# 1986 UK & Ireland Greyhound Racing Year

The 1986 UK & Ireland Greyhound Racing Year was the 60th year of greyhound racing in the United Kingdom and Ireland.

## Roll of honour

Major Winners :
| Award | Name of Winner |
| 1986 English Greyhound Derby | Tico |
| 1986 Irish Greyhound Derby | Kyle Jack |
| 1986 Scottish Greyhound Derby | Not held |
| Greyhound Trainer of the Year | George Curtis |
| Greyhound of the Year | Ballyregan Bob |
| Irish Greyhound of the Year | Storm Villa |
| Trainers Championship | Kenny Linzell |

## Summary

The year was dominated by the two superstar greyhounds Ballyregan Bob and Scurlogue Champ. Ballyregan Bob broke the world record by winning 32 consecutive races. The George Curtis trained greyhound was voted Greyhound of the Year for the second time. He had begun the year by winning seven more consecutive races, three of which were in track record times but a re-occurrence of his wrist injury had left him on 28 wins. This was just three short of the world record held by American greyhound Joe Dump trained by J C Stanley, which was set in 1979. The long-awaited winning re-appearance was on 13 November at Hove followed by wins 30 and 31 at Harringay, breaking yet another track record in the 31st victory that also equalled the world record. On 9 December Ballyregan Bob lined up for the Racing Post Challenge over 695 metres at his home track Hove. He won easily by 9¼ lengths and duly recorded 32 consecutive wins. Curtis and owners Cliff and Jess Kevern retired the champion to stud.
Scurlogue Champ achieved equal stardom by winning a second BBC Television Trophy and continued to amuse crowds with his remarkable running style, that off letting the field gain a significant lead before winning from a seemingly lost position. His career came to an end on 14 August when he finished lame at Nottingham in a 754-metre event and was retired. Ken Peckham's black dog ended with a record of 51 wins from 63 races and 20 track records.
The National Greyhound Racing Club (NGRC) released the annual returns, with totalisator turnover at £66,192,736 and attendances recorded at 3,792,738 from 5247 meetings. Track tote remained at 17.5% and government tote tax at 4%.

## Tracks

Northern Sports invested a £1½ million into Oxford Stadium, they had recently profited from a similar venture at sister track Ramsgate. Oxford's investment included a state of the art 250 seated, two-tiered restaurant and a leisure centre. Oxford then brought in two of the leading kennels in the country at the time. Geoff De Mulder returned to the track and Gary Baggs arrived from new sister track Ramsgate. Baggs based at Rosewood kennels was trialling greyhounds ready for Oxford when he received an offer from Walthamstow Racing Manager Tony Smith, an offer he could not refuse. The De Mulder appointment helped Oxford cover the loss of the soon to be English Greyhound Derby winning trainer Arthur Hitch to Slough.
Powderhall in Edinburgh was another to invest and marked their 60th anniversary with a new £400,000 grandstand but rival track Shawfield in Glasgow was closed by the Greyhound Racing Association (GRA). After negotiations it was sold to Shawfield Greyhound Racing and Leisure Company Ltd and they, in turn, would re-open the track the following year. The Brandon Stadium in Coventry closed for greyhound racing after only eight years trading although the track layout would remain in place and the Eclipse Stakes moved to Nottingham. The Ladbrokes £2½ million grand re-opening of Crayford Stadium took place on 1 September with the emphasis on providing the betting shops with the Bookmakers Afternoon Greyhound Service (BAGS).

## News

There were thirty fully licensed tracks, eight permit tracks and 58 independent tracks. Whitwood in Castleford raced for the first time under NGRC rules after switching from independent status. Independent track Halcrow in Gretna was opened by James Norman and sons in June but Cleethorpes closed.

