# 1930 UK & Ireland Greyhound Racing Year

The 1930 UK & Ireland Greyhound Racing Year was the fifth year of greyhound racing in the United Kingdom and Ireland.

## Summary

Mick the Miller now trained by Sidney Orton successfully defended his English Greyhound Derby title and in the process propelled greyhound racing into a boom period that would last for over thirty years. A crowd of 50,000 witnessed the brindle dog win the 1930 English Greyhound Derby at White City Stadium on 28 June.
Following the Derby win, he then won the Cesarewitch at West Ham Stadium over the longer distance of 600 yards and the Welsh Greyhound Derby at White City Stadium, Cardiff, winning the final by ten lengths in a new track and national record of 29.55. His season ended when he finished lame during the Laurels, a new event introduced at Wimbledon Stadium. The total annual attendance across the country for 1930 increased to 17,119,120 from 15,855,162 (in 1929), a fourth consecutive annual increase.

### Tracks

The Greyhound Racing Association (GRA) continued to acquire tracks and purchased White City Stadium (Manchester) from the Canine Sports Ltd company. The circuit was 450 yards in circumference with wide well banked turns and an inside Sumner hare. Further tracks continued to open including Charlton and the Irish tracks of Dundalk and Tralee. Romford moved to a new site after £600 was raised to build a stand in a nearby field next to the original site. The independent track (flapping track) in Portsmouth closed down on 29 November due to plans to open a larger track nearby at Target Road.

### News

Trainers Stanley Biss and Ken Appleton left Wimbledon for West Ham. John Bilsland bought out Jimmy Shand for £400,000 leaving the Electric Hare Company under the control of Bilsland. Blinkers were used at Wimbledon for the first and only time, the experiment to stop ungenuine greyhounds from fighting failed.

### Competitions

Bradshaw Fold was the leading bitch in training and the unluckiest because following her second place to Mick the Miller in the Derby final, she was unplaced in a second consecutive Oaks final. Fellow Derby finalist So Green also reached the St Leger final, the last major race of the year.

## Tracks opened

| Date | Stadium/Track | Location |
| 9 April | Kingdom Greyhound Stadium | Tralee |
| 15 May | Clydeholm | Glasgow |
| 20 July | Charlton Stadium | London |
| 2 September | Royal Gymnasium Ground | Edinburgh |
| 2 September | Nelson Recreation Ground | Glasgow |
| 29 October | Dundalk Ramparts Greyhound Stadium | Dundalk |
| 29 October | Firs Park | Falkirk |
| 13 December | County Ground Stadium | Exeter |
| unknown | Battersea Greyhound Track | London |
| unknown | Dagenham Greyhound Track | London |

## Roll of honour

Major Winners :
| Award | Name of Winner |
| 1930 English Greyhound Derby | Mick the Miller |
| 1930 Irish Greyhound Derby+ | Prince Fern |
| 1930 Scottish Greyhound Derby | Captured Half |
| 1930 Welsh Greyhound Derby | Mick the Miller |
+ unofficial National Derby

