1948 UK & Ireland Greyhound Racing Year explained

1948 UK & Ireland Greyhound Racing Year
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The 1948 UK & Ireland Greyhound Racing Year was the 23rd year of greyhound racing in the United Kingdom and Ireland.[1]

Roll of honour

Major Winners
width=300Awardwidth=300Name of Winner
1948 English Greyhound DerbyPriceless Border [2] [3]
Western Post [4] [5]
1948 Scottish Greyhound Derby Western Post [6]
1948 Welsh Greyhound DerbyTrev's Perfection[7]

Summary

The annual totalisator turnover was £99,449,342, which although the fourth highest ever recorded was also the second consecutive drop since 1946.[8] The minimum betting stake on the track totalisator was increased from two to four shillings but quickly changed back following a widespread slump.[9] The government ban on mid-week racing continued.[10]

Western Post and Priceless Border claimed the big Derby races but Local Interprize was the star of the year, after he claimed four classic competitions. They were the Gold Collar, Scurry Gold Cup, Welsh Greyhound Derby and the Cesarewitch.[7] [11] [12]

Competitions

A greyhound called Narrogar Ann from a litter of six, out of the bitch Winnie of Berrow (winner of the 1944 Eclipse) came to prominence when successful in the Western Two year Old Produce Stakes. Narrogar Ann trained by Joe Farrand at Oxford Stadium beat littermates Narrogar Dusty and Narrogar Tommy who finished second and third respectively. Narrogar Ann would soon move to Leslie Reynolds at Wembley.[13]

Local Interprize won the Laurels and Welsh Derby, in the latter he recorded a seven length final win in a new track record time defeating a field that included the Scottish Greyhound Derby champion Western Post, an 84lb fawn and white dog. Local Interprize then won the Scurry final by eight lengths before losing out to Good Worker trained by former Surrey cricketer Jack Daley, in the Laurels. Local Interprize finished the year by claiming a remarkable fourth classic when picking up the Cesarewitch trophy on 23 October.[11] [12]

Tracks

Rayleigh Weir Stadium in Southend-on-Sea was one of seven known track to open, three of them were in Ireland. Breck Park Stadium in Liverpool, closed following a devastating fire and fire also destroyed most of the stands at Long Eaton Stadium.[14] The total number of tracks in the United Kingdom with a betting licence was 209, of which 77 were affiliated to the National Greyhound Racing Society and raced under National Greyhound Racing Club rules.[15]

Tracks opened

width=140Datewidth=270Stadium/Trackwidth=250Location
?? March
30 April Newbridge, County Kildare
17 May
30 July
13 September Thurles
11 December Mansfield Woodhouse
??

News

On 1 April, Fred Trevillion, Arthur Hancock (head kennel-man) and Trev's Perfection left on the Queen Mary for Raynham Park, Raynham, Massachusetts in the United States, where the dog was expected to make headlines. The venture was a failure and in five races he did not win one and returned to England in July.[14] Sir William Gentle died.[16]

Ireland

The Irish Greyhound Derby offered a record £1,000 first prize and attracted the Frank Davis trained Western Post; Davis put him with Paddy Moclair for the duration of the event. Moclair had originally bought the dog at the Limerick sales for £240 before selling him to Davis for £2,000. The fawn and white dog became the first winner of the Scottish and Irish Derby.[4] [5]

The Greyhound Racing Association set up the Kingsfurze breeding establishment at Naas in County Kildare, the seven acre grounds included a house, cottage and 15 runs. The greyhounds would transfer to training establishments within the GRA as soon as they were older enough.[17]

