# 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

Major Winners :
| Award | Name of Winner |
| 1960 English Greyhound Derby | Duleek Dandy |
| 1960 Irish Greyhound Derby | Perrys Apple |
| 1960 Scottish Greyhound Derby | Rostown Genius |
| 1960 Welsh Greyhound Derby | Fitz's Star |
| Greyhound of the Year | Crazy Paving & Gorey Airways |

## 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 Park Authority and immediately began to upgrade the facilities moving the greyhound track to the outside of the speedway track to form a 440-yard circumference. Racing was held on Wednesday and Saturday evenings and an 'Inside Sumner' system and photo finish was installed.

## Competitions

Mile Bush Pride reappeared after a remarkable 1959 and won the Wembley Spring Cup at his home track Wembley. His sire The Grand Champion was the leading sire in 1960. Scurry Gold Cup champion Gorey Airways ran a creditable second place behind Catch Cold in the Gold Collar at Catford Stadium.
Sprint champion Gorey Airways then became the first greyhound to successfully defend the Scurry Gold Cup, the Jimmy Jowett trained brindle ran out as easy five and a quarter length winner. The following month the Laurels at Wimbledon Stadium, attracted the usual strong entry and the £1,000 prize went to Dunstown Paddy with Gorey Airways finishing third and Clonalvy Pride fifth. The Derby champion Duleek Dandy broke a hock and could not contest any further races in 1960.
The Cesarewitch at West Ham Stadium was won by the Rostown Genius adding to his Scottish Greyhound Derby crown; Clonalvy Pride did win the Pall Mall Stakes and Select Stakes but finished his year underachieving after finishing fourth in the Cesarewitch final. He had been favourite for three classics and second favourite for the Derby and failed in all four attempts.

## News

A kennel block at Rochester Stadium suffered a terrible fire which resulted in the death of 24 greyhounds trained by Reg Morley. Morley and his head lad Mr Morton attempted to rescue them and both suffered injuries, Morley was brought out unconscious. Ken Appleton died and his West Ham Stadium kennels were taken over by his son Kenric Appleton.

## Ireland

The Bord na gCon installed a new totalisator system at four tracks Harolds Cross, Shelbourne Park, Cork and Limerick, in addition to obtaining Clonmel from the Morris family headed by T.A.Morris the former secretary of the Irish Coursing Club.
Dunmore Stadium in Belfast had sixty bookmakers operating on course, an unusually high amount but tote betting was still illegal in Northern Ireland despite the sport being more popular than in Southern Ireland.
During the 1960 Irish Greyhound Derby second round action, a puppy called Palms Printer ran on the supporting card and won a graded race in a very fast time. The pup was sold at the Shelbourne Park sales in November and was eventually bought by Paddy McEvoy for £400. The Irish Derby winner Perrys Apple and two finalists Eccentric Sam and Kilmoney Tulip all found themselves at the Shelbourne sales and surprisingly all three failed to meet their reserves, the champion Perrys Apple only attracted a 750 guineas.
The Irish Derby final was to be a final swansong for the great champion Pigalle Wonder, now aged four and a half years old, he was then retired. He would later become a prominent sire.

