# 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

Major Winners :
| Award | Name of Winner |
| 1952 English Greyhound Derby | Endless Gossip |
| 1952 Irish Greyhound Derby | Rough Waters |
| 1952 Scottish Greyhound Derby | Not held |
| 1952 Welsh Greyhound Derby | Endless Gossip |
| Greyhound of the Year | Endless Gossip |

## 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 (Whistling Laddie) who upset the odds beating Lambourn Blackflash by one and a quarter lengths, XPDNC finished fifth in the first Grand National to contain six dogs.
The National Intertrack Championship sponsored by the News of the World was won by Eastville after the Bristol track defeated Bradford 19–11. Endless Gossip travelled to Cardiff Arms Park after winning the 1952 English Greyhound Derby and added the Welsh Greyhound Derby final defeating a field including Magourna Reject, Ballylanigan Tanist and Drumman Rambler.
Monachdy Girlie trained by Jimmy Jowett, won the Scurry Gold Cup and Endless Gossip then won the Laurels at Wimbledon Stadium which now offered £1,000 to the winner. Magourna Reject was switched to the longer distances but failed to win both the Cesarewitch and St Leger and looked destined to never win a classic race. Monachdy Girlie won a second classic after a dead heat in the Oaks The Grand Prix competition was not run due to insufficient entries.

## Tracks

The Abbey Stadium in Swindon opened on 1 November. The stadium was opened by the Bristol Greyhound Racing Association, soon to change their name to Bristol Stadium Ltd and they also took control of affairs at Oxford Stadium, following the death of Managing Director Leslie Calcutt.

## News

Trainer Stan Biss died after suffering a stroke and failing to recover and the well-respected Managing Director of Catford Stadium, Frank Sutton also died. Sutton had introduced the British Breeders Produce Stakes. Laughing Lieutenant was the first stud dog to fly to Ireland for breeding purposes and trainer Jack Tallantire joined the New Cross Stadium training ranks.
The National Greyhound Racing Club made the weighing of greyhounds before a race compulsory.

## Ireland

Racing in Ireland was experiencing a boom as attendances flocked to see the racing. A greyhound called Rough Waters had spent 1951 flapping (racing on independent tracks), in Scotland before being aimed towards Shelbourne Park and the Irish Greyhound Derby. Owned by one of Ireland's leading bookmakers Jimmy Lalor and trained by his brother Henry, the brindle went on to win the Derby final.

