1949 UK & Ireland Greyhound Racing Year

The 1949 UK & Ireland Greyhound Racing Year was the 24th year of greyhound racing in the United Kingdom and Ireland.^[1]

1949 UK & Ireland Greyhound Racing Year
← 1948 1950 →

Roll of honour

Major Winners
Award	Name of Winner
1949 English Greyhound Derby	Narrogar Ann [2][3]
1949 Irish Greyhound Derby	Spanish Lad [4][5]
1949 Scottish Greyhound Derby	not held [6]
1949 Welsh Greyhound Derby	not held [7]

Summary

The annual totalisator turnover was a healthy £85,643,207, which although the fifth highest ever recorded was also the third consecutive drop since 1946.^[8]

Another concern was the fact that there were 207 tracks operating which was 63 less than during 1934. The industry put the blame squarely on government legislation that continued to squeeze operating profits. The government however were under pressure from organisations such as the Committee of Churches and ordered a public session. They presented evidence to the Royal Commission of Betting Lotteries and Gaming attacking all forms of betting with greyhound racing being singled out in particular, with mention of all under 18s being banned from tracks and the deduction from the totalisator to be brought down from its current percentage with no gain for promoters through the operations of the bookmakers. The session resulted in a full blown disagreement.^[9][10]

Narrogar Ann became only the second bitch to win the English Greyhound Derby which was also the second success in three years for the British breeders.^[2]

Tracks

Employment at National Greyhound Racing Club tracks was 4,140 permanent employees and 14,809 part-time.^[9]

Tracks opened

Date	Stadium/Track	Location
15 October	Parkneuk Sports Stadium	Motherwell
1 December	West Suffolk Greyhound Stadium	Bury St Edmunds
?	Swansea Greyhound Stadium	Fforestfach, Swansea

Competitions

Local Interprize continued his success by winning a second consecutive Gold Collar title.^[11] The Wimbledon Two Year Old Produce Stakes offered a first prize of £900 for the 36 runner event. It was won on 22 June by Huntlawrigg, trained by Jerry Hannafin.^[7] The schedule of big races took a major hit as both the Welsh Greyhound Derby and Scottish Greyhound Derby were cancelled following problems over insufficient entries and funding.^[12] Local Interprize once again ran well in the Scurry Gold Cup but got beaten by a short head in the final to Burndennet Brook.

Trainer Stan Martin claimed the first two places with Ballymac Ball and Magna Hasty in the Laurels. Ballymac Ball won his heat beating Eastern Madness by three lengths and setting a new fast time for the event which was also a track record at Wimbledon of 28.03 seconds. He improved this time in his semi-final with a time of 27.99 seconds, beating Trev's Jubilee by twelve lengths, with Local Interprize a further length behind. He was the first greyhound to break 28 seconds at Wimbledon for 500 yards and in the final won by two lengths from kennelmate Magna Hasty, he possessed the same speed as his half-brother Ballyhennessy Seal.^[13] Defending champion Good Worker finished fifth with his trainer the former Surrey cricketer Jack Daley relinquishing his licence to become a cricket coach.^{[14][12] [11] [15]}

Ballymac Ball next contested the Thames Silver Salver at Southend Stadium, winning his heat and semi-final but, in the final, was beaten three lengths by Red Wind in 27.78 seconds, a new track record. Red Wind went on to win the Grand Prix.^[16] Defending champion Rio Cepretta did well to make the Oaks final again, two years after her triumph, the race was won by Still Drifting. Trainer Frank Davis continued his fine run in the sport and winning a major double in the October events, Red Wind had won the Grand Prix from kennelmate Drumgoon Boy and then the latter made amends by becoming Cesarewitch champion from another kennelmate Quare Caltha. The year ended with Ballymac Ball setting another track record, on 10 December, at White City over 550 yards in a time of 30.30 seconds when beating Good Worker and Narrogar Ann and on Boxing Day he went even faster in a time of 30.27, beating Red Wind, Eastern Madness and Narrogar Ann again.^{[16] [12] [11]}

The Bob Burls trained Behattan Marquis ended the year as the leading open race winner after 14 victories. He earned £2,637 in prize money and won the Wood Lane Stakes, the Northern Flat, the Midland Flat, the Summer Cup and the Eclipse.^[17]