Principal UK races

Grand National, White City (May 17 525y h, £350)
width=30Poswidth=180Name of Greyhoundwidth=150Trainerwidth=50SP width=50Timewidth=30Trap
1stJoves Reason Ken Appleton2-1 30.374
2ndAnother Benny Gordon Nicholson13-8f 30.45 5
3rdWild Wave Dave Barker5-2 30.61 2
4thSunburst6-1 30.67 3
N/RBaytown Pigeon Paddy McEllistrim
Gold Collar, Catford (Jun 5, 440y, £600)
width=30Poswidth=180Name of Greyhound width=150Trainerwidth=50SP width=50Time width=30Trap
1stLocal Interprize Stanley Biss8-13f 25.71 6
2ndKerry Rally Paddy McEllistrim20-1 25.77 3
3rdAla Mein II10-1 25.83 2
4thTell Nobody100-1 25.91 5
5thClonroche Lad Ivy Regan8-1 25.93 4
6thNortham Edward 4-1 26.09 1
Scottish Greyhound Derby, Carntyne (Jul 17, 525y, £500)
width=30Poswidth=180Name of Greyhound width=150Trainerwidth=50SP width=50Time width=30Trap
1stWestern Post Frank Davis8-1 29.45 4
2ndAlways There7-1 29.57 5
3rdWest End DasherBob Burls12-1 29.61 2
4thBaytown Whitehorn8-1 29.63 1
5thSheevaun Paddy Fortune4-6f 29.79 6
6thFiddle Strings Jack Brennan6-1 29.95 3
Scurry Gold Cup, Clapton (Jul 24, 400y £500)
width=30Poswidth=180Name of Greyhound width=150Trainerwidth=50SP width=50Time width=30Trap
1stLocal Interprize Stanley Biss5-4f 23.04 1
2ndClonroche Lad Ivy Regan3-1 23.68 6
3rdWillington Bob John Bassett10-1 23.70 2
4thRebel Robert R Hogben5-1 23.72 5
5thRio Cavallero Stan Biss25-1 23.76 4
6thIronmaster Bob Burls7-1 23.92 3
Welsh Derby, Arms Park (Jul 28, 525y £500)
width=30Poswidth=180Name of Greyhound width=150Trainerwidth=50SP width=50Time width=30Trap
1stLocal Interprize Stanley Biss4-6f 29.32+1
2ndWest End Dasher Bob Burls9-2 29.883
3rdWestern Post Frank Davis5-1 30.04 5
4thNon Sectarian Girl25-1 30.28 4
5thSingora100-8 30.482
6thCircular Flex100-6 30.50 6
+Track Record
Laurels, Wimbledon (Aug 25, 500y, £600)
width=30Poswidth=180Name of Greyhound width=150Trainerwidth=50SP width=50Time width=30Trap
1stGood Worker Jack Daley5-2 28.495
2ndWhiterock Abbey 4-1 28.51 6
3rdDrumnagrella Lad Frank Davis6-1 28.71 4
4thNortham Edward 10-1 28.83 2
5thLocal Interprize Stan Biss2-1f 28.87 3
6thMad Birthday Stan Biss6-1 29.27 1
Oaks, White City (Sep 18, 525y, £500)
width=30Poswidth=180Name of Greyhound width=150Trainerwidth=50SP width=50Time width=30Trap
1stNight Breeze Stan Biss4-1 29.19 3
2ndSteps of GracJerry Hannafin5-1 29.27 4
3rdBaytown StreamStan Biss10-1 29.30 5
4thJersey Creamery Percy Stagg1-1f 29.46 6
5thFavourite Topsy5-1 29.54 1
6thSingora50-1 29.78 2
The Grand Prix Walthamstow (Oct 9, 525y, £500)
width=30Poswidth=180Name of Greyhound width=150Trainerwidth=50SP width=50Time width=30Trap
1stRuby Cut J P Bott11-4 30.31 3
2ndNortham Edward 4-1 30.471
3rdDoughery Boy Jonathan Hopkins5-1 30.67 5
4thBaytown Fox Stan Biss7-2 30.75 6
5thOrphan Star Fred Farey10-1 31.15 4
6thFreckled Major7-2 31.31 2
St Leger, Wembley (Oct 2, 700y, £600)
width=30Poswidth=180Name of Greyhound width=150Trainerwidth=50SP width=50Time width=30Trap
1stStreets After Midnight Les Parry5-2 40.403
2ndCaptain Lake 9-2 40.43 2
3rdNortham Star 7-1 40.57 5
4thMayfair Mike 2-1f 40.85 4
5thRamblers Destiny8-1 40.95 1
6thCrafty Major25-1 41.25 6
Cesarewitch, West Ham (Oct 23, 600y, £600)
width=30Poswidth=180Name of Greyhound width=150Trainerwidth=50SP width=50Time width=30Trap
1stLocal Interprize Stanley Biss11-4jf 30.88 4
2ndFreckled Major 5-1 31.02 6
3rdCaptain Lake 11-4jf 31.42 1
4thWhiterock Abbey 3-1 31.46 3
5thRaths Record Gunner Smith10-1 31.70 2
6thConfey Castle25-1 32.02 5