## Principal UK races

Grand National, White City (April 30 525y h, £300) :
| Pos | Name of Greyhound | Trainer | SP | Time | Trap |
| 1st | Bruff Chariot | Jimmy Jowett | 1-1f | 29.50 | 3 |
| 2nd | Prince Again | | 2-1 | 29.82 | 2 |
| 3rd | Doron | Barney O'Connor | 100-8 | 30.46 | 6 |
| 4th | Violets Fancy | Paddy McEllistrim | 50-1 | 30.68 | 4 |
| 5th | Tom the Forkim | Clare Orton | 40-1 | 30.94 | 5 |
| 6th | Final Selection | John Perrin | 6-1 | 31.12 | 1 |
BBC Sportsview Trophy Harringay (May 2, 880y, £1,000) :
| Pos | Name of Greyhound | Trainer | SP | Time | Trap |
| 1st | Crazy Paving | Charles Payne | 100-7 | 51.22 | 5 |
| 2nd | Chantilly Lace | Jimmy Clubb | 10-11f | 51.23 | 3 |
| 3rd | Rapid Progress II | Gunner Smith | 7-1 | 51.99 | 4 |
| 4th | Canadian Crawler | Ron Hookway | 20-1 | 52.00 | 6 |
| 5th | Fearless Mac | Joe De Mulder | 5-1 | 52.88 | 1 |
| 6th | Dunmore Rocco | Dennis Hannafin | 5-2 | 00.00 | 2 |
Gold Collar, Catford (May 21, 440y, £500) :
| Pos | Name of Greyhound | Trainer | SP | Time | Trap |
| 1st | Catch Cold | Dennis Hannafin | 8-1 | 25.56 | 4 |
| 2nd | Gorey Airways | Jimmy Jowett | 7-2 | 25.84 | 5 |
| 3rd | Flying Fox II | Jimmy Jowett | 10-1 | 26.06 | 2 |
| 4th | Varra Black Nose | Dennis Hannafin | 8-11f | 26.08 | 3 |
| 5th | Granite Glittering | Reg Holland | 6-1 | 26.62 | 6 |
| 6th | Last Chance | | 20-1 | 26.86 | 1 |
The Grand Prix Walthamstow (May 24, 500y, £600) :
| Pos | Name of Greyhound | Trainer | SP | Time | Trap |
| 1st | Dunstown Paddy | Tom Reilly | 11-4 | 28.26 | 6 |
| 2nd | Galbally Airways | Dr Dennis O’Brien | 6-1 | 28.28 | 4 |
| 3rd | Noonans Rhapsody | Jimmy Jowett | 33-1 | 28.50 | 3 |
| 4th | Violets Duke | Barney O'Connor | 5-4f | 28.62 | 5 |
| 5th | Town King | | 11-2 | 28.78 | 1 |
| 6th | Twinies Pet | Jimmy Jowett | 8-1 | 28.88 | 2 |
Welsh Derby, Arms Park (Jul 1, 525y £500) :
| Pos | Name of Greyhound | Trainer | SP | Time | Trap |
| 1st | Fitz's Star | Tom Paddy Reilly | 4-1 | 29.48 | 1 |
| 2nd | Clonalvy Pride | Jack Harvey | 4-6f | 29.56 | 3 |
| 3rd | Loughane Airways | Miss C.Grove | 20-1 | 29.70 | 4 |
| 4th | Prince of Shandrum | Jimmy Purnell | 25-1 | 30.32 | 2 |
| 5th | Drumlee Ville | Jimmy Purnell | 33-1 | 30.54 | 5 |
| 6th | Wincot Clifford | Jack Toseland | 9-4 | 30.60 | 6 |
Oaks, Harringay (Jul 4, 525y, £500) :
| Pos | Name of Greyhound | Trainer | SP | Time | Trap |
| 1st | Wheatfield Countess | Stan Martin | 5-4f | 29.33 | 1 |
| 2nd | Tillside Binnie | George Waterman | 3-1 | 29.89 | 3 |
| 3rd | Miss Cheerful | Dave Geggus | 9-4 | 30.21 | 6 |
| 4th | Black Rattler | Joe De Mulder | 100-6 | 30.29 | 5 |
| 5th | Fancy Cinema | Harry Buck | 20-1 | 30.41 | 4 |
| 6th | Barrack Street Ball | Reg Bosley | 100-6 | 30.45 | 2 |
Scottish Greyhound Derby, Carntyne (Jul 9, 525y, £500) :
| Pos | Name of Greyhound | Trainer | SP | Time | Trap |
| 1st | Rostown Genius | Joe Pickering | 5-4f | 28.92 | 6 |
| 2nd | Rorys Pleasure | P.O'Loughlin | 5-1 | 29.08 | 2 |
| 3rd | Dunstown Paddy | Tom Reilly | 2-1 | 29.12 | 1 |
| 4th | Firgrove Sorcerer | H Hancox | 12-1 | 29.32 | 3 |
| 5th | Skibbereen Rocket | G Rodgerson | 6-1 | 29.48 | 4 |
| 6th | Fitz's Star | Tom 'Paddy' Reilly | 7-1 | 29.72 | 5 |
Scurry Gold Cup, Clapton (Jul 23, 400y £600) :
| Pos | Name of Greyhound | Trainer | SP | Time | Trap |
| 1st | Gorey Airway | Jimmy Jowett | 5-4f | 22.48+ | 6 |
| 2nd | Snipe Island | Ronnie Melville | 100-7 | 22.90 | 4 |
| 3rd | Cassagh Cheerful | Miss Mary Vaughan | 100-8 | 23.12 | 2 |
| 4th | Dunstown Warrior | Tom 'Paddy' Reilly | 100-8 | 23.28 | 5 |
| 5th | Violets Duke | Barney O'Connor | 13-8 | 23.82 | 1 |
| 6th | All the Way Home | Ernie Westcott | 7-1 | 24.26 | 3 |
Laurels, Wimbledon (Aug 19, 500y, £1,000) :
| Pos | Name of Greyhound | Trainer | SP | Time | Trap |
| 1st | Dunstown Paddy | Tom 'Paddy' Reilly | 5-1 | 28.02 | 4 |
| 2nd | Galbally Airways | Dr Dennis O'Brien | 7-1 | 28.06 | 1 |
| 3rd | Gorey Airways | Jimmy Jowett | 5-2 | 28.20 | 3 |
| 4th | Sailor Boy II | Dennis Hannafin | 10-1 | 28.22 | 6 |
| 5th | Clonalvy Pride | Jack Harvey | 9-4f | 28.26 | 2 |
| 6th | Flying Fox II | Jimmy Jowett | 7-2 | 28.40 | 5 |
St Leger, Wembley (Sep 5, 700y, £1,000) :
| Pos | Name of Greyhound | Trainer | SP | Time | Trap |
| 1st | Jungle Man | Harry Tasker | 2-1 | 40.08 | 4 |
| 2nd | First Offender | Ernie Westcott | 10-1 | 40.12 | 2 |
| 3rd | Rostown Genius | Joe Pickering | 11-4 | 40.34 | 3 |
| 4th | Joyful C | Jimmy Rimmer | 33-1 | 40.38 | 5 |
| 5th | Merry Man | Kevin O'Neill | 8-1 | 40.58 | 1 |
| 6th | Long Story | Jim Syder Jr. | 7-4f | 41.06 | 6 |
Cesarewitch, West Ham (Oct 7, 600y, £1,000) :
| Pos | Name of Greyhound | Trainer | SP | Time | Trap |
| 1st | Rostown Genius | Joe Pickering | 2-1 | 33.29 | 3 |
| 2nd | Merry Man (dead-heat) | Kevin O'Neill | 100-8 | 33.61 | 2 |
| 2nd | Cross Word (dead-heat) | Arthur Hancock | 11-2 | 33.61 | 4 |
| 4th | Clonalvy Pride | Jack Harvey | 8-11f | 33.67 | 5 |
| 5th | Winter Bell | Clare Orton | 50-1 | 33.71 | 6 |
| 6th | Bermudas Cloud | Leslie Reynolds | 33-1 | 33.83 | 1 |