## Principal UK races

Cesarewitch, West Ham (July 12, 600y, £1,000) :
| Pos | Name of Greyhound | Trainer | SP | Time (sec) | Trap |
| 1st | Mick the Miller | Sidney Orton | 1-7f | 34.11 | 2 |
| 2nd | Five of Hearts | Thomas Cudmore | 100-8 | 34.35 | 6 |
| 3rd | Killowen | Sidney Orton | 66-1 | 34.51 | 3 |
| u | Johnny Canuck | (Manchester) | 66-1 | | 1 |
| u | Buckna Boy | W. L. Renwick | 25-1 | | 4 |
| u | Bradshaw Fold | Stanley Biss | 100-8 | | 5 |
Scottish Greyhound Derby, Carntyne (Jul 26, 525y, £100) :
| Pos | Name of Greyhound | Trainer | SP | Time | Trap |
| 1st | Captured Half | Stanley Biss | 1-5f | 30.30 | 2 |
| 2nd | Redlaw | | 20-1 | 30.62 | 3 |
| 3rd | Maori Chief | | 10-1 | 30.66 | 1 |
| u | Dio Dorus | | 20-1 | | 3 |
| u | Nafferton | | 8-1 | | 4 |
| u | Sister Olive | | 10-1 | | 5 |
Scurry Gold Cup, Clapton (Aug 2, 400y, £600) :
| Pos | Name of Greyhound | Trainer | SP | Time | Trap |
| 1st | Barlock | John 'Jack' Kennedy | 100-7 | 24.19 | 4 |
| 2nd | Never Certain | Jimmy Lowther | 8-1 | 24.43 | 3 |
| 3rd | Moss Knowe | Jimmy Lowther | 3-1 | 24.67 | 1 |
| u | Bright Bass | W. L. Renwick | 100-7 | | 5 |
| u | Flying Shamrock | | 7-1 | | 2 |
| u | Tipperary Boy | Darlington | 11-10f | | 6 |
Welsh Derby, White City (Cardiff) (Aug 9, 525y, £115) :
| Pos | Name of Greyhound | Trainer | SP | Time | Trap |
| 1st | Mick the Miller | Sidney Orton | 1-8f | 29.55+ | 2 |
| 2nd | Barleybee | WC Cardiff | 100-6 | 30.35 | 3 |
| 3rd | Hydrometer | Sidney Orton | 33-1 | 30.43 | 1 |
| 4th | Filon | Slough | | 10-1 | 4 |
Oaks, White City (Aug 9, 525y, £300) :
| Pos | Name of Greyhound | Trainer | SP | Time | Trap |
| 1st | Faithful Kitty | Stanley Biss | 4-6f | 30.02 | 5 |
| 2nd | Toftwood Misery | Sidney Orton | 3-1 | 30.34 | 4 |
| 3rd | Small Cutlet | K.W. Wilmot | 25-1 | 30.50 | 1 |
| u | Melksham Firefly | | 100-6 | | 2 |
| u | Fixture | Ellen Pennington | 10-1 | | 3 |
| u | Bradshaw Fold | Patrick McKinney | 5-1 | | 5 |
Grand National, White City (Aug 16, 525y h, £300) :
| Pos | Name of Greyhound | Trainer | SP | Time | Trap |
| 1st | Stylish Cutlet | Jock Hutchinson | 11-4 | 30.94 | 4 |
| 2nd | Killing Pace | Paddy McEllistrim | 8-1 | 31.06 | 1 |
| 3rd | Rathwire | Sidney Orton | 4-7f | 31.10 | 2 |
| 4th | Firework | Paddy McEllistrim | 5-1 | | 3 |
Laurels, Wimbledon (Sep 13, 500y, £1,232) :
| Pos | Name of Greyhound | Trainer | SP | Time | Trap |
| 1st | Kilbrean Boy | Sidney Orton | 10-1 | 29.20 | 2 |
| 2nd | Clandown Sweep | Sidney Orton | 5-1 | 29.68 | 1 |
| 3rd | Toftwood Misery | Sidney Orton | 5-1 | 29.76 | 4 |
| u | Jack Bob | Bill Fear | 2-1f | | 3 |
| u | Wild Warrior II | Thomas Cudmore | 9-4 | | 5 |
| u | Mick McGee | Jimmy Lowther | 100-6 | | 6 |
St Leger, Wembley (Oct 4, 700y, £750) :
| Pos | Name of Greyhound | Trainer | SP | Time | Trap |
| 1st | Maiden's Boy | Samuel Young | 4-9f | 41.48 | 1 |
| 2nd | Loughnagare | Charles Cross | 100-8 | 42.04 | 3 |
| 3rd | So Green | Jim Syder Sr. | 6-1 | 42.07 | 4 |
| 4th | Prince Fern | J Harper | 9-2 | | 2 |

## Principal Irish finals

Easter Cup, Shelbourne (525y, 7 May £100) :
| Pos | Name of Greyhound | Time |
| 1st | Hanna's Pup (J McCarthy) | 30.59 |
| 2nd | Meadow Fescue (Murphy) | |
| u | Liam Paddy (Purcell) | |
| u | Other Days (Horan) | |
| u | Cutlet's Fiancee (Power) | |
| u | Krazy (Boulger) | |
Grand National, Harold's Cross (525 H, 2 September, £80) :
| Pos | Name of Greyhound | Time |
| 1st | Captain Koehl (Carroll) | 32.20 |
| 2nd | Broncho Boy (Oakley) | 32.22 |
| 3rd | Cross Dagger (O'Connor) | 32.24 |
| 4th | Bon Bon (O'Reilly) | |
Trigo Cup, Celtic Park (640y, 6 June, £100) :
| Pos | Name of Greyhound | SP | Time |
| 1st | Filon (W O'Donnell) | 100-14 | 37.40 |
| 2nd | Krazy (Boulger) | 6-4f | 37.44 |
| 3rd | Brokerstown (McKee) | 9-4 | 37.54 |
| 4th | Galway Prince (McAlevey) | 3-1 | 37.68 |
Oaks, Harold's Cross (525y, 12 September) :
| Pos | Name of Greyhound | Time |
| 1st | Keerie Brave (Richard Keane) | 30.90 |
| 2nd | Cutlet's Fiancee (Quirke) | 30.92 |
| u | Marlinstown Lass (William Lynam) | |
| u | Guide Me Home (O'Gorman) | |
| u | Bevidy (John Ryan) | |
| u | Radiograph (Ryan) | |

## Key

U = unplaced