Totalisator Returns

The totalisator returns declared to the licensing authorities for the year 1948 are listed below. Tracks that did not have a totalisator in operation are not listed.[8]

width=200Stadiumwidth=80Turnover £
London (White City)7,872,357
5,658,313
4,160,092
3,242,896
2,897,074
2,868,844
London (Stamford Bridge)2,688,310
2,658,628
2,516,682
Manchester (Belle Vue)2,321,345
2,040,786
1,944,490
1,809,806
1,729,260
1,694,181
1,681,503
1,568,791
Birmingham (Perry Barr, old)1,388,477
1,300,648
Edinburgh (Powderhall)1,283,282
1,282,880
1,260,513
1,135,768
1,131,130
1,115,939
1,070,031
1,069,065
1,008,317
994,548
992,895
991,055
966,390
955,771
935,215
930,871
Liverpool (White City)916,473
908,270
873,419
777,369
Wolverhampton (Monmore)766,597
759,044
754,551
718,661
711,495
700,403
681,456
676,525
662,421
width=200Stadiumwidth=80Turnover £
650,646
627,513
618,328
602,262
601,154
Newcastle (Gosforth)600,222
493,816
484,634
Oxford485,036
481,322
464,707
456,870
450,629
446,505
444,041
428,635
420,698
416,914
407,906
385,078
381,145
380,433
359,757
Derby354,953
Exeter (County Ground)354,494
353,994
Long Eaton348,566
Sheffield (Hyde Park)340,467
328,754
325,083
324,505
313,188
311,843
276,202
270,931
268,729
265,147
249,350
197,117
196,953
196,683
191,461
187,758
181,013
147,357
165,916
158,777
158,582
width=200Stadiumwidth=80Turnover £
155,471
153,830
Keighley151,072
131,979
127,624
Hull (Boulevard)125,285
114,811
111,109
109,072
108,756
103,488
96,531
89,335
76,165
71,983
69,885
69,638+
Wallyford (East Lothian)68,784
65,655
62,681
59,939
57,015
56,581
55,940
49,711
48,004
47,400
46,843
36,001
35,786
31,853
25,919
Wombwell (South Yorks)25,279
24,785
22,205
20,354
19,996
17,602
Irvine (Townhead)14,873
12,756
10,563
9,906
7,065
2,558
2,522
Leicester (Hinckley)2,075
1,320
Thurnscoe (S Yorks)748

+ closed during the year due to fire

Summary

width=100Countrywidth=120No of tracks+width=200Turnover
England 162 £ 92,163,823
Wales 9 £ 842,469
Scotland 38 £ 6,542,875
Total 209 £ 99,549,168
+ number of tracks include those without a tote in operation

Notes and References

  1. Book: Fry, Paul. The Official NGRC Greyhound Racing Yearbook. 1995. Ringpress Books. 186054-010-4.
  2. Book: Dack, Barrie. Greyhound Derby, the first 60 years. 86–88. 1990. Ringpress Books. 0-948955-36-8.
  3. Web site: Our Cricket Correspondent. "The Second Test Match." Times [London, England] 28 June 1948]. The Times.
  4. Book: Comyn, John. 50 Years of Greyhound Racing in Ireland. Aherlow Publishers Ltd.
  5. Book: Fortune, Michael. Irish Greyhound Derby 1932-1981. Victory Irish Promotions Ltd.
  6. Book: Hobbs, Jonathan. Greyhound Annual 2008, pages 153-154. 2007. Raceform. 978-1-905153-53-4.
  7. Book: Genders, Roy. The Greyhound and Racing Greyhound, page 320. 1975. Page Brothers (Norwich). 0-85020-0474.
  8. Book: Particulars of Licensed tracks, table 1 Licensed Dog Racecourses. 1948. Licensing Authorities.
  9. Web site: Remember When - August 1948. 2018. Greyhound Star.
  10. Web site: "Mid-Week Greyhound Ban To Stay." Times, 3 Mar. 1948. The Times.
  11. Book: Barnes, Julia. Daily Mirror Greyhound Fact File. 1988. Ringpress Books. 0-948955-15-5.
  12. Book: Barnes, Julia. Daily Mirror Greyhound Fact File, Vol Two. 1991. Ringpress Books. 0-948955-61-9.
  13. Book: Genders, Roy. The Encyclopedia of Greyhound Racing. 1981. Pelham Books Ltd. 07207-1106-1.
  14. Book: Genders, Roy. NGRC book of Greyhound Racing. 1990. Pelham Books Ltd. 0-7207-1804-X.
  15. Web site: "Betting On Dog Racing." Times, 11 Jan. 1950, p. 4. The Times.
  16. Web site: "Sir William Gentle." Times, 3 Sept. 1948, p. 7. The Times.
  17. Web site: Greyhound Star (Remember When - January 1965). Greyhound Star.

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