## Totalisator returns

Extended content :
The totalisator returns declared to the licensing authorities for the year 1960 are listed below. Not all track with tote facilities during 1960 are listed and tracks that did not have a totalisator in operation are not listed.
Stadium
Turnover £
London (White City)5,155,242
London (Harringay)3,749,853
London (Wimbledon)3,315,712
London (Walthamstow)2,586,506
London (Wembley)2,555,218
London (Clapton)2,251,990
Manchester (Belle Vue)1,556,427
London (Catford)1,535,477
London (Hackney)1,393,647
Romford1,008,264
Manchester (White City)958,017
Brighton & Hove844,175
Edinburgh (Powderhall)844,223
Stadium
Turnover £
Birmingham (Perry Barr, old)831,479
Birmingham (Hall Green)820,414
Slough687,494
Manchester (Salford)670,241
Leeds (Elland Road)662,364
Crayford & Bexleyheath653,271
Newcastle (Brough Park)649,413
Wolverhampton (Monmore)648,397
Newcastle (Gosforth)646,493
Southend-on-Sea612,907
Sheffield (Owlerton)529,794
Cardiff (Arms Park)522,829
Willenhall488,769
Stadium
Turnover £
Bristol (Eastville)477,272
Ramsgate (Dumpton Park)471,845
Glasgow (Shawfield)464,848
Gloucester & Cheltenham429,065
Reading (Oxford Road)418,753
Middlesbrough391,730
Rochester & Chatham308,834
Hull (Old Craven Park)301,825
Oxford298,367
Leicester (Blackbird Rd)286,405
Derby274,724
Preston236,663
Portsmouth197,848 :