## Competitions

Tico completed in the Pall Mall Stakes over 475m at Harringay and mastered his great rival Hot Sauce Yankee when beating him by just under three lengths in 28.45 seconds and later he returned for a Daily Mirror Derby Trial Stakes, which he won by nearly five lengths in 28.44 sec. Tico won the 1986 English Greyhound Derby and then reached the final of the 1986 Irish Greyhound Derby. His significant achievements were slightly overshadowed by the exploits of the two superstars.
A white and blue dog called Mollifrend Lucky won the Scurry Gold Cup when defeating Master Hardy in July and the Laurels at Wimbledon Stadium.
Savva camp continued their winning ways and produced a brilliant litter, which included Westmead Move, Olivers Wish and Westmead Call. While still a puppy Westmead Move won the Gold Collar at Catford Stadium and then proved to be a bitch of outstanding ability when going on to win the Grand Prix at Walthamstow, where she became the first greyhound to lower a track record set by Ballyregan Bob. Westmead Move went on to win the Midland Oaks at Hall Green as well as the Brighton Belle at Hove.

## Principal UK races

Grand National, Hall Green (April 5, 474m h, £3,000) :
| Pos | Name of Greyhound | Trainer | SP | Time | Trap |
| 1st | Castlelyons Cash | Dinky Luckhurst | 5-4f | 29.51 | 4 |
| 2nd | Distant Echo | Bob Young | 4-1 | 29.69 | 5 |
| 3rd | Musical Magpie | Fred Wiseman | 11-2 | 29.72 | 3 |
| 4th | Ballyseedy Man | Paddy Milligan | 6-1 | 29.92 | 1 |
| 5th | City Duke | Eric Pateman | 12-1 | 30.02 | 2 |
| 6th | Rivers Run Free | Gordon Hodson | 5-1 | 30.03 | 6 |
BBC TV Trophy, Brough Park (April 30, 825m, £3,000) :
| Pos | Name of Greyhound | Trainer | SP | Time | Trap |
| 1st | Scurlogue Champ | Ken Peckham | 2-5f | 52.65 | 3 |
| 2nd | Sneaky Liberty | | 12-1 | 52.89 | 4 |
| 3rd | Bad Decision | | 8-1 | 52.95 | 6 |
| 4th | Yankees Shadow | George Curtis | 7-1 | 53.15 | 5 |
| 5th | My Tootsie | Stewart Loan | 16-1 | 53.37 | 1 |
| 6th | Rosewood Girl | Kenny Linzell | 14-1 | 53.69 | 2 |
Scurry Gold Cup, Slough (Jul 19, 442m, £5,000) :
| Pos | Name of Greyhound | Trainer | SP | Time | Trap |
| 1st | Mollifrend Lucky | Colin Packham | 5-4f | 26.62 | 1 |
| 2nd | Master Hardy | Arthur Hitch | 11-8 | 26.72 | 2 |
| 3rd | Chiltern Sam | Peggy Cope | 10-1 | 27.12 | 4 |
| 4th | Chiltern Charlie | Peggy Cope | 25-1 | 27.13 | 3 |
| 5th | Top Prince | Colin Packham | 25-1 | 27.33 | 5 |
| 6th | Polerone Dancer | | 10-1 | 27.97 | 6 |
St Leger, Wembley (Aug 29, 655m, £8,000) :
| Pos | Name of Greyhound | Trainer | SP | Time | Trap |
| 1st | Lone Wolf | George Curtis | 9-2 | 39.99 | 4 |
| 2nd | Low Sail | Nick Savva | 1-2f | 40.05 | 1 |
| 3rd | Winsor Ann | George Curtis | 50-1 | 40.23 | 5 |
| 4th | Some Enchanter | Bertie Gaynor | 50-1 | 40.33 | 2 |
| 5th | Mineola Athena | Arthur Hitch | 8-1 | 40.45 | 6 |
| 6th | Ballyhaden Queen | Stan Gudgin | 7-1 | 40.55 | 3 |
Gold Collar, Catford (Sep 20, 555m, £5,000) :
| Pos | Name of Greyhound | Trainer | SP | Time | Trap |
| 1st | Westmead Move | Nick Savva | 11-4 | 34.80 | 6 |
| 2nd | Rosehip Trish | Ernie Wiley | 4-1 | 34.98 | 3 |
| 3rd | Cannon Express | Derek Knight | 12-1 | 35.06 | 2 |
| 4th | Racewell Flyer | Gary Baggs | 9-2 | 35.40 | 5 |
| 5th | Lilian Swan | | 20-1 | 35.52 | 4 |
| 6th | Lively Sailor | John Gibbons | 11-8f | 35.82 | 1 |
Cesarewitch, Belle Vue (Sep 27, 853m, £3,000) :
| Pos | Name of Greyhound | Trainer | SP | Time | Trap |
| 1st | Yankees Shadow | George Curtis | 4-7f | 54.90 | 3 |
| 2nd | Easy Rodger | John Honeysett | 6-1 | 55.04 | 2 |
| 3rd | Change Guard | Trevor Draper | 9-4 | 55.36 | 1 |
| 4th | Raywee Delight | Kenny Linzell | 20-1 | 55.39 | 6 |
| 5th | Mill Race Rose | | 100-1 | 55.81 | 5 |
| 6th | Father Ralph | | 66-1 | 56.33 | 4 |
The Grand Prix, Walthamstow (Oct 11, 640m, £5,000) :
| Pos | Name of Greyhound | Trainer | SP | Time | Trap |
| 1st | Westmead Move | Nick Savva | 10-11f | 39.35+ | 5 |
| 2nd | Racewell Flyer | Gary Baggs | 5-2 | 39.77 | 1 |
| 3rd | Easy Rodger | John Honeysett | 6-1 | 39.83 | 3 |
| 4th | Mines Kango | | 33-1 | 39.87 | 4 |
| 5th | The Pinnacle | | 16-1 | 40.03 | 2 |
| 6th | Allscot John | Gary Baggs | 5-1 | 40.07 | 6 |
Oaks, Harringay (Oct 24, 475m, £5,000) :
| Pos | Name of Greyhound | Trainer | SP | Time | Trap |
| 1st | Sullane Princess | Peter Payne | 20-1 | 28.79 | 4 |
| 2nd | Culzean Echo | Kenny Linzell | 7-2 | 29.05 | 1 |
| 3rd | Sparta Girl | Hazel Walden | 14-1 | 29.13 | 2 |
| 4th | Mrs Cherry | Derek Knight | 12-1 | 29.43 | 3 |
| 5th | Lucky Pine | Bob Young | 12-1 | 29.44 | 6 |
| 6th | Fifty Pence | Sean Bourke | 2-5f | 29.72 | 5 |
Laurels, Wimbledon (Dec 27, 460m, £5,000) :
| Pos | Name of Greyhound | Trainer | SP | Time | Trap |
| 1st | Mollifrend Lucky | Colin Packham | 4-6f | 27.48 | 6 |
| 2nd | Chalkies Pride | Norah McEllistrim | 10-1 | 27.62 | 2 |
| 3rd | Fifty Pence | Gary Baggs | 4-1 | 27.63 | 5 |
| 4th | Pagan Chimes | | 50-1 | 27.79 | 3 |
| 5th | Spiral Darkie | Gary Baggs | 13-2 | 27.91 | 1 |
| 6th | Fiddlers Run | Gary Baggs | 14-1 | 27.99 | 4 |

