# 1989 UK & Ireland Greyhound Racing Year

The 1989 UK & Ireland Greyhound Racing Year was the 63rd year of greyhound racing in the United Kingdom and Ireland.

## Roll of honour

Major Winners :
| Award | Name of Winner |
| 1989 English Greyhound Derby | Lartigue Note |
| 1989 Irish Greyhound Derby | Manorville Magic |
| 1989 Scottish Greyhound Derby | Airmount Grand |
| Greyhound Trainer of the Year | John McGee Sr. |
| Greyhound of the Year | Waltham Abbey |
| Irish Greyhound of the Year | Manorville Magic |
| Trainers Championship | John McGee Sr. |

## Summary

The National Greyhound Racing Club (NGRC) released the annual returns, with totalisator turnover at £106,011,494 and attendances recorded at 4,395,973 from 5477 meetings.
John McGee won the Greyhound Trainer of the Year for the second successive year. Waltham Abbey now trained by Ernie Gaskin (formerly Adam Jackson) was voted Greyhound of the Year after winning the Grand Prix at Walthamstow Stadium. The award failed to go the winners of a Derby due to the fact that all three were won by the Irish; they were the 1989 English Greyhound Derby (Lartigue Note), the 1989 Scottish Greyhound Derby (Airmount Grand) and the 1989 Irish Greyhound Derby (Manorville Magic), the latter was voted Irish Greyhound of the Year.

## Tracks

The Greyhound Racing Association (GRA} invested £1 million into Hall Green, mainly extending the restaurant. The Peterborough management also unveiled their new raceview restaurant costing £500,000. Terry Corden sold the Sheffield lease; he was forced to do so after the council closed the stadium due to new safety measures. This was as a direct result of the Hillsborough disaster.
Hull (New Craven Park) and Hawick both opened for racing.

## Competitions

The Scottish Derby returned to Glasgow (as a consequence of GRA having no stadia in Scotland), the event received a boost when Ladbrokes stepped in and sponsored the competition. Racing Manager Robert Lithgow was forced to increase the entries from 24 to 36 due to its popularity. The event resulted in what many regarded the best ever when Airmount Grand caught Galtymore Lad on the finish line after both vied for the lead throughout.
Trainer Phil Rees Jr. won the Grand National at Hall Green with Lemon Chip, this was the kennels first Grand National success despite previously winning six Springbok titles. Fearless Ace made a remarkable comeback when winning the Pall Mall Stakes for a second successive year; the fawn dog had won the 1988 final for Geoff De Mulder before being retired to stud. He returned a year later to defend his title under the training of Theo Mentzis after coming out of retirement and not only stormed to a surprise victory but broke the Oxford track record in the final.

## News

Brent Walker owners of Hackney took over William Hill and Mecca Bookmakers from Grand Metropolitan for £685 million. Canterbury obtained a Bookmakers Afternoon Greyhound Service (BAGS) contract and Wisbech began the year under NGRC rules.
Veteran trainer Hugo Spencer retired and John Coleman moved to Walthamstow. Walthamstow also produced one race meeting tote turnover of £173,000 on the night of the Pepsi Cola Marathon final.
Trainer Linda Jones and her husband Doug moved to Lakenheath and formed the Imperial Kennels. They started with four racing greyhounds and a couple of litters of pups set in the Suffolk countryside. The kennel would quickly establish themselves on the local tracks of Swaffham, Mildenhall and Yarmouth.
Owner John Dooley visited a stud kennel in Cork to find it abandoned and his Blue Riband champion Lulus Hero missing, the brindle dog is never found.#
Champion trainer John McGee and owner Fred Smith had an argument that resulted in Derby champion Hit The Lid leaving the kennels.