## Principal UK races

Grand National, White City (May 9 525y h, £300) :
| Pos | Name of Greyhound | Trainer | SP | Time | Trap |
| 1st | Whistling Laddie | Stan Martin | 20-1 | 30.13 | 2 |
| 2nd | Lambourn Blackflash | O Papps | 7-4f | 30.23 | 1 |
| 3rd | Funny Prince | Les Parry | 100-6 | 30.25 | 6 |
| 4th | Drumman Rambler | Olly Chetland | 3-1 | 30.29 | 4 |
| 5th | XPDNC | Les Parry | 20-1 | 30.39 | 5 |
| 6th | Cooleen Flyer | Tom Reilly | 2-1 | 30.57 | 3 |
Gold Collar, Catford (May 31, 440y, £600) :
| Pos | Name of Greyhound | Trainer | SP | Time | Trap |
| 1st | Hectic Birthday | Ronnie Melville | 10-1 | 25.41+ | 4 |
| 2nd | Fitzsman | Leslie Reynolds | 8-1 | 25.65 | 6 |
| 3rd | Fawn Wind | Jonathan Hopkins | 7-4f | 25.71 | 5 |
| 4th | Denver Colonist | Pam Heasman | 3-1 | 25.93 | 3 |
| 5th | Yew Berry | Stan Martin | 9-2 | 26.03 | 2 |
| 6th | Carlane Briskie | Reg Holland | 4-1 | 26.17 | 1 |
Welsh Derby, Arms Park (Jul 5, 525y £500) :
| Pos | Name of Greyhound | Trainer | SP | Time | Trap |
| 1st | Endless Gossip | Leslie Reynolds | 7-4 | 29.41 | 1 |
| 2nd | Magourna Reject | Noreen Collin | 4-5f | 30.01 | 3 |
| 3rd | Ballylanigan Tanist | Leslie Reynolds | 7-2 | 30.11 | 6 |
| 4th | Drumman Rambler | Olly Chetland | 20-1 | 30.29 | 5 |
| 5th | Outcast Bally | | 66-1 | 30.51 | 4 |
| N/R | Kind Comrade | Noreen Collin | | | |
Scurry Gold Cup, Clapton (Jul 26, 400y £500) :
| Pos | Name of Greyhound | Trainer | SP | Time | Trap |
| 1st | Monachdy Girlie | Jimmy Jowett | 4-1 | 23.08 | 5 |
| 2nd | Tams Taigle | Ronnie Melville | 9-2 | 23.36 | 6 |
| 3rd | Carlane Briskie | Reg Holland | 9-2 | 23.52 | 1 |
| 4th | Kilcool Griston | | 33-1 | 23.60 | 3 |
| 5th | Minorcas Hope | Frank Conlon | 11-8f | 23.90 | 2 |
| 6th | Marazion Michael | Paddy Fortune | 7-1 | 24.14 | 4 |
Laurels, Wimbledon (Aug 22, 500y, £1,000) :
| Pos | Name of Greyhound | Trainer | SP | Time | Trap |
| 1st | Endless Gossip | Leslie Reynolds | 2-11f | 27.96 | 1 |
| 2nd | Ballylanigan Tanist | Leslie Reynolds | 6-1 | 28.10 | 4 |
| 3rd | Midnight Charlotte | Stan Martin | 33-1 | 28.20 | 2 |
| 4th | Denver Colonist | Pam Heasman | 20-1 | 28.38 | 6 |
| 5th | Happy Luck | | 33-1 | 28.54 | 3 |
| N/R | Magic Blackbird | | | | |
St Leger, Wembley (Sep 8, 700y, £1,000) :
| Pos | Name of Greyhound | Trainer | SP | Time | Trap |
| 1st | Funny Worker | Bob Burls | 6-1 | 40.50 | 6 |
| 2nd | Malanna Mace | Henry Parsons | 7-1 | 40.66 | 4 |
| 3rd | Shaggy Swank | Tom Lightfoot | 50-1 | 40.88 | 5 |
| 4th | Magourna Reject | Noreen Collin | 8-11f | 40.90 | 3 |
| 5th | Mad Miller | Leslie Reynolds | 7-2 | 40.91 | 1 |
| 6th | Mansion Bell | J.W.Bell | 25-1 | 41.17 | 2 |
Oaks, White City (Sep 27, 525y, £500) :
| Pos | Name of Greyhound | Trainer | SP | Time | Trap |
| 1st | Flos Pet* | Paddy Fortune | 8-1 | 29.60 | 1 |
| 1st | Monachdy Girlie* | Jimmy Jowett | 10-1 | 29.60 | 4 |
| 3rd | Lovely Birthday | Jack Harvey | 11-4 | 29.62 | 2 |
| 4th | Shaggy Shale | | 100-8 | 29.68 | 3 |
| 5th | Ballinasloe Mona | Jack Harvey | 10-11f | 29.69 | 5 |
| 6th | Queen of the Roses II | | 100-1 | 29.79 | 6 |
Cesarewitch, West Ham (Oct 17, 600y, £600) :
| Pos | Name of Greyhound | Trainer | SP | Time | Trap |
| 1st | Shaggy Swank | Tom Lightfoot | 5-1 | 34.03 | 2 |
| 2nd | Magourna Reject | Noreen Collin | 8-11f | 34.23 | 6 |
| 3rd | Mansion Bell | J.W.Bell | 11-2 | 34.43 | 5 |
| 4th | Outcast Surprise | | 20-1 | 34.69 | 3 |
| 5th | Mellow Mystery | Bert Heyes | 11-2 | 34.81 | 4 |
| 6th | Smart Prince | | 10-1 | 35.35 | 1 |

