The 1964 UK & Ireland Greyhound Racing Year was the 39th year of greyhound racing in the United Kingdom and the 38th year of greyhound racing in Ireland.
Roll of honour Major Winners Award Name of Winner1964 English Greyhound Derby Hack up Chieftain 1964 Irish Greyhound Derby Wonder Valley 1964 Scottish Greyhound Derby Hi Imperial 1964 Welsh Greyhound Derby Davo's Rink Greyhound Trainer of the Year Harry BamfordGreyhound of the Year Lucky Hi There
Summary The Dagenham Coup incident that took place at Dagenham Greyhound Stadium on 30 June 1964 took all the headlines and became one of the most infamous moments in greyhound racing history.
Despite the government reducing the totalisator tax to 5% from 10%, the industry saw a further fall in attendances. The National Greyhound Racing Club (NGRC) affiliated tracks saw 11,208,657 paying customers at 6011 meetings with tote turnover of £50,178,166.
Tracks The Greyhound Racing Association (GRA) acquired Catford Stadium. Crayford & Bexleyheath Stadium owners Northumbrian and Crayford Trust Ltd joined the Totalisator Holdings group, owners of six other tracks. The Liverpool tracks of Seaforth Greyhound Stadium and White City Stadium (Liverpool) re-joined the NGRC set up after spells as independent tracks.
A new independent opened called the Boston Sports Stadium in New Hammond Beck Road but the worrying trend of tracks closing continued. Lythalls Lane Stadium in Coventry closed and was sold for redevelopment as a housing estate, with the prestigious Eclipse Stakes switching to Kings Heath Stadium in Birmingham. The owners of the Coventry track also owned the Brandon Speedway Stadium and had plans to bring greyhounds there. The other tracks to close were Blackpool Greyhound Stadium, Darnall Stadium and the independent Northampton track.
Competitions Cranog Bet won a second consecutive Oaks at Harringay Stadium which led to her being voted bitch of the year for the second year running. She won 18 of her 24 open races in 1964.
The greyhound of the year award went to a black dog called Lucky Hi There, whelped in November 1961. He switched to the longer trip after appearing the year before in the Laurels final and the Gold Collar final in May, where it was soon apparent that his future lay in stayer's races. He duly performed superbly and won the Cambridgeshire, Orient Cup, Wimbledon Spring Cup, Wembley Gold Cup and Scottish St Leger. In his first classic of the year at Wembley he won the St Leger title and was well on the way to eventually going sixteen races before finally being beaten, just three short of Mick the Miller's record. During 1964 he won 27 of his 35 races.
News Trainer George Waterman died which came as a shock to the industry. He had started the early part of the year impressively, by winning the Gold Collar, the Pall Mall Stakes, Cloth of Gold, Coronation Cup and Springbok. Wimbledon Stadium would appoint Nora Gleeson to fill the gap left at the Burhill kennel range. White City recruited trainer Randolph Singleton from sister track Belle Vue Stadium.
We'll See (the 1963 greyhound of the year) died on his way back to the GRA kennels at Northaw while in transit after heart failure; he had just won a heat of the Birmingham Cup.
Principal UK races
Grand National, White City (April 25 525y h, £500) PosName of GreyhoundTrainerSP TimeTrap 1st Two Aces Jimmy Rimmer 10-11f 30.42 12nd Clerihan Reckless Wally Hancox 100-8 30.48 63rd Fairyfield SurpriseG.Jackson 3-1 30.68 24th Oyster Haven 100-8 30.69 55th Prince Fodda Stan Martin 25-1 30.72 36th Rathaney Streak Joe Pickering 6-1 30.84 4
BBC Sportsview TV Trophy Powderhall (Apr 29, 880y, £1,000)PosName of Greyhound TrainerSP Time Trap 1st Hillstride Tom Perry 6-4f 51.37 22nd Pigalle Prince Peter Collett 2-1 51.53 33rd Miss Elegant Paddy Keane 10-1 52.1744th Kilkeran Prince Glasgow 9-2 52.19 15th BuckwheatReg Webb 8-1 52.35 56th Joystick Harry Bamford 7-2 52.47 6
Gold Collar, Catford (May 16, 570y, £1,000) PosName of Greyhound TrainerSP Time Trap 1st Mighty Wind George Waterman 33-1 33.36 22nd Misty Chieftain Adam Jackson 10-11f 33.37 13rd Clifden Orbit Tom Johnston Jr. 10-1 33.37 44th Ballymurn ChiefErnie Butler 5-1 33.53 35th Hillside Buck Gunner Smith 40-1 33.61 66th Lucky Hi There Jimmy Jowett 5-2 33.77 5
Welsh Derby, Arms Park (Jul 4, 525y £500)PosName of Greyhound TrainerSP Time Trap 1st Davo's Rink Tom Baldwin 9-4 28.84 22nd Captain Pike Phil Rees Sr. 5-1 29.40 33rd Sallys StoryTony Dennis 1-1f 29.46 64th King Dick Phil Rees Sr. 100-6 29.62 55th Cahara Jet Joe De Mulder 7-1 29.74 46th Rito 100-8 29.90 1
Oaks, Harringay (Jul 4, 525y