# 1994 UK & Ireland Greyhound Racing Year

The 1994 UK & Ireland Greyhound Racing Year was the 68th year of greyhound racing in the United Kingdom and Ireland.

## Roll of honour

Major Winners :
| Award | Name of Winner |
| 1994 English Greyhound Derby | Moral Standards |
| 1994 Irish Greyhound Derby | Joyful Tidings |
| 1994 Scottish Greyhound Derby | Droopys Sandy |
| Greyhound Trainer of the Year | John McGee Sr. |
| Greyhound of the Year | Westmead Chick |
| Irish Greyhound of the Year | Joyful Tidings |
| Trainers Championship | John Coleman |

## Summary

The National Greyhound Racing Club (NGRC) released the annual returns, with totalisator turnover at £87,885,471 and attendances recorded at 3,911,447 from 6393 meetings.
Westmead Chick trained by Nick Savva was voted Greyhound of the Year after winning the Oaks, Arc, Brighton Belle, Olympic and the Midland Flat. Joyful Tidings was voted Irish Greyhound of the Year after winning the 1994 Irish Greyhound Derby. Tony Meek won a second successive English Greyhound Derby following the victory of Moral Standards.
John McGee won the Greyhound Trainer of the Year for the seventh successive year. McGee was then involved in a major controversy after losing his licence following a positive urine test for a greyhound called Rabatino in the Peterborough Derby final. The NGRC heard the evidence and ruled that he should be suspended for the offence which led to a court battle. A high court judge overturned the NGRC suspension just weeks before he claimed his seventh crown but the NGRC in turn would then fight that ruling imposing the sanction. McGee returned to Ireland to train and would not be seen in NGRC racing again for four years.

## Tracks

Cradley Heath closed.
Brent Walker completed the sale of Hackney Wick Stadium to Fleetfoot Racing.

## News

The Greyhound Racing Association (GRA) allowed Slippy Corner to participate in the Laurels, which signalled the end of their policy on disqualification and brought them in line with NGRC rules. Previously any greyhound disqualified was not allowed to compete on a GRA track, whereas under NGRC rules you were allowed a second chance.
BAGS racing continued to grow with fixtures increasing and the betting shop service offering racing all day long. Walthamstow earned their first BAGS contract. Kevin Wilde replaced the GRA's Jarvis Astaire on the NGRC promoters association.
John Coleman sealed the trainer's championship at Walthamstow and Linda Jones made a breakthrough after gaining a contract at Romford.
Trevor Cobbold son of Joe Cobbold was diagnosed with cancer however continued to send out British bred winners. He died before the end of the year and left a legacy of 98 British bred winners in the year, the best return for many years. His wife Pam Cobbold took over the Utopia kennels. Australian born Frightful Flash began stud duties after leaving his quarantine kennels in Somerset on 16 February, his keeper Michael Dunne experienced significant success following the decision to bring the greyhound to the UK and Ireland from Australia.

## Competitions

In the final of the Scottish Greyhound Derby at Shawfield Stadium the Irish trained Droopys Sandy broke the track record and propelled him to ante post favouritism for the English Derby but the black dog missed the event. Oaks champion Pearls Girl claimed the Gold Collar at Catford Stadium before Redwood Girl successfully defended her Grand Prix title at Walthamstow Stadium.
Another bitch, Decoy Lynx was a surprise loser at the Cesarewitch at Belle Vue Stadium to 10-1 shot Sandollar Louie, a 5½ length first round win followed by a one length second round and 6 ½ length semi-final success sent the bitch off at a price of 1-7 but was beaten by a neck. Roger Waters', of the rock group Pink Floyd, greyhound Deenside Dean won the Ike Morris Laurels at Wimbledon Stadium a year after another one of his hounds Farmer Patrick lost in the Laurels final the previous year. Derby finalist Moaning Lad was knocked over in the Laurels final.

