# 1969 UK & Ireland Greyhound Racing Year

The 1969 UK & Ireland Greyhound Racing Year was the 43rd year of greyhound racing in the United Kingdom and Ireland.

## Roll of honour

Major Winners :
| Award | Name of Winner |
| 1969 English Greyhound Derby | Sand Star |
| 1969 Irish Greyhound Derby | Own Pride |
| 1969 Scottish Greyhound Derby | Not held |
| 1969 Welsh Greyhound Derby | Pallas Joy |
| Greyhound Trainer of the Year | Phil Rees Sr. |
| Greyhound of the Year | Cals Pick |
| Irish Greyhound of the Year | Own Pride |

## Summary

The Greyhound Racing Association (GRA) granted an option to Stock Conversion and Investment Ltd, for the purchase of greyhound racing's premier track White City Stadium for redevelopment. The official line was that a new modern White City stadium would be built in the remaining four acres from the existing 16 acres. However reporter Neil Martin stated "this move must spell death to all sport there in time – and in my opinion greyhound racing too". Fellow reporter John Bower had a different view, in that it would create a wonderful new stadium, a view seemingly given substance by the GRA, who announced that the architects plans were already drawn up. The GRA then announced that New Cross Stadium had been sold for development and it was closed in April. The GRA Property Trust was culling tracks at an alarming rate within the industry. They did however buy a large part of Wimbledon Stadium after a prolonged battle with developers attempting a takeover bid.

## Tracks

The list of greyhound tracks closing continued to grow. Park Royal Stadium, owned by London Stadiums Ltd, literally closed overnight on 22 January. Greenfield Stadium, Bradford closed, becoming the third site in three months to shut down; the final meeting was held on 5 March after being bought by Morrison's for redevelopment as industrial units. Aberdeen closed and was converted to a supermarket and warehouses. Former NGRC track Rochdale also closed. Corbiewood Stadium opened to greyhound racing.
Hackney Wick Stadium and Hendon Greyhound Stadium both received Bookmakers Afternoon Greyhound Service (BAGS) contracts replacing New Cross and Park Royal. New Cross trainers Charlie Smoothy and John Shevlin joined Clapton Stadium and West Ham Stadium respectively.

## Competitions

The 1,000 Guineas switched to Hendon Greyhound Stadium from the closed Park Royal Stadium. Tony's Friend lifted the Grand National at White City, in addition to the Scottish Grand National and set up a sequence of fourteen consecutive wins before being beaten. Tony's Friend continued his winning ways, lifting the Grand National of the West at Gloucester & Cheltenham Stadium but he was a little lucky because the leader fell at the first hurdle; that leader was a new hurdler called Sherrys Prince.
Yellow Printer continued to set special times and recorded 28.38 seconds when winning the Sir Billy Butlin Stakes at White City.
With little warning the Scottish Derby at Carntyne Stadium in Glasgow which was due to run on 30 August was cancelled, it would never be run at the track again.

## News

Pigalle Wonder died during the first days of January aged nearly thirteen. The National Greyhound Racing Club changed the rule whereby parties could be represented by legal counsel at steward's inquiries. The Greyhound Express was published for the last time on 8 November. The Sporting Life would take over the sponsorship of the Juvenile from the Express.
Wembley trainer Ronnie Melville retired, which led to Tom Johnston Jr. switching from West Ham and Jim Singleton taking Johnston's vacated post at West Ham. The sports current top trainer John Bassett left Clapton to take break from greyhound racing. H.R.H the Prince Edward, Duke of Kent became a greyhound owner after acquiring Peaceful Glen who was put with Joe Pickering at White City.
Portsmouth trainer Charlie Curtis, brother of George Curtis was killed in a car crash. The WGRF (World Greyhound Racing Federation) was formed.

## Ireland

The Irish Greyhound Board purchased Cork Greyhound Stadium for £127,500. Sand Star won the English Greyhound Derby but lost out to Own Pride for the Irish Greyhound of the Year, the latter had won the Irish Greyhound Derby. It was also the last Derby to be held at Harold's Cross Stadium.

