The 1974 Spillers Greyhound Derby took place during June with the final being held on 29 June 1974 at White City Stadium. 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.
Final result At White City (over 525 yards): PositionName of GreyhoundBreedingTrapSPTimeTrainer1stJimsun Monalee Champion - Lady Expert 15-228.76Geoff De Mulder (Hall Green) 2ndMyrtown Myross Again - Longstown Lassie 32-128.86Eddie Moore (White City - Manchester)3rdBallymaclune Yanka Boy - Kitty True65-128.90Ger McKenna (Ireland)4thSoft Light The Grand Light - Knockmoylan Kate 46-128.92Joe Bennett (Private)5thBlackwater Champ Monalee Champion - Athnid 513-8f29.00 Peter Payne (Private)6thHandy High Handy Valley - Black Highbird 220-129.20 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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Quarter finals
Heat 1PosName SP Time 1st Acomb Dot 9-4 28.682nd Lively Band 5-4f 28.713rd Ballymaclune 7-1 28.954th Economy Size 25-1 29.135th Deise Dreams 4-1 29.376th Greenane Bard 50-1 29.47
Heat 2PosName SP Time 1st Myrtown 4-6f 28.672nd Soft Light 7-1 28.813rd Silver Thought 40-128.844th Spiral Cindy 6-1 28.965th Patricias Hope 14-128.986th Coin Case 4-1 29.12
Heat 3PosName SP Time 1st Jimsun 4-7f 28.692nd Benson Cash 20-1 29.073rd Houghton Hiker 50-1 29.104th Two P.M. 8-1 29.115th Pass Me Not 9-1 29.376th Over Protected 3-1 29.47
Heat 4PosName SP Time 1st Blackwater Champ 1-2f 28.612nd Monsoon Boy 25-1 28.833rd Handy High 10-1 29.074th Jingle Jockey 40-1 29.095th Crown Walter 4-1 29.176th Emerald Storm 9-1 29.41
Semi finals
First Semi Final PosName of Greyhound SP Time Trainer1st Soft Light 7-1 28.75 Bennett2nd Jimsun 4-7f 28.83 De Mulder3rd Ballymaclune 8-1 28.85 McKenna4th Benson Cash 50-1 28.95 West5th Monsoon Boy 16-1 28.99 Conroy6th Acomb Dot 5-1 29.19 Malcolm
Second Semi Final PosName of Greyhound SP Time Trainer1st Blackwater Champ 7-4 28.95 Payne2nd Handy High 40-1 29.19 Milligan3rd Myrtown 11-10f 29.59 Moore4th Lively Band 9-2 29.67 Johnston5th Houghton Hiker 66-1 29.75 6th Silver Thought 40-1 29.81
See also 1974 UK & Ireland Greyhound Racing Year
References