News

Clapton Stadium appointed a new trainer called Sidney Clare Orton known as 'Clare', son of Sidney Orton, he had spent three years at Coventry.^[18][12] Fred Trevillion's put up his entire operation up for sale which consisted of his £150,000 estate including kennels for 100 greyhounds, a schooling track, farmhouse and forty acres.^[19] Trevillion would later return to the United States but later died there greatly disillusioned.^{[7] [11]}

At greyhound racing's premier track (White City) three new sea-food bars attract more than 4,000 customers on race nights and the track employs 14 part time staff to cope with the demand.^[20] Wimbledon introduced a new photo finish system which is unveiled by Instaprint Ltd.^[21]

Ireland

Tim 'Chubb' O’Connor bred a successful litter from a mating with his bitch Cordal Moonlight. He put her to Shaggy Lad and four of the litter Spanish Lad, Spanish Emperor, Spanish Treasure and Ardraw Moonlight excelled in coursing which prompted O'Connor to mate her again. This time it was to Rebel Abbey and resulted in a greyhound named Spanish Chestnut. Spanish Lad won the Irish Greyhound Derby and Spanish Chestnut caused a sensation when winning the Irish Laurels in early September, aged just 18 months beating Derby champion and older half-brother Spanish Lad into second place.^[22]

Ear-marking for litters is introduced and all Irish greyhounds must be named by ten months old.^[23]

Principal UK races

Grand National, White City (May 21 525y h, £350) Pos Name of Greyhound Trainer SP Time Trap 1st Blossom of Annagura Jack Sherry 8-1 30.20 1 2nd Dangerous Prince Ken Appleton 5-4f 30.48 3 3rd Ross Abbey Clare Orton 100-80 30.68 2 4th Appleford Peter 13-8 31.40 4 5th Sprightly Peter Paddy McEllistrim 7-1 00.00 5

Gold Collar, Catford (Jun 4, 440y, £600) Pos Name of Greyhound Trainer SP Time Trap 1st Local Interprize Stanley Biss 6-4f 25.88 1 2nd Laughing Grenadier Jack Harvey 8-1 26.24 2 3rd Killure Laddie Sidney Orton 8-1 26.36 4 4th Trev's Dell Fred Trevillion 6-1 26.46 3 5th Buzzing Afterwards Alf Turner 5-2 26.49 5 6th Desert Aster 100-7 26.59 6

Scurry Gold Cup, Clapton (Jul 23, 400y £500) Pos Name of Greyhound Trainer SP Time Trap 1st Burndennet Brook Leslie Reynolds 5-2 23.48 1 2nd Local Interprize Stanley Biss 8-11f 23.49 6 3rd Somers Powell Charlie Ashley 25-1 23.81 3 4th Gistra Barcus 100-7 23.93 4 5th Magna Leader 8-1 24.01 5 6th Billy Wigs 20-1 24.17 2

Laurels, Wimbledon (Aug 26, 500y, £600) Pos Name of Greyhound Trainer SP Time Trap 1st Ballymac Ball Stan Martin 4-5f 28.61 6 2nd Magna Hasty Stan Martin 100-8 28.75 5 3rd Eastern Madness Leslie Reynolds 5-2 28.78 2 4th Trev's Jubilee Fred Trevillion 66-1 28.88 1 5th Good Worker Jack Daley 6-1 29.02 4 6th Flintfield Grosvenor D Hayes 100-8 29.04 3

Oaks, White City (Sep 10, 525y, £550) Pos Name of Greyhound Trainer SP Time Trap 1st Still Drifting Sidney Probert 11-2 29.48 2 2nd Baytown Stream Stan Biss 11-2 29.50 4 3rd Rio Cepretta Stan Biss 11-2 29.62 5 4th Fortbarrington Lady Stan Biss 11-8f 29.66 6 5th Lady Maud Hardy Wright 9-2 29.76 1 N/R Steps of Grace Jerry Hannafin 3

St Leger, Wembley (Oct 1, 700y, £600) Pos Name of Greyhound Trainer SP Time Trap 1st Lovely Rio Jack Harvey 7-1 40.77 2 2nd Rio Cavallero Stan Biss 1-1f 40.81 5 3rd Harvest King 8-1 41.05 1 4th Baytown Stream Stan Biss 5-1 41.15 3 5th Fortbarrington Lady Stan Biss 5-1 41.25 4 6th Alvaston Muir Stan Martin 10-1 41.37 6

