# 1955 UK & Ireland Greyhound Racing Year

The 1955 UK & Ireland Greyhound Racing Year was the 30th year of greyhound racing in the United Kingdom and Ireland.

## Roll of honour

Major Winners :
| Award | Name of Winner |
| 1955 English Greyhound Derby | Rushton Mac |
| 1955 Irish Greyhound Derby | Spanish Battleship |
| 1955 Scottish Greyhound Derby | Not held |
| 1955 Welsh Greyhound Derby | Rushton Mac |
| Greyhound of the Year | Rushton Mac |

## Summary

Spanish Battleship became the greatest greyhound in Irish history by securing a third consecutive Irish Greyhound Derby title. No other greyhound had managed to win more than one Irish Derby previously. Before retiring, he broke the track record at Cork during his Laurels victory and won another McCalmont Cup title. His connections turned down a £15,000 bid from a London syndicate. Rushton Mac defeated the versatile and hot favourite Barrowside in the English Greyhound Derby final.

## Competitions

Barrowside dominated the Grand National at White City, the red fawn dog claimed a five length victory at odds of 1-3 in a track record time of 29.43. The Gold Collar at Catford Stadium was won by Firgrove Slipper, a competition that featured 1953 English Greyhound Derby champion Daws Dancer.
The new Derby champion Rushton Mac won the Welsh Greyhound Derby at Cardiff Arms Park, winning the final by nine lengths, flattering because the race turned into chaos as three runners fell. Derby finalists Gulf of Honduras and Coolkill Chieftain finished second and third respectively. The Scottish Greyhound Derby was cancelled again, denying Rushton Mac the opportunity to win the Triple Crown. He had won the Scottish event in 1954 to hold all three titles at the same time but had not won all three during the same year.
Rushton Mac completed a successful year by defending his Northern Flat and Edinburgh Cup titles. Duet Leader also had a great year winning the Laurels at Wimbledon Stadium, the Pall Mall Stakes, Select Stakes and Grand Prix at Walthamstow Stadium.
Lizette won the Oaks, two years after her first triumph and her half brother Gulf of Darien won the Cesarewitch.

## News

Wandsworth Stadium hurdle grader, Moyshna Queen starred alongside Frankie Howerd in a film called Jumping for Joy. The bitch was called Lindy Lou in the film.
In November the Greyhound Racing Association (GRA) applied for a special licence to allow Spanish Battleship to line up against two of England's leading greyhounds, Duet Leader and Hi There, in a triangular match race. The match saw the GRA put up £120, in addition to the three owners adding 125 guineas; Spanish Battleship (Tim O'Connor), Duet Leader (Mrs Frances Chandler) and Hi There (Jack McAllister). Home Straight stood as reserve. The legendary Irish hound Spanish Battleship travelled to England for the first time with White City as his destination but age and the travelling had caught up with him, because home track advantage proved decisive and he trailed in third. Tom Lynch and Tim O'Connor retired him to stud.