## Principal UK races

Daily Mirror/Sporting Life Grand National, Hall Green (Mar 26, 474m h, £5,000) :
| Pos | Name of Greyhound | Trainer | SP | Time | Trap |
| 1st | Randy Savage | Kevin Connor | 8-1 | 29.50 | 5 |
| 2nd | Heavenly Dream | Linda Mullins | 5-2 | 29.66 | 6 |
| 3rd | Gis A Smile | Phil Rees Jr. | 11-10f | 29.98 | 2 |
| 4th | Jamesie Cotter | Tom Foster | 8-1 | 30.28 | 3 |
| 5th | Super Spy | Linda Mullins | 16-1 | 30.32 | 1 |
| 6th | Hi Brazil Sam | Tom Lanceman | 12-1 | 30.52 | 4 |
BBC TV Trophy, Sunderland (Apr 6, 827m, £6,000) :
| Pos | Name of Greyhound | Trainer | SP | Time | Trap |
| 1st | Jubilee Rebecca | Gordon Rooks | 2-1 | 53.13 | 1 |
| 2nd | Killeenagh Dream | | 7-2 | 53.75 | 4 |
| 3rd | Decoy Lynx | Pam Cobbold | 4-1 | 53.83 | 6 |
| 4th | Newry Town | | 13-8f | 53.93 | 2 |
| 5th | Mossfield Fire | Pat McCombe | 50-1 | 54.25 | 3 |
| 6th | Tonduff Susie | | 12-1 | 54.33 | 5 |
Reading Masters, Reading (Apr 30, 465m, £20,000) :
| Pos | Name of Greyhound | Trainer | SP | Time | Trap |
| 1st | Druids Elprado | John McGee Jr. | 11-8 | 27.99 | 1 |
| 2nd | Longvalley Manor | John Coleman | 10-1 | 28.11 | 5 |
| 3rd | Farmer Patrick | Terry Dartnall | 6-4f | 28.15 | 4 |
| 4th | Salthill Champ | Ron Peckover | 7-1 | 28.16 | 3 |
| 5th | Lyons Double | Donna Pickett | 7-1 | 28.34 | 6 |
| 6th | Micks Rover | David Pruhs | 14-1 | 28.35 | 2 |
Regal Scottish Derby, Shawfield (May 21, 500m, £20,000) :
| Pos | Name of Greyhound | Trainer | SP | Time | Trap |
| 1st | Droopys Sandy | Francie Murray | 1-1f | 29.39+ | 6 |
| 2nd | So I Heard | | 20-1 | 30.09 | 4 |
| 3rd | Sure Fantasy | Charlie Lister | 6-1 | 30.15 | 3 |
| 4th | Master Buck | A Watson Ire | 7-1 | 30.23 | 2 |
| 5th | Moral Standards | Tony Meek | 5-2 | 30.25 | 5 |
| 6th | Droopys Evelyn | Harry Williams | 25-1 | 30.39 | 1 |
Fosters Scurry Gold Cup, Catford (Jul 9, 385m, £2,500) :
| Pos | Name of Greyhound | Trainer | SP | Time | Trap |
| 1st | Rabatino | John McGee Jr. | 7-2 | 23.57 | 4 |
| 2nd | Highway Leader | Michael Bacon | 7-4f | 23.71 | 1 |
| 3rd | Decoy Apache | Pam Cobbold | 5-1 | 23.89 | 6 |
| 4th | Libra John | John Gibbons | 25-1 | 23.99 | 5 |
| 5th | Ardream | Richard Yeates | 7-2 | 24.09 | 3 |
| 6th | Rickys Mate | David Puddy | 10-1 | 24.29 | 2 |
John Humphreys Gold Collar, Catford (Sep 17, 555m, £7,500) :
| Pos | Name of Greyhound | Trainer | SP | Time | Trap |
| 1st | Pearls Girl | Sam Sykes | 7-4jf | 34.82 | 6 |
| 2nd | Decoy Cheetah | Pam Cobbold | 7-1 | 34.85 | 5 |
| 3rd | Heres Seanie | Pat Ryan | 7-4jf | 35.17 | 2 |
| 4th | Decoy Holly | Pam Cobbold | 33-1 | 35.41 | 4 |
| 5th | Westmead Mystic | Nick Savva | 20-1 | 35.63 | 3 |
| 6th | Paradise Slippy | Arthur Boyce | 4-1 | 35.79 | 1 |
Fosters Cesarewitch, Belle Vue (Sep 24, 853m, £10,000) :
| Pos | Name of Greyhound | Trainer | SP | Time | Trap |
| 1st | Sandollar Louie | Kevin Connor | 10-1 | 55.20 | 6 |
| 2nd | Decoy Lynx | Pam Cobbold | 1-7f | 55.23 | 1 |
| 3rd | First Defence | Mary Harding | 8-1 | 55.35 | 3 |
| 4th | Double Polano | R Wright | 14-1 | 55.45 | 5 |
| 5th | Lone Rider | Jenny Walters | 33-1 | 55.71 | 4 |
| 6th | Mossfield Fire | Pat McCombe | 66-1 | 56.13 | 2 |
Laurent-Perrier Grand Prix, Walthamstow (Oct 8, 640m, £7,500) :
| Pos | Name of Greyhound | Trainer | SP | Time | Trap |
| 1st | Redwood Girl | Ernie Gaskin Sr. | 2-1 | 39.74 | 1 |
| 2nd | Twin Rainbow | John McGee Jr. | 6-1 | 39.75 | 6 |
| 3rd | Decoy Lion | Pam Cobbold | 13-8f | 39.83 | 2 |
| 4th | Pat Brownside | Terry Dartnall | 6-1 | 39.87 | 5 |
| 5th | Sonic Blue | Arthur Hitch | 16-1 | 39.90 | 3 |
| 6th | Speakers Choice | John Honeysett | 20-1 | 40.02 | 4 |
Ike Morris Laurels, Wimbledon (Oct 15, 460m, £7,500) :
| Pos | Name of Greyhound | Trainer | SP | Time | Trap |
| 1st | Deenside Dean | Terry Dartnall | 5-2 | 27.97 | 5 |
| 2nd | Dancing Lance | | 14-1 | 28.33 | 6 |
| 3rd | Egmont Scoby | Charlie Lister | 6-1 | 28.43 | 2 |
| 4th | Jurassic Park | Patsy Byrne | 9-2 | 28.93 | 3 |
| 5th | Moaning Lad | Theo Mentzis | 4-5f | 00.00 | 4 |
| N/R | Parquet Paddy | Arthur Hitch | | | |
Wendy Fair St Leger, Wembley (Nov 11, 655m, £12,000) :
| Pos | Name of Greyhound | Trainer | SP | Time | Trap |
| 1st | Ballarue Minx | Bill Masters | 7-2 | 39.65 | 4 |
| 2nd | Twin Rainbow | John McGee Jr. | 3-1 | 39.73 | 1 |
| 3rd | Decoy Lion | Pam Cobbold | 5-1 | 39.79 | 3 |
| 4th | Clongeel Fern | Ray Peacock | 2-1f | 40.01 | 2 |
| 5th | Sandanita | Lorraine Sams | 5-1 | 40.03 | 6 |
| N/R | Coolmona Road | Derek Knight | | | |
St Marys Hospital Oaks, Wimbledon (Dec 17, 480m, £6,000) :
| Pos | Name of Greyhound | Trainer | SP | Time | Trap |
| 1st | Westmead Chick | Nick Savva | 8-11f | 28.60 | 1 |
| 2nd | Droopys Fergie | Michael Dunphy | 7-1 | 29.08 | 5 |
| 3rd | Egmont Joan | Charlie Lister | 7-1 | 29.09 | 2 |
| 4th | Twin Rainbow | John McGee Jr. | 16-1 | 29.21 | 4 |
| 5th | Not My Line | Hazel Walden | 7-2 | 29.61 | 3 |
| 6th | Coomlogane Euro | John Cox | 8-1 | 29.63 | 6 |