The Grand Prix Walthamstow (Oct 8, 525y, £350) Pos Name of Greyhound Trainer SP Time Trap 1st Red Wind [24] Frank Davis 10-11f 29.82 4 2nd Drumgoon Boy Frank Davis 5-4 29.98 1 3rd Rio Cavallero Stan Biss 9-1 30.78 3 4th Devil O’Leer Norman Merchant 66-1 31.12 2 5th Doughery Boy Jonathan Hopkins 66-1 32.40 6 6th Quarter Seal 66-1 00.00 5

Cesarewitch, West Ham (Oct 21, 550y, £600) Pos Name of Greyhound Trainer SP Time Trap 1st Drumgoon Boy Frank Davis 4-9f 30.71 2 2nd Quare Caltha Frank Davis 7-1 30.91 5 3rd Sailing at Dawn Sidney Probert 9-2 31.13 3 4th Captured Dick Jack Harvey 66-1 31.29 6 5th Saft Alex Jack Toseland 40-1 31.41 4 6th White Nigger Frank Davis 100-1 31.49 1

Totalisator Returns

Extended content

The totalisator returns declared to the licensing authorities for the year 1949 are listed below. Tracks that did not have a totalisator in operation are not listed.[8] Stadium Turnover £ London (White City) 6,748,051 London (Harringay) 4,773,625 London (Wembley) 4,324,443 London (Wimbledon) 3,096,750 London (Walthamstow) 3,043,055 London (Stamford Bridge) 2,373,263 London (Wandsworth) 2,254,342 London (Catford) 2,249,197 London (Clapton) 2,241,426 London (Park Royal) 2,037,949 Manchester (Belle Vue) 1,970,808 London (West Ham) 1,829,569 London (New Cross) 1,650,623 London (Hackney) 1,560,901 London (Hendon) 1,494,735 Glasgow (Shawfield) 1,268,485 Brighton & Hove 1,230,895 Edinburgh (Powderhall) 1,159,608 London (Charlton) 1,084,287 Manchester (White City) 1,051,702 Birmingham (Perry Barr, old) 983,569 Romford 980,467 Newcastle (Brough Park) 938,724 Manchester (Salford) 912,843 Southend-on-Sea 906,222 Crayford & Bexleyheath 885,460 Birmingham (Hall Green) 863,769 Bristol (Eastville) 799,180 Wolverhampton (Monmore) 797,516 Sheffield (Owlerton) 795,355 Coventry (Lythalls Lane) 776,316 Blackpool (St Anne's) 761,907 Glasgow (White City) 757,184 Cardiff (Arms Park) 725,709 Bradford (Greenfield) 714,118 Liverpool (White City) 699,009 Sheffield (Darnall) 694,342 Southampton 679,752 Birmingham (Kings Heath) 666,060 Glasgow (Albion) 658,423 London (Dagenham) 658,364 Leicester (Blackbird Rd) 623,767 South Shields 619,304 Stadium Turnover £ Glasgow (Carntyne) 597,017 Leeds (Elland Road) 593,690 Gateshead 575,008 Newcastle (Gosforth) 574,530 Liverpool (Stanley) 572,971 Ramsgate (Dumpton Park) 537,167 Slough 521,787 Chester 491,920 Rochester & Chatham 483,828 Gloucester & Cheltenham 481,182 Liverpool (Seaforth) 474,668 Reading (Oxford Road) 470,270 Middlesbrough 445,804 Newcastle (White City) 432,231 Portsmouth 423,373 Bolton 418,354 Ashington (Co Durham) 398,713 Bradford (City) 377,796 Plymouth 366,151 Glasgow (Firhill) 364,783 Hull (Old Craven Park) 364,692 Nottingham (White City) 360,452 Sunderland 356,056 Stoke-on-Trent (Cobridge) 338,596 Oxford 332,947 Stoke-on-Trent (Hanley) 329,540 Derby 326,400 Aberdeen 324,927 Blackburn 321,584 Preston 320,707 West Hartlepool 309,036 Sheffield (Hyde Park) 300,085 Stanley (Co Durham) 287,236 Yarmouth 286,863 Warrington 283,014 Willenhall 279,274 Norwich (City) 243,346 Bristol (Knowle) 243,140 Newport 230,525 Exeter (County Ground) 217,897 Houghton-le-Spring 204,338 Luton 199,727 Rayleigh (Essex) 193,423 Stadium Turnover £ Norwich (Boundary Park) 192,450 Exeter (Marsh Barton) 187,518 Long Eaton 179,143 Ipswich 176,639 Rochdale 165,007 Doncaster (Spotbrough) 158,556 St Helens 157,653 London (Southall) 157,477 Keighley 154,346 Tamworth 152,956 Stockport (Hazel Grove) 147,308 London (Harlington Corner) 140,780 Ayr (Tams Brig) 139,808 Easington (Co Durham) 128,914 Wigan (Poolstock) 119,194 London (Stratford) 118,899 Oldham 110,254 Staines 106,940 Wallyford (East Lothian) 105,528 Taunton (Prior Park) 86,804 Wigan (Woodhouse) 85,282 Workington 84,520 Peterborough 82,563 Kilmarnock 81,824 Coundon (Co Durham) 75,005 Leeds (Parkside) 72,916 Rotherham 69,430 Ramsgate (Newington) 61,547 Wakefield 60,332 Kingskerswell (Devon) 59,719 Pelaw Grange 55,711 Northampton 52,847 Stockton-on-Tees (Belle Vue) 48,488 Durham City 47,934 Belmont (Co Durham) 43,250 Edinburgh (Stenhouse) 40,645 Barry 29,360 Aldershot 29,267 Glasgow (Mount Vernon) 20,559 Irvine (Townhead) 9,932 Cradley Heath 9,780 Summary Country No of tracks+ Turnover England 168 £ 79,923,552 Wales 10 £ 755,069 Scotland 40 £ 5,568,723 Total 218 £ 85,643,207 + number of tracks include those without a tote in operation

