1974 English Greyhound Derby

1974 English Greyhound Derby
LocationWhite City Stadium
Start date15 June
End date29 June
Total prize money£13,500 (winner)
← 1973
1975 →

The 1974 Spillers Greyhound Derby took place during June with the final being held on 29 June 1974 at White City Stadium.[1] The winner was Jimsun and the winning owners Joe De Mulder and Miss Lesley Walker received £13,500. The competition was sponsored by the Spillers.[2]

Final result

At White City (over 525 yards):[3]

Position Name of Greyhound Breeding Trap SP Time Trainer
1st Jimsun Monalee Champion - Lady Expert 1 5-2 28.76 Geoff De Mulder (Hall Green)
2nd Myrtown Myross Again - Longstown Lassie 3 2-1 28.86 Eddie Moore (White City - Manchester)
3rd Ballymaclune Yanka Boy - Kitty True 6 5-1 28.90 Ger McKenna (Ireland)
4th Soft Light The Grand Light - Knockmoylan Kate 4 6-1 28.92 Joe Bennett (Private)
5th Blackwater Champ Monalee Champion - Athnid 5 13-8f 29.00 Peter Payne (Private)
6th Handy High Handy Valley - Black Highbird 2 20-1 29.20 Paddy Milligan (Private)

Distances

1¼, ½, head, 1, 2½ (lengths)
The distances between the greyhounds are in finishing order and shown in lengths. One length is equal to 0.08 of one second.[4]

Competition Report

Patricias Hope returned for an attempt to win an unprecedented third Derby but he was up against the ante-post favourites that included Juvenile and Wood Lane winner Myrtown, Irish entries Ballymaclune and Lively Band and Laurels victors Black Banjo and Over Protected.[5]

Black Banjo failed to progress from round one but Blackwater Champ, (the Pall Mall Stakes champion) and Jimsun recorded the best times of 28.53 & 28.54 respectively. In a very strong heat two of round two the dream of Patricias Hope ended with his connections retiring him with immediate effect. Myrtown, Jimsun, Blackwater Champ and Acomb Dot all won their heats and remained unbeaten.[5]

The first semi-final saw Soft Light provide a shock when beating Jimsun by a length whilst Acomb Dot finished last. Blackwater Champ took heat two with Myrtown taking the third and the final qualifying place.[5]

A crowd of 33,000 turned up to see the sports premier race and they watched the Irish hope Ballymaclune trap well and take an early lead. Favourite Blackwater Champ lost any chance after missing the break. Jimsun showed good early pace to overtake and impede Handy High when moving up to second place and then challenged along the back straight before going onto win by just over a length in 28.76sec. Myrtown finished well to take second place.[5]

Quarter finals

[6]

Heat 1
Pos Name SP Time
1st Acomb Dot 9-4 28.68
2nd Lively Band 5-4f 28.71
3rd Ballymaclune 7-1 28.95
4th Economy Size 25-1 29.13
5th Deise Dreams 4-1 29.37
6th Greenane Bard 50-1 29.47
Heat 2
Pos Name SP Time
1st Myrtown 4-6f 28.67
2nd Soft Light 7-1 28.81
3rd Silver Thought 40-1 28.84
4th Spiral Cindy 6-1 28.96
5th Patricias Hope 14-1 28.98
6th Coin Case 4-1 29.12
Heat 3
Pos Name SP Time
1st Jimsun 4-7f 28.69
2nd Benson Cash 20-1 29.07
3rd Houghton Hiker 50-1 29.10
4th Two P.M. 8-1 29.11
5th Pass Me Not 9-1 29.37
6th Over Protected 3-1 29.47
Heat 4
Pos Name SP Time
1st Blackwater Champ 1-2f 28.61
2nd Monsoon Boy 25-1 28.83
3rd Handy High 10-1 29.07
4th Jingle Jockey 40-1 29.09
5th Crown Walter 4-1 29.17
6th Emerald Storm 9-1 29.41

Semi finals

First Semi Final [6]
Pos Name of Greyhound SP Time Trainer
1st Soft Light 7-1 28.75 Bennett
2nd Jimsun 4-7f 28.83 De Mulder
3rd Ballymaclune 8-1 28.85 McKenna
4th Benson Cash 50-1 28.95 West
5th Monsoon Boy 16-1 28.99 Conroy
6th Acomb Dot 5-1 29.19 Malcolm
Second Semi Final [6]
Pos Name of Greyhound SP Time Trainer
1st Blackwater Champ 7-4 28.95 Payne
2nd Handy High 40-1 29.19 Milligan
3rd Myrtown 11-10f 29.59 Moore
4th Lively Band 9-2 29.67 Johnston
5th Houghton Hiker 66-1 29.75
6th Silver Thought 40-1 29.81

See also

References

  1. ^ Hobbs, Jonathan (2007). Greyhound Annual 2008, page 91. Raceform. ISBN 978-1-905153-53-4.
  2. ^ Genders, Roy (1981). The Encyclopedia of Greyhound Racing, page 110. Pelham Books Ltd. ISBN 07207-1106-1.
  3. ^ "1974". Greyhound Data.
  4. ^ Genders, Roy (1990). NGRC book of Greyhound Racing (Timekeeper) p310. Pelham Books Ltd. ISBN 0-7207-1804-X.
  5. ^ a b c d Dack, Barrie (1990). Greyhound Derby, the first 60 years, pages 147/148/149/150/151. Ringpress Books. ISBN 0-948955-36-8.
  6. ^ a b c "The Greyhound Magazine (July 1974), page 7". The Greyhound Magazine Company Ltd. 1974.