## Totalisator returns

Extended content :
The totalisator returns declared to the National Greyhound Racing Club for the year 1994 are listed below.
Stadium
Turnover £
London (Walthamstow)12,814,342
London (Wimbledon)10,647,193
Romford6,444,861
Birmingham (Hall Green)5,362,104
London (Catford)5,073,607
Brighton & Hove5,022,073
Manchester (Belle Vue)4,788,192
London (Wembley)3,282,911
Crayford2,784,522
Birmingham (Perry Barr)2,285,133
Glasgow (Shawfield)2,228,312
London (Hackney)2,165,153
Sheffield (Owlerton)2,119,876
Stadium
Turnover £
Peterborough1,953,811
Sunderland1,897,544
Newcastle (Brough Park)1,791,153
Wolverhampton (Monmore)1,682,387
Portsmouth1,586,672
Oxford1,549,700
Yarmouth1,387,021
Reading1,235,903
Ramsgate1,196,763
Edinburgh (Powderhall)1,117,783
Bristol1,091,199
Doncaster (Stainforth)873,516
Milton Keynes844,294
Stadium
Turnover £
Canterbury778,088
Nottingham757,706
Swindon678,515
Henlow (Bedfordshire)572,445
Middlesbrough450,499
Hull (New Craven Park)421,915
Swaffham381,854
Cradley Heath320,482
Mildenhall198,371
Rye House89,271
Dundee11,200 :