## Totalisator returns

Extended content :
The totalisator returns declared to the National Greyhound Racing Club for the year 1986 are listed below.
Stadium
Turnover £
London (Walthamstow)10,675,833
London (Wimbledon)7,909,443
Romford4,527,882
Brighton & Hove4,276,914
London (Wembley)3,857,199
London (Catford)3,710,328
Slough3,367,523
London (Harringay)3,352,021
Birmingham (Hall Green)2,633,754
Manchester (Belle Vue)2,449,938
Edinburgh (Powderhall)1,681,661
Newcastle (Brough Park)1,475,357
Sheffield (Owlerton)1,410,343
Stadium
Turnover £
Ramsgate1,127,105
Wolverhampton (Monmore)1,106,336
Maidstone1,064,394
Yarmouth959,024
Glasgow (Shawfield)948,922
Portsmouth948,796
Oxford842,823
London (Hackney)796,894
Milton Keynes694,805
Crayford & Bexleyheath658,103
Bristol604,009
Reading551,877
Derby530,138
Stadium
Turnover £
Hull (Old Craven Park)432,228
Henlow (Bedfordshire)409,753
Rye House403,660
Poole393,807
Swindon350,750
Cradley Heath346,304
Nottingham318,606
Peterborough305,910
Norton Canes282,388
Middlesbrough268,862
Ipswich238,671
Coventry209,327
Castleford71,048 :