## Principal UK races

Grand National, White City (May 7 525y h, £300) :
| Pos | Name of Greyhound | Trainer | SP | Time | Trap |
| 1st | Barrowside | Jack Harvey | 1-3f | 29.43+ | 1 |
| 2nd | Turn Back | Dave Geggus | 6-1 | 29.83 | 2 |
| 3rd | Roguish Shaggy | Peter Hawkesley | 10-1 | 30.01 | 6 |
| 4th | Daring Son | Bert Heyes | 25-1 | 30.23 | 5 |
| 5th | Spotless O'Leer | Joe Pickering | 100-7 | 30.26 | 4 |
| 6th | Gifted Composer | White City | 50-1 | 30.44 | 3 |
Gold Collar, Catford (May 28, 440y, £500) :
| Pos | Name of Greyhound | Trainer | SP | Time | Trap |
| 1st | Firgrove Slipper | Jim Syder Jr. | 7-2 | 26.35 | 6 |
| 2nd | Wild Flower | Jack Harvey | 6-4f | 26.38 | 4 |
| 3rd | Daws Dancer | Sidney Orton | 6-1 | 26.58 | 5 |
| 4th | Sandown Bouncer | | 20-1 | 27.78 | 2 |
| 5th | Shauns Thief | Paddy McEllistrim | 8-1 | 28.26 | 3 |
| 6th | Chance Me Paddy | Robert Linney | 3-1 | 00.00 | 1 |
Welsh Derby, Arms Park (Jul 2, 525y £500) :
| Pos | Name of Greyhound | Trainer | SP | Time | Trap |
| 1st | Rushton Mac | Frank Johnson | 1-2f | 29.40 | 4 |
| 2nd | Gulf of Honduras | Jack Harvey | 6-1 | 30.12 | 2 |
| 3rd | Coolkill Chieftain | Jack Harvey | 14-1 | 30.30 | 5 |
| 4th | The Cure | Ron Chamberlain | 10-1 | 00.00 | 6 |
| 5th | Broadway Darkie II | Pam Heasman | 5-1 | 00.00 | 3 |
| 6th | Imperial Fawn | George Crussell | 8-1 | 00.00 | 1 |
Scurry Gold Cup, Clapton (Jul 23, 400y £600) :
| Pos | Name of Greyhound | Trainer | SP | Time | Trap |
| 1st | Chance Me Paddy | Robert Linney | 2-1f | 22.85 | 6 |
| 2nd | Even Gait | G Holyhead | 3-1 | 23.11 | 5 |
| 3rd | The Grand Champagne | Jack Harvey | 7-2 | 23.25 | 2 |
| 4th | Daring Imp | Dave Geggus | 3-1 | 23.63 | 4 |
| 5th | Rather Cheerful | Henry Parsons | 20-1 | 23.99 | 3 |
| N/R | Smokey Captain | | | | |
Laurels, Wimbledon (Aug 20, 500y, £1.000) :
| Pos | Name of Greyhound | Trainer | SP | Time | Trap |
| 1st | Duet Leader | Tom Reilly | 7-4 | 28.25 | 1 |
| 2nd | Step Inside | Ron Chamberlain | 33-1 | 28.45 | 2 |
| 3rd | Gulf of Honduras | Jack Harvey | 13-2 | 28.47 | 5 |
| 4th | Rushton Mac | Frank Johnson | 5-4f | 28.65 | 3 |
| 5th | Tax Diablo | Jim Syder Jr. | 10-1 | 28.83 | 6 |
| 6th | Fife Fiddler | Jack Harvey | 20-1 | 28.95 | 4 |
St Leger, Wembley (Sep 12, 700y, £1,000) :
| Pos | Name of Greyhound | Trainer | SP | Time | Trap |
| 1st | Title Role | Jack Harvey | 4-1 | 40.78 | 6 |
| 2nd | Copac Gwen | Leslie Reynolds | 100-6 | 40.79 | 2 |
| 3rd | Black Magic II | Jim Hookway | 11-2 | 40.80 | 5 |
| 4th | Ashcott Boy | Dickie Myles | 4-1 | 40.86 | 1 |
| 5th | Gulf of Darien | Jack Harvey | 6-4f | 40.94 | 4 |
| 6th | Shauns Tip | Wembley | 7-1 | 41.38 | 3 |
The Grand Prix Walthamstow (Sep 27, 525y, £500) :
| Pos | Name of Greyhound | Trainer | SP | Time | Trap |
| 1st | Duet Leader | Tom Reilly | 13-8f | 29.42 | 6 |
| 2nd | Tax Diablo | Jim Syder Jr. | 5-2 | 29.66 | 5 |
| 3rd | Rushton Mac | Frank Johnson | 5-1 | 29.78 | 4 |
| 4th | Even Gait | G Holyhead | 5-1 | 30.02 | 1 |
| 5th | Rushton Spot | Frank Johnson | 100-6 | 30.14 | 2 |
| 6th | Gulf of Honduras | Jack Harvey | 8-1 | 30.30 | 3 |
Oaks, White City (Oct 1, 525y, £500) :
| Pos | Name of Greyhound | Trainer | SP | Time | Trap |
| 1st | Lizette | Jack Harvey | 6-4 | 29.52 | 4 |
| 2nd | Dearly Dawn | Harry Buck | 5-4f | 29.53 | 1 |
| 3rd | Racing Rhapsody | Catford | 25-1 | 29.59 | 6 |
| 4th | Victory Christina | Ken Appleton | 100-7 | 29.65 | 5 |
| 5th | Tanist Shade | | 20-1 | 29.68 | 3 |
| 6th | Ballinasloe Ballerina | Wembley | 5-1 | 29.84 | 2 |
Cesarewitch, West Ham (Oct 14, 600y, £600) :
| Pos | Name of Greyhound | Trainer | SP | Time | Trap |
| 1st | Gulf Of Darien | Jack Harvey | 4-6f | 32.99+ | 2 |
| 2nd | Customers Son | Jim Syder Jr. | 5-2 | 33.31 | 1 |
| 3rd | Atta Tanist | Tom Reilly | 100-8 | 33.67 | 6 |
| 4th | Pancho Villa | Jack Harvey | 10-1 | 33.77 | 3 |
| 5th | Black Magic II | Jim Hookway | 100-6 | 33.81 | 5 |
| 6th | Manganstown Major | Ron Chamberlain | 33-1 | 33.95 | 4 |