Welsh Greyhound Derby

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Welsh Greyhound Derby
Triple Crown race (discontinued)
1929 Welsh Greyhound Derby winner Back Isle.jpg
1929 Welsh Greyhound Derby winner Back Isle
LocationCardiff Arms Park
Inaugurated1928
Last run1977

The Welsh Greyhound Derby was a former classic greyhound competition held in Wales. [1]

It was held at the White City Stadium in Cardiff from 1928 to 1937. After the closure of this stadium the race switched to the Cardiff Arms Park from 1945 until 1977. It gained classic status in 1971. [2]

When the Cardiff Arms Park closed to greyhound racing there was no remaining fully licensed National Greyhound Racing Club track in Wales resulting in the race discontinuing.[3] During the vast majority of its existence the race formed part of the triple crown of racing alongside the English Greyhound Derby and Scottish Greyhound Derby. [4]

The famous Mick the Miller, who was a household name during the 1930s won the event in 1930.[5][6]

Past winners[]

Year Winner Breeding Trainer Time SP Notes
1928 Cheerful Choice Mutton Cutlet – Glorious Still Paddy Fortune (Welsh White City) 30.73 sec 8-11f
1929 Back Isle Spike Island – Giddy Fiddler Cronin 29.67 sec 4-9f
1930 Mick The Miller Glorious Event – Na Boc Lei Sidney Orton (Wimbledon) 29.55 sec 1-8f Track Record
1931 Altamatzin Wily Warrior – Looks Likely Arthur 'Doc' Callanan (Wembley) 29.88 sec 2-1
1932 Reel Tom Melksham Tom – Rigadoon Billy Quinn (Ireland) 29.87 sec 5-1
1933 Beef Cutlet Mutton Cutlet – Burette John Hegarty (Welsh White City) 29.56 sec
1934 Valiant Rufus Red Robin – Hotel Avro Leslie Carpenter (Gloucester) 30.08 sec
1936 Bully Ring Mount Hillarys Boy – Brittas Belle Robert Linney (Gloucester) 30.28 sec 4-1
1937 Genial Radiance Johnny Peters - Reymerston J.W.Day (Private) 30.15 sec 5-1
1945 Shaggy Lass Castledown Lad – Shaggy Shore G.H.Vickery (Private) 29.75 sec 4-5f
1946 Negro's Lad Kilrea Lad – Negro’s Fire Jack Toseland (Perry Barr) 29.54 sec 8-1 Track record
1947 Trev's Perfection Trevs Despatch - Friar Tuck Fred Trevillion (Private) 29.74 sec 1-3f
1948 Local Interprize Ruby Border - Mythical Daisy Stan Biss (Clapton) 29.32 sec 4-6f
1950 Ballycurreen Garrett Ballycurreen Duke – Ballymakeera Keeper Jack Harvey (Wembley) 29.22 sec 100-30 Track record
1951 Ballylanigan Tanist Mad Tanist - Fly Dancer Leslie Reynolds (Wembley) 29.95 sec 1-1f
1952 Endless Gossip Priceless Border - Narrogar Ann Leslie Reynolds (Wembley) 29.41 sec 7-4
1953 Glittering Look Glittering Smack – Knockrour Favourite Tom 'Paddy' Reilly (Walthamstow) 29.39 sec 5-2
1955 Rushton Mac[7] Rushton News – Rushton Panda Frank Johnson (Private) 29.40 sec 1-2f
1957 Go Doggie Go Ballymac Ball – Marchioness Minnie Jack Toseland (Perry Barr) 29.38 sec 5-4f
1958 Our Defence Defence Leader – Our Violet Dennis O'Brien (Private) 30.27 sec 6-1
1959 Mile Bush Pride The Grand Champion – Witching Dancer Jack Harvey (Wembley) 28.80 sec 8-11f Track record
1960 Fitz's Star Cheerful Chariot – Fitz’s Lass Tom 'Paddy' Reilly (Walthamstow) 29.48 sec 4-1
1961 Oregon Prince Knock Hill Chieftain - Burleigh's Fancy Phil Rees Sr. (Private) 28.86 sec 2-5f
1962 Summerhill Fancy Knockrour Again – Brandon Princess George Waterman (Wimbledon) 29.07 sec 3-1
1963 Fairys Chum Knock Hill Chieftain – Fairy Julia Bob Burls (Wembley) 29.49 sec 4-1
1964 Davo's Rink Hopeful Cutlet – Move Along Kentucky Tom Baldwin (Perry Barr) 28.84 sec 9-4
1965 Harmony Mile Bush Pride – Perfect Queen Jim Irving (Private) 29.43 sec 3-1
1966 I'm Quickest Skips Choice – Gratton Star Randy Singleton (White City) 29.59 sec 3-1
1968 Swift Half Hack Up Chieftain – Imperial Astra Jim Irving (Private) 29.58 sec 9-2
1969 Pallas Joy Movealong Santa – Happy Now Adam Jackson (Clapton) 29.43 sec 7-2
1970 Super Gamble Flash Solar – Big Gamble Paddy Coughlan (Private) 29.46 sec 2-1
1971 Spectres Dream Spectres II – Jockeys Dream Hugo Spencer (Portsmouth) 29.22 sec 16-1
1972 Patricias Hope Silver Hope - Patsicia Adam Jackson (Clapton) 29.75 sec 3-1
1973 Silly Rocket Shanes Rocket – Silly Pride Bertie Gaynor (Wolverhampton) 29.56 sec 11-8f
1974 Dankie Monalee Champion – Weela Heather Colin West (White City) 29.72 sec 4-1
1975 Baffling Bart The Grand Silver - Mosaduva Paddy Milligan (Private) 29.37 sec 3-1
1976 Cameo Colonel Own Pride – New Curriculum John Gibbons (Private) 29.63 sec 10-1
1977 Instant Gambler Itsachampion - Sabrina Barbara Tompkins (Private) 30.01 sec 1-1f

Discontinued

Venues[]

  • 1928–1937 (Welsh White City, Cardiff 525 yards)
  • 1945–1974 (Arms Park, Cardiff 525 yards)
  • 1975–1977 (Arms Park, Cardiff 500 metres)

References[]

  1. ^ Genders, Roy (1981). The Encyclopedia of Greyhound Racing, pages 129-130. Pelham Books Ltd. ISBN 07207-1106-1.
  2. ^ Genders, Roy (1990). NGRC book of Greyhound Racing, pages 104-105. Pelham Books Ltd. ISBN 0-7207-1804-X.
  3. ^ Barnes, Julia (1988). Daily Mirror Greyhound Fact File. Ringpress Books. ISBN 0-948955-15-5.
  4. ^ Genders, Roy (1975). The Greyhound and Racing Greyhound. Page Brothers (Norwich). ISBN 0-85020-0474.
  5. ^ Dack, Barrie (1990). Greyhound Derby, the first 60 years, pages 59-61. Ringpress Books. ISBN 0-948955-36-8.
  6. ^ Tanner, Michael (2004). The Legend of Mick the Miller: Sporting Icon of the Depression. Newbury: Highdown. ISBN 978-1-904317-67-8.
  7. ^ "Rushton Mac wins easily". Western Mail. 28 June 1955. Retrieved 8 January 2022 – via British Newspaper Archive.
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