## Totalisator returns

Extended content :
The totalisator returns declared to the licensing authorities for the year 1952 are listed below. Tracks that did not have a totalisator in operation are not listed.
Stadium
Turnover £
London (White City)4,955,981
London (Harringay)3,352,649
London (Wembley)2,918,149
London (Wimbledon)2,752,199
London (Walthamstow)2,543,822
London (Wandsworth)1,836,266
London (Stamford Bridge)1,750,349
London (Clapton)1,741,183
London (Park Royal)1,717,716
Manchester (Belle Vue)1,717,283
London (West Ham)1,675,649
London (Catford)1,603,783
London (Hackney)1,280,383
London (New Cross)1,259,516
London (Hendon)1,073,466
Manchester (White City)973,583
Brighton & Hove908,716
London (Charlton)870,316
Glasgow (Shawfield)861,266
Romford857,950
Edinburgh (Powderhall)811,050
Newcastle (Brough Park)790,050
Birmingham (Perry Barr, old)753,116
Birmingham (Hall Green)752,100
Crayford & Bexleyheath722,900
Manchester (Salford)720,283
London (Dagenham)703,200
Cardiff (Arms Park)659,033
Newcastle (Gosforth)633,350
Sheffield (Owlerton)629,333
Glasgow (White City)615,366
Wolverhampton (Monmore)602,633
Bristol (Eastville)563,466
Gateshead548,183
Coventry (Lythalls Lane)530,016
Southend-on-Sea529,033
Bradford (Greenfield)528,000
Stadium
Turnover £
Southampton522,383
Liverpool (Seaforth)492,766
Glasgow (Albion)476,300
Leeds (Elland Road)475,433
Glasgow (Carntyne)467,565
Slough465,800
Sheffield (Darnall)442,166
Willenhall434,366
Ramsgate (Dumpton Park)412,967
Blackpool (St Anne's)397,733
Liverpool (White City)397,417
Birmingham (Kings Heath)386,650
Bolton372,733
South Shields362,667
Middlesbrough362,067
Leicester (Blackbird Rd)357,483
Reading (Oxford Road)353,983
Liverpool (Stanley)346,283
Ashington (Co Durham)330,967
Chester320,033
Rochester & Chatham319,850
Bradford (City)298,483
Gloucester & Cheltenham294,533
Derby291,783
Hull (Old Craven Park)289,467
Plymouth283,600
Portsmouth269,683
Preston256,900
Aberdeen248,000
Nottingham (White City)247,733
Blackburn245,483
West Hartlepool229,717
Sheffield (Hyde Park)228,317
Newport223,650
Exeter (County Ground)218,783
Stanley (Co Durham)214,217
Glasgow (Firhill)213,267
Stadium
Turnover £
Warrington204,950
Oxford194,783
Stoke-on-Trent (Cobridge)183,583
Keighley181,300
Sunderland179,717
Yarmouth179,233
Stoke-on-Trent (Hanley)176,000
Norwich (City)168,067
Norwich (Boundary Park)165,683
Bristol (Knowle)165,433
Luton161,600
Cradley Heath149,150
Houghton-le-Spring148,467
Rochdale126,300
London (Southall)126,117
St Helens125,217
Ipswich122,167
Wallyford (East Lothian)110,617
Peterborough109,283
London (Harlington Corner)100,217
Stockport (Hazel Grove)95,200
Stockton-on-Tees (Belle Vue)93,033
Rayleigh (Essex)89,867
Easington (Co Durham)85,333
Wigan (Poolstock)71,350
Long Eaton69,167
Wakefield60,600
Wigan (Woodhouse)60,050
Spennymoor (Co Durham)57,683
Doncaster (Spotbrough)55,517
Durham City48,233
Northampton41,117
Workington38,883
Aycliffe (Co Durham)10,833
Irvine (Townhead)6,650 :