Leger , Wembley (Sep 3, 655m, £10,000)
Pos
Name of Greyhound
Trainer
SP
Time
Trap
1st
Kilmagoura Mist
Tom Johnston Jr.
9-2
40.04
1
2nd
Black Earl
Ted Dickson
2-1f
40.05
4
3rd
Owners Guide
Tony Jowett
25-1
40.31
6
4th
Columns Corner
John Gibbons
7-2
40.67
5
5th
Frame That
Ted Dickson
14-1
40.85
3
6th
Dangerous Lad
Joe Pickering
9-4
00.00
2
Gold Collar , Catford (Sep 22, 555m, £5,000)
Pos
Name of Greyhound
Trainer
SP
Time
Trap
1st
Gayflash [ 19]
Paddy Milligan
7-2
35.08
5
2nd
Corduroy
John Honeysett
4-1
35.54
1
3rd
Quest for Gold
12-1
35.60
2
4th
Im A Smasher
Norah McEllistrim
10-1
35.86
4
5th
Taranaki
Peter Rich
7-2
36.16
6
6th
Dangerous Lad
Joe Pickering
7-4f
00.00
3
The Grand Prix , Walthamstow (Sep 29, 640m, £5,500)
Pos
Name of Greyhound
Trainer
SP
Time
Trap
1st
Frame That
Ted Dickson
11-2
39.57
1
2nd
Roystons Supreme
Adam Jackson
11-2
39.69
5
3rd
Brainy Prince
Geoff De Mulder
2-1
39.71
2
4th
Black Earl
Ray Iremonger
15-8f
39.79
4
5th
Strange Dame
Phil Rees Jr.
8-1
39.85
6
6th
Seagulls
Gunner Smith
16-1
39.99
3
Cesarewitch , Belle Vue (Oct 6, 815m, £3,000)
Pos
Name of Greyhound
Trainer
SP
Time
Trap
1st
Roystons Supreme
Adam Jackson
7-4
51.47
2
2nd
Cloutie Comment
George Curtis
7-1
51.53
4
3rd
Karnos Lady
11-8f
51.77
1
4th
Portland Dusty
Frank Melville
20-1
51.89
5
5th
Lynns Pride
7-1
51.99
6
6th
Corelish Ron
Brian Jay
16-1
52.00
3
Oaks , Harringay (Nov 2, 475m, £1,750)
Pos
Name of Greyhound
Trainer
SP
Time
Trap
1st
Sunny Interval
Phil Rees Jr.
12-1
28.77
4
2nd
Kilmagoura Mist
Tom Johnston Jr.
11-4
28.80
3
3rd
Kings Lace
10-1
28.86
2
4th
Masslock Lady
George Curtis
10-1
28.89
5
5th
Certain Style
Terry Keith
2-1f
29.01
6
6th
Trinas Baby
Edna Wearing
11-4
29.07
1
Totalisator returns [ edit ]
Extended content
The totalisator returns declared to the licensing authorities for the year 1979 are listed below.[ 20]
Stadium
Turnover £
London (White City)
7,905,509
London (Walthamstow)
7,630,996
London (Wimbledon)
5,848,415
London (Harringay)
4,120,864
Romford
3,722,154
London (Catford)
3,411,092
London (Wembley)
3,323,693
Brighton & Hove
3,116,599
Slough
2,891,961
Manchester (Belle Vue)
2,838,682
Birmingham (Hall Green)
2,453,519
Edinburgh (Powderhall)
2,143,634
Crayford & Bexleyheath
2,083,446
Birmingham (Perry Barr, old)
1,798,197
Southend-on-Sea
1,735,488
Newcastle (Brough Park)
1,693,168
Stadium
Turnover £
Glasgow (Shawfield)
1,587,686
Sheffield (Owlerton)
1,536,270
Leeds (Elland Road)
1,468,622
Wolverhampton (Monmore)
1,169,108
Bristol (Eastville)
981,641
London (Hackney)
959,881
Gloucester & Cheltenham
932,580
Derby
908,209
Yarmouth
874,426
Ramsgate
752,516
Portsmouth
731,711
Newcastle (Gosforth)
709,980
Rochester & Chatham
673,251
Oxford
533,299
Poole
522,825
Reading
508,507
Stadium
Turnover £
Coventry
499,405
Willenhall
497,531
Middlesbrough
476,980
Milton Keynes
472,971
Ipswich
420,570
Hull (Old Craven Park)
396,472
Manchester (White City)
369,691
Leicester
344,470
Cradley Heath
304,187
Swindon
288,765
Rye House
269,309
Henlow (Bedfordshire)
253,537
Cambridge
131,990
Norton Canes
100,000
Long Eaton
91,115
^ Fry, Paul (1995). The Official NGRC Greyhound Racing Yearbook . Ringpress Books. ISBN 186054-010-4 .
^ a b Dack, Barrie (1990). Greyhound Derby, the first 60 years, pages 165/166/167/168/169 . Ringpress Books. ISBN 0-948955-36-8 .
^ "1979" . Greyhound Data.
^ Fortune, Michael. The 75 Years History of the Irish Greyhound Derby 1932-2006 . Irish Greyhound Review. ISSN 0332-3536 .
^ Fortune, Michael. Irish Greyhound Derby 1932-1981 . Victory Irish Promotions Ltd.
^ Hobbs, Jonathan (2007). Greyhound Annual 2008, pages 153-154 . Raceform. ISBN 978-1-905153-53-4 .
^ "Monthly Greyhound Star (Remember When 1979) March 2010 edition". Greyhound Star .
^ NGRC calendar . National Greyhound Racing Club. January 1980.
^ "Remember When - February 1979" . Greyhound Star. 18 February 2018.
^ a b c Genders, Roy (1981). The Encyclopedia of Greyhound Racing . Pelham Books Ltd. ISBN 07207-1106-1 .
^ a b c Barnes, Julia (1988). Daily Mirror Greyhound Fact File . Ringpress Books. ISBN 0-948955-15-5 .
^ a b c d e Genders, Roy (1990). NGRC book of Greyhound Racing . Pelham Books Ltd. ISBN 0-7207-1804-X .
^ "Greyhound Star (Remember When - January 1979)" . Greyhound Star. 26 January 2019.
^ a b Barnes, Julia (1991). Daily Mirror Greyhound Fact File, Vol Two . Ringpress Books. ISBN 0-948955-61-9 .
^ "Remember When - November 1979" . Greyhound Star. 4 November 2018.
^ Barnes/Sellers, Julia/John (1992). Ladbrokes Greyhound Fact File . Ringpress Books. ISBN 0-948955-22-8 .
^ "Monthly Greyhound Star (Remember When 1979) March 2010 edition". Greyhound Star .
^ "Remember When - November" . Greyhound Star . 3 November 2019.
^ "Remember When - September 2019" . Greyhound Star . 29 September 2019.
^ Particulars of Licensed tracks, table 1 Licensed Dog Racecourses . Licensing Authorities. 1979.
UK & Ireland Greyhound Racing Years
Years
UK & Irish greyhound competitions
English competitions
Current competitions
Former competitions
Irish competitions
Current competitions
Former competitions
Current greyhound stadiums in Great Britain licensed by the Greyhound Board of Great Britain
Licensed stadiums
English greyhound tracks
Unlicensed tracks (independent / flapping)
Greyhound stadiums in Ireland
Current (Republic of Ireland) Current (Northern Ireland) Former (Republic of Ireland) Former (Northern Ireland)
Scottish greyhound tracks
Unlicensed tracks (independent/flapping)
Welsh greyhound tracks
Unlicensed tracks (independent/flapping)