## Principal UK races

Grand National, White City (April 19 525y h, £500) :
| Pos | Name of Greyhound | Trainer | SP | Time | Trap |
| 1st | Tonys Friend | Randy Singleton | 1-1f | 30.16 | 1 |
| 2nd | Ballintore Tiger | Norman Chambers | 9-2 | 30.26 | 6 |
| 3rd | Active Hit | Nora Gleeson | 4-1 | 30.68 | 5 |
| 4th | Corral Prince | Nora Gleeson | 20-1 | 30.72 | 2 |
| 5th | Colonels Rib | Joe Pickering | 6-1 | 30.84 | 3 |
| 6th | Swift Miller | | 33-1 | 31.00 | 4 |
Gold Collar, Catford (May 10, 570y, £1,500) :
| Pos | Name of Greyhound | Trainer | SP | Time | Trap |
| 1st | Surprising Fella | Jack Smith | 2-1f | 33.40 | 5 |
| 2nd | Ivy Hall Jewel | Natalie Savva | 8-1 | 33.44 | 4 |
| 3rd | Cals Pick | Jack Harvey | 3-1 | 33.47 | 1 |
| 4th | Pallas Joy | Adam Jackson | 5-1 | 33.77 | 3 |
| 5th | Petrovitch | Jack Harvey | 12-1 | 33.89 | 6 |
| 6th | Thurles Trader | Adam Jackson | 3-1 | 34.05 | 2 |
The Grand Prix, Walthamstow (May 27, 600y, £500) :
| Pos | Name of Greyhound | Trainer | SP | Time | Trap |
| 1st | Chame Sparrow | Barney O'Connor | 6-1 | 40.75 | 3 |
| 2nd | Jack Stroller | Jimmy Jowett | 7-1 | 40.91 | 1 |
| 3rd | Special Cognac | David Pett | 4-1 | 40.94 | 6 |
| 4th | New Change | Dave Geggus | 5-4f | 41.02 | 4 |
| 5th | Mounteagle King | Charlie Curtis | 6-1 | 41.26 | 2 |
| 6th | Drish Prairie | | 10-1 | 41.30 | 5 |
Welsh Derby, Arms Park (Jul 5, 525y £500) :
| Pos | Name of Greyhound | Trainer | SP | Time | Trap |
| 1st | Pallas Joy | Adam Jackson | 7-2 | 29.43 | 1 |
| 2nd | Cash For Dan | Ben Parsons | 6-4f | 29.67 | 2 |
| 3rd | Fly Half | Janet Tite | 6-1 | 29.71 | 5 |
| 4th | Narod Star | Paddy Milligan | 5-1 | 29.73 | 4 |
| 5th | Desert Kuda | Jim Irving | 6-1 | 30.01 | 6 |
| 6th | Ashgrove Glen | Brian Jay | 4-1 | 30.17 | 3 |
Oaks, Harringay (Jul 7, 525y, £1,000) :
| Pos | Name of Greyhound | Trainer | SP | Time | Trap |
| 1st | Shady Bracelet | Peter Collett | 7-4f | 28.63 | 2 |
| 2nd | Bredas Feathers | K.Webb | 8-1 | 28.67 | 6 |
| 3rd | That Cailin | Ray Wilkes | 11-4 | 28.95 | 3 |
| 4th | Hiver Tatty | Jim Morgan | 10-1 | 28.99 | 1 |
| 5th | Farma Sally | Phil Rees Sr. | 5-2 | 29.05 | 5 |
| 6th | Kattys Prairie | Bette Godwin | 50-1 | 29.53 | 4 |
Scurry Gold Cup, Clapton (Jul 12, 400y £1,000) :
| Pos | Name of Greyhound | Trainer | SP | Time | Trap |
| 1st | Ace of Trumps | John Coleman | 1-1f | 22.85 | 2 |
| 2nd | Lovely Morning | Noreen Collin | 10-1 | 23.11 | 1 |
| 3rd | Cheeky Boy | John Coleman | 4-1 | 23.71 | 4 |
| 4th | Tarmons Buffalo | | 16-1 | 23.79 | 5 |
| 5th | Pears There | Dave Barker | 10-3 | 23.85 | 6 |
| 6th | Trews | | 12-1 | 00.00 | 3 |
Laurels, Wimbledon (Aug 8, 500y, £1,500) :
| Pos | Name of Greyhound | Trainer | SP | Time | Trap |
| 1st | Ardine Flame | Jack Kinsley | 8-1 | 27.96 | 2 |
| 2nd | Beaverwood Wind | Stan Martin | 6-4f | 27.99 | 4 |
| 3rd | Munster Rabbit | Nora Gleeson | 4-1 | 28.17 | 3 |
| 4th | Tullyallen | Clare Orton | 4-1 | 28.19 | 1 |
| 5th | Bushane Queen | Mrs.B.Martin | 14-1 | 28.23 | 5 |
| 6th | Pallas Joy | Adam Jackson | 9-2 | 28.63 | 6 |
St Leger, Wembley (Aug 25, 700y, £1,500) :
| Pos | Name of Greyhound | Trainer | SP | Time | Trap |
| 1st | Crefogue Dancer | Bob Burls | 8-1 | 39.65 | 1 |
| 2nd | Booked Six | Alan Fearn | 20-1 | 39.89 | 5 |
| 3rd | Greenane Gem | Bessie Lewis | 4-9f | 39.95 | 2 |
| 4th | Take off Outcast | Jimmy Jowett | 16-1 | 39.97 | 4 |
| 5th | Jack Stroller | Jimmy Jowett | 8-1 | 40.00 | 6 |
| 6th | Monalee Peter | Tom Johnston Jr. | 7-1 | 40.02 | 3 |
Cesarewitch, West Ham (Oct 3, 600y, £1,500) :
| Pos | Name of Greyhound | Trainer | SP | Time | Trap |
| 1st | Cals Pick | Jack Harvey | 6-4jf | 32.98 | 2 |
| 2nd | Mad Ville | Bob Burls | 25-1 | 33.12 | 6 |
| 3rd | Greenane Gem | Bessie Lewis | 6-4jf | 33.15 | 4 |
| 4th | Marton Tim | Tom Baldwin | 9-2 | 33.39 | 5 |
| 5th | Handsome Sun | Jimmy Jowett | 9-2 | 33.55 | 1 |
| 6th | Burnpark Bill | | 100-1 | 33.67 | 3 |
BBC TV Trophy, White City (Oct 16, 880y, £1,000) :
| Pos | Name of Greyhound | Trainer | SP | Time | Trap |
| 1st | Cash For Dan | Ben Parsons | 5-4f | 49.44+ | 1 |
| 2nd | Jack Stroller | Jimmy Jowett | 3-1 | 49.86 | 3 |
| 3rd | Pleasant Fly | J Cook | 10-1 | 50.38 | 2 |
| 4th | Sovereign Ore | John Perrin | 10-1 | 50.94 | 6 |
| 5th | Nualas Image | | 33-1 | 50.95 | 4 |
| 6th | Greenane Gem | Bessie Lewis | 3-1 | 51.19 | 5 |
+Track record