## Principal UK races

Daily Mirror Grand National, Hall Green (April 1, 474m h, £3,000) :
| Pos | Name of Greyhound | Trainer | SP | Time | Trap |
| 1st | Lemon Chip | Philip Rees Jr. | 1-1f | 29.84 | 5 |
| 2nd | Blazing Home | Philip Rees Jr. | 3-1 | 29.85 | 1 |
| 3rd | Gizmo Pasha | Linda Mullins | 9-1 | 29.91 | 6 |
| 4th | Columbkille Jet | Paddy Hancox | 6-1 | 29.97 | 2 |
| 5th | Indianna Scarlet | Terry O'Sullivan | 14-1 | 30.00 | 3 |
| 6th | Belmore Captain | Tom Foster | 14-1 | 30.34 | 4 |
BBC TV Trophy, Catford (April 11, 850m, £8,000) :
| Pos | Name of Greyhound | Trainer | SP | Time | Trap |
| 1st | Proud To Run | Harry White | 4-5f | 55.25+ | 4 |
| 2nd | Catunda Flame | Russ Kinsey | 6-1 | 55.95 | 2 |
| 3rd | Jet Streamer | | 10-1 | 56.15 | 5 |
| 4th | Clydes Dolores | | 8-1 | 56.43 | 3 |
| 5th | Manx Sky | Ernie Gaskin Sr. | 16-1 | 56.71 | 6 |
| 6th | Dunait | | 7-1 | 56.81 | 1 |
Ladbrokes Scottish Derby, Shawfield (May 13, 500m, £10,000) :
| Pos | Name of Greyhound | Trainer | SP | Time | Trap |
| 1st | Airmount Grand | Gerald Kiely | 1-1f | 30.03 | 6 |
| 2nd | Galtymore Lad | Geoff De Mulder | 6-4 | 30.07 | 4 |
| 3rd | Atlantic Jet | Harry Crapper | 7-1 | 30.25 | 1 |
| 4th | Alley Bally | Terry Dartnall | 8-1 | 30.33 | 2 |
| 5th | Arrow House | Bryce Wilson | 12-1 | 30.53 | 3 |
| N/R | Decoy Regan Lass | Kevin Cobbold | | | |
Scurry Gold Cup, Catford (Jul 16, 385m, £6,000) :
| Pos | Name of Greyhound | Trainer | SP | Time | Trap |
| 1st | Nans Brute | Bill Masters | 16-1 | 23.59 | 3 |
| 2nd | Angelo Carlotti | Terry Munslow | 10-1 | 23.73 | 2 |
| 3rd | Lissadell Tiger | Ernie Gaskin Sr. | 5-1 | 23.77 | 6 |
| 4th | Pure Gold | Bill Masters | 10-1 | 23.78 | 5 |
| 5th | Pretty Magic | David Ingram-Seal | 10-1 | 23.86 | 4 |
| 6th | Hello Blackie | Roger York | 4-6f | 24.06 | 1 |
John Humphreys Gold Collar, Catford (Sep 16, 555m, £6,000) :
| Pos | Name of Greyhound | Trainer | SP | Time | Trap |
| 1st | Burgess Ruby | Arthur Boyce | 7/2 | 34.72 | 1 |
| 2nd | Fennessys Gold | Ray Peacock | 7/4f | | |
| ? | Risky Friend | Dinky Luckhurst | | | |
| ? | Festival Wonder | John McGee Sr. | | | |
| ? | Peaceful Spring | | | | |
| ? | Sard | John McGee Sr. | | | |
John Smith's Bitter Cesarewitch, Belle Vue (Sep 23, 853m, £3,000) :
| Pos | Name of Greyhound | Trainer | SP | Time | Trap |
| 1st | Minnies Siren | Kenny Linzell | 5-4f | 56.03 | 6 |
| 2nd | Saquita | Dennis Jewell | 4-1 | 56.06 | 5 |
| 3rd | Catunda Flame | Russ Kinsey | 9-4 | 56.12 | 2 |
| 4th | Manx Jet | Nigel Saunders | 10-1 | 56.32 | 4 |
| 5th | Spring Flower | Linda Mullins | 20-1 | 56.50 | 3 |
| 6th | Benedene Rose | Peter Payne | 10-1 | 56.53 | 1 |
Laurent-Perrier Grand Prix, Walthamstow (Oct 7, 640m, £7,500) :
| Pos | Name of Greyhound | Trainer | SP | Time | Trap |
| 1st | Waltham Abbey | Ernie Gaskin Sr. | 2-1 | 39.91 | 4 |
| 2nd | Chicita Banana | John McGee Sr. | 7-4f | 39.99 | 5 |
| 3rd | Hello Blackie | Roger York | 16-1 | 40.05 | 1 |
| 4th | Sard | John McGee Sr. | 9-1 | 40.47 | 2 |
| 5th | Hot Fluff | Arthur Hitch | 8-1 | 40.51 | 3 |
| 6th | Exile Energy | Gary Baggs | 8-1 | 40.81 | 6 |
St Georges Hospital Oaks, Wimbledon (Oct 28, 480m, £6,000) :
| Pos | Name of Greyhound | Trainer | SP | Time | Trap |
| 1st | Nice And Lovely | Derek Tidswell | 9-4 | 29.02 | 6 |
| 2nd | Glengiblin Flash | T Batterbee | 8-1 | 29.18 | 4 |
| 3rd | Nans Brute | Bill Masters | 2-1f | 29.19 | 2 |
| 4th | Crohane Lucy | Tony Lucas | 5-1 | 29.22 | 1 |
| 5th | Blend of Magic | Molly Redpath | 8-1 | 29.38 | 5 |
| 6th | Alley Bally | Terry Dartnall | 5-1 | 29.50 | 3 |
St Leger, Wembley (Nov 17, 655m, £8,000) :
| Pos | Name of Greyhound | Trainer | SP | Time | Trap |
| 1st | Manx Marajax | Nigel Saunders | 33-1 | 39.87 | 5 |
| 2nd | Chiltern Sarah | Peggy Cope | 16-1 | 39.93 | 4 |
| 3rd | Trans Mercedes | Mal Thomas | 5-2 | 39.99 | 1 |
| 4th | Crohane Lucy | Tony Lucas | 11-4 | 40.09 | 2 |
| 5th | Chicita Banana | John McGee Sr. | 2-1f | 40.29 | 6 |
| 6th | Murlens Panther | Geoff De Mulder | 6-1 | 40.47 | 3 |
Ike Morris Laurels, Wimbledon (Dec 23, 460m, £6,000) :
| Pos | Name of Greyhound | Trainer | SP | Time | Trap |
| 1st | Parquet Pal | Arthur Hitch | 9-4 | 27.68 | 2 |
| 2nd | Daring Duke | John Honeysett | 7-1 | 27.84 | 1 |
| 3rd | Westmead Havoc | Natalie Savva | 14-1 | 27.88 | 4 |
| 4th | Yes Speedy | John McGee Sr. | 7-4f | 27.89 | 3 |
| 5th | Glenvale Boy | Geoff De Mulder | 7-1 | 27.90 | 5 |
| 6th | Slippy Blue | Kenny Linzell | 5-1 | 27.94 | 6 |