References

1. Fry, Paul (1995). The Official NGRC Greyhound Racing Yearbook. Ringpress Books. ISBN 186054-010-4.
2. Dack, Barrie (1990). Greyhound Derby, the first 60 years. Ringpress Books. pp. 88–89. ISBN 0-948955-36-8.
3. ""Sports In Brief." Times [London, England] 27 June 1949". The Times.
4. Comyn, John. 50 Years of Greyhound Racing in Ireland. Aherlow Publishers Ltd.
5. Fortune, Michael. Irish Greyhound Derby 1932-1981. Victory Irish Promotions Ltd.
6. Hobbs, Jonathan (2007). Greyhound Annual 2008, pages 153-154. Raceform. ISBN 978-1-905153-53-4.
7. Genders, Roy (1975). The Greyhound and Racing Greyhound, page 320. Page Brothers (Norwich). ISBN 0-85020-0474.
8. Particulars of Licensed tracks, table 1 Licensed Dog Racecourses. Licensing Authorities. 1949.
9. ""Betting On Dog Racing." Times, 11 Jan. 1950, p. 4". The Times.
10. ""Control Of Dog Racing." Times, 12 Jan. 1950, p. 3". The Times.
11. Genders, Roy (1990). NGRC book of Greyhound Racing. Pelham Books Ltd. ISBN 0-7207-1804-X.
12. Genders, Roy (1981). The Encyclopedia of Greyhound Racing. Pelham Books Ltd. ISBN 07207-1106-1.
13. "Hall of Fame". Greyhound Board of Great Britain.
14. "Remember When - October 1949". Greyhound Star.
15. Barnes/Sellers, Julia/John (1992). Ladbrokes Greyhound Fact File. Ringpress Books. ISBN 0-948955-22-8.
16. Barnes, Julia (1988). Daily Mirror Greyhound Fact File. Ringpress Books. ISBN 0-948955-15-5.
17. "Greyhound Star (Remember When December)". Greyhound Star.
18. "Remember When - October 1949". Greyhound Star.
19. "Remember When - March 1949". Greyhound Star.
20. "Remember When - October 1949". Greyhound Star.
21. "Monthly Greyhound Star (Remember When 1949) October edition". Greyhound Star. 2012.
22. Fortune, Michael. Irish Greyhound Derby 1932-1981. Victory Irish Promotions Ltd.
23. "Monthly Greyhound Star (Remember When 1949) January edition". Greyhound Star. 2012.
24. "Monthly Greyhound Star (Remember When) October edition". Greyhound Star. 2018.