The 1978 Spillers Greyhound Derby took place during May, June and July with the final being held on 1 July 1978 at White City Stadium. The winner was Lacca Champion and the winning owners Paul Howell, Sandra Howell and David Hill received a record £20,000. The competition was sponsored by the Spillers.
Competition Report The Derby attracted a significant number of runners from Ireland with 21 of the 163 hopefuls making the journey. The first round was held at different tracks which proved unpopular. Scurry Gold Cup champion Jet Control ran in a heat the night after winning the Laurels.
Ante-post favourite Witchs Champion went out in round two and Heres Tat ran well below expectation but the Ger McKenna trained greyhound retained the overall favouritism. The Pat and Linda Mullins pair of Lacca Champion and Paradise Spectre both progressed as did Balliniska Band. The erratic Glen Rock who had recorded the fastest trial of the year at the track (29.47) also progressed but failed at the quarter-final stage.
The third round ended the challenge of defending champion Balliniska Band following two dislocated toes. The fastest heat winner was Geoff De Mulder's Dale Lad in a time of 29.30. The quarter-finals resulted in another win for Lacca Champion who remained unbeaten and Irish sprinter Glenroe Hiker led all the way in his heat but Paradise Spectre went out.
The long format of the competition now meant that the semifinals would be the fifth run for the greyhounds. The first semi resulted in a fifth win for Lacca Champion after he matched the early pace of Glenroe Hiker out of the traps; All Wit took third place. In the second semi Mulcair Rocket the 6-4f trained by Emil Kovac missed the break leaving Superior Model winning from Backdeed Man and Great Ali.
Six contenders lined up for the final and Lacca Champion was sent off 6-4 favourite. Out of the traps he was led by Glenroe Hiker, but Lacca Champion maintained his challenge and went on to win from Backdeed Man in 29.42sec, with the early leader fading into fifth. Lacca Champion had gone through the Derby unbeaten with the added anomaly of winning his first round heat at Harringay Stadium.
Final result At White City (over 500 metres): PositionName of GreyhoundBreedingTrapSPTimeTrainer1stLacca Champion Itsachampion - Highland Finch 36-4f29.42Pat Mullins (Private)2ndBackdeed Man Flaming King - Beachwalk Lady 66-129.56David McClenaghan (Ireland)3rdAll Wit Monalee Champion - Dunally 57-129.76Frank Baldwin (Perry Barr)4thSuperior Model Right O' Myross - Dusty Silver 15-129.78Bob Hall (Private)5thGlenroe Hiker Monalee Hiker - Glenroe Dasher49-429.90 Colm McGrath (Ireland)6thGreat Ali Tartan Khan - Blues Babe 216-129.96Ted Griffin (Bletchley)
Distances 1¾, 2½, head, 1½, ¾ (lengths) The distances between the greyhounds are in finishing order and shown in lengths. One length is equal to 0.08 of one second.
Quarter-finals
Heat 1 (June 22)PosName SP Time 1stLacca Champion4-6f29.582ndAll Wit 9-2 29.613rdDull Morning 20-129.754thBubbling Away 14-129.835thSophronia 5-129.936th Tiger Jazz 12-1
Heat 2 (June 22)PosName SP Time 1stBackdeed Man 6-129.702ndSuperior Model 10-129.723rdFairbourn Paddy 50-129.784thAshcarne Bronco9-429.795th Glen Rock5-4f29.876th Donal's Greatest 9-2 30.05
Heat 3 (June 22)PosName SP Time 1stMulcair Rocket2-1 29.652ndLesleys Charm 12-129.853rd Great Ali 6-129.954th Bye A Mile6-4f 30.115thMan of Tudor8-1 30.196th Toms Chance 16-130.29
Heat 4 (June 22)PosName SP Time 1st Glenroe Hiker 13-829.772ndDolla Arkle40-1 29.993rdMalange 12-130.034thParadise Spectre 5-1 30.115thDurfold Dandy 33-130.256thDale Lad5-4f 30.37
Semifinals
First Semifinal (Jun 24)PosName of Greyhound SP Time Trainer1st Lacca Champion 11-4 29.31 Mullins2nd Glenroe Hiker 11-8f 29.61 McGrath3rd All Wit 11-4 29.65 Baldwin4th Malange 10-1 29.73 O'Donnell5th Fairbourn Paddy 25-1 29.81 6th Dull Morning 40-1 30.09 Briggs
Second Semifinal (Jun 24)PosName of Greyhound SP Time Trainer1st Superior Model 4-1 29.72 Hall2nd Backdeed Man 3-1 29.76 McClenaghan3rd Great Ali 16-1 29.82 Griffin4th Lesley's Charm 12-1 29.92 5th Mulcair Rocket 6-4f 29.95 Kovac6th Dolla Arkle 8-1 30.03 Coleman
See also 1978 UK & Ireland Greyhound Racing Year
References