## Principal Irish races

Easter Cup, Shelbourne Park (April £500) :
| Pos | Name of Greyhound | Trainer | Time | Trap |
| 1st | Move Gas | Ger McKenna | 30.29 | 2 |
| 2nd | Clover Kid | | 30.37 | 6 |
| 3rd | Durhava Pride | | 30.65 | |
| u | Stylish Shane | | | 1 |
Produce Stakes, Clonmel (May 8, 525y £1,250) :
| Pos | Name of Greyhound | Trainer | SP | Time | Trap |
| 1st | Right O'Myross | Dave Cashman | 2-1 | 29.90 | 1 |
| 2nd | Santanita | | | 30.06 | 5 |
| 3rd | Bright Lad | | 6-4f | 30.07 | 3 |
| 4th | Westpark Toots | | | | 2 |
| 5th | Westpark Barney | | | | 4 |
| 6th | Dutch Navy | | | | 6 |
u=unplaced

## Totalisator returns

Extended content :
The totalisator returns declared to the licensing authorities for the year 1969 are listed below.
Stadium
Turnover £
London (White City)6,262,275
London (Harringay)3,791,781
London (Wimbledon)3,753,989
London (Walthamstow)3,614,786
Manchester Belle Vue & White City (combined)3,567,438
London (Wembley)2,898,167
London (Catford)2,410,758
London (Clapton)2,086,386
London (West Ham)1,783,769
Romford1,565,343
Edinburgh (Powderhall)1,459,866
London (Charlton)1,305,612
Birmingham (Perry Barr, old)1,281,355
Birmingham (Hall Green)1,201,411
Brighton & Hove1,192,961
Newcastle (Brough Park)1,026,060
Crayford & Bexleyheath1,012,336
Stadium
Turnover £
Glasgow (Shawfield)951,943
Slough923,081
Leeds (Elland Road)896,288
Wolverhampton (Monmore)863,174
London (Hackney)817,962
London (Hendon)788,350
Bristol (Eastville)777,245
Sheffield (Owlerton)766,191
Manchester (Salford)743,039
Glasgow (White City)731,118
Newcastle (Gosforth)722,407
Southend-on-Sea714,966
Willenhall680,384
Gloucester & Cheltenham625,050
Birmingham (Kings Heath)614,372
Cardiff (Arms Park)584,626
Liverpool (White City)562,582
Poole537,658
Stadium
Turnover £
Derby515,838
Reading (Oxford Road)505,508
Ramsgate (Dumpton Park)498,214
Cradley Heath475,464
Rochester & Chatham462,710
Oxford438,583
Portsmouth378,884
Glasgow (Carntyne)373,656
Leicester (Blackbird Rd)331,752
Middlesbrough329,729
Rayleigh (Essex)302,316
Nottingham (White City)293,816
Hull (Old Craven Park)284,061
Preston263,299
Norwich (City)216,637
Swindon214,433
Wakefield206,070 :