The 1972 Greyhound Derby took place during June with the final being held on 24 June 1972 at White City Stadium. The winner was Patricias Hope and the winning owners Brian Stanley, Gordon Marks and B Marks received £10,952.
Competition Report Ante-post favourites were Favourite Rory and Juvenile champion Short Interview. Oaks heroine Decimal Queen and the previous year's third placed greyhound Leap and Run were two other leading contenders.
The first round consisted of nine heats and three fast winners were Super Rory (28.59), Suburban Gent (28.65) and Westmead County (28.76), both ante-post favourites went out. When round two got underway Super Rory aged (only 20 months) recorded 28.36 to win heat two by five lengths from Patricias Hope; Westmead County was eliminated in the same heat. Irish entry Proud Life, Bally Lander from Walthamstow and Lucky Punter trained by Peter Hawkesley took the other heat wins.
Proud Life won again to claim the first semi-final from Patricias Hope and Micks Pride; hot favourite First Case trained by Tom Johnston Jr could only finish fifth. In the second semi-final Super Rory became the fastest greyhound in the world by setting a time 28.26 sec when winning and bettering his father's (Yellow Printer) time.
An anonymous offer of £12,000 was followed by a £14,000 by Freddie Warrell for Super Rory but both were turned down and he was sent to traps as the 4-9 favourite for the final. Super Rory failed to trap well after being unsettled by the Derby roar* but Patricias Hope did trap well and went on to record a comfortable victory.
Note Derby roar* (the noise made by the crowd when the electric hare is set in motion)
Final result At White City (over 525 yards): PositionName of GreyhoundBreedingTrapSPTimeTrainer1stPatricias Hope Silver Hope - Patsicia 57-128.55Adam Jackson (Clapton)2ndBally Lander Powerstown Proper - Peg the Gag 416-128.81Tom 'Paddy' Reilly (Walthamstow) 3rdMicks Pride Carry On Oregon - Frank Refusal 625-128.83Bob Burls (Wembley)4thScintillas Gem Spectre II - Scintillas Second 17-128.93Paddy Milligan (Private)5thSuper Rory Yellow Printer - Laharn Beauty 34-9f29.01 Noreen Collin (White City - London)6thProud Life Always Proud - Rich Life 28-129.29 Max Davis (Ireland)
Distances 3¼, head, 1¼, 1, 3½ (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 1PosName SP Time 1st Proud Life 8-128.812nd First Case 4-5f28.843rd Abbey Chestnut 5-128.984th Deneholme Chief 4-129.225th Linmaree 10-129.466th Itsaladdie 14-1 29.58
Heat 2PosName SP Time 1st Super Rory 7-4 28.362nd Scintillas Gem 8-1 28.763rd Patricias Hope 9-228.824th Westmead County 6-4f 29.145th Kybo Venture 20-129.186th Camira Story 20-1 29.20
Heat 3PosName SP Time 1st Bally Lander 10-1 28.822nd Suburban Gent 4-9f 28.963rd Hover Bee 20-1 29.104th Pepper Joe 16-1 29.165th Tall King 10-1 29.466th Peters Black 5-1 30.02
Heat 4PosName SP Time 1st Lucky Punter 4-6f 28.672nd Black Andrew 11-4 28.823rd Micks Pride 33-128.864th Itsachampion 4-1 28.945th Toms Pal 16-1 29.026th Mullas Shore 10-1 29.14
Semi finals
First Semi Final (Jun 17) PosName of Greyhound SP Time Trainer1st Proud Life 9-2 28.83 Davis2nd Patricias Hope 4-1 28.84 Jackson3rd Micks Pride 20-1 28.86 Burls4th Black Andrew 3-1 28.94 Singleton5th First Case 5-4f 29.02 Johnston6th Hover Bee 40-1 29.18 West
Second Semi Final (Jun 17) PosName of Greyhound SP Time Trainer1st Super Rory 8-13f 28.26+ Collin2nd Bally Lander 20-1 28.78 Reilly3rd Scintillas Gem 12-1 28.86 Milligan4th Abbey Chestnut 33-1 28.90 Pickering5th Suburban Gent 7-2 28.94 Horan6th Lucky Punter 5-1 29.28 Hawkesley
+ World and track record
See also 1972 UK & Ireland Greyhound Racing Year
References