## Totalisator returns

Extended content :
The totalisator returns declared to the National Greyhound Racing Club for the year 1989 are listed below.
Stadium
Turnover £
London (Wimbledon)17,438,359
London (Walthamstow)16,850,422
Romford8,996,109
Brighton & Hove6,970,118
London (Catford)6,691,913
London (Wembley)6,214,683
Birmingham (Hall Green)4,845,618
Manchester (Belle Vue)4,280,189
Crayford3,417,124
Glasgow (Shawfield)2,514,013
Oxford2,506,820
Edinburgh (Powderhall)2,371,036
Stadium
Turnover £
Newcastle (Brough Park)1,838,238
Wolverhampton (Monmore)1,838,238
Ramsgate1,794,750
Portsmouth1,651,827
Sheffield (Owlerton)1,7585,835
Yarmouth1,559,435
Reading1,505,614
Canterbury1,454,069
Milton Keynes1,202,379
Swindon1,971,192
Bristol957,478
Peterborough946,531
Stadium
Turnover £
Rye House938,460
Henlow (Bedfordshire)727,060
London (Hackney)664,180
Poole613,961
Middlesbrough431,466
Cradley Heath414,914
Swaffham411,000
Norton Canes371,877
Nottingham371,877
Hull (Old Craven Park)267,303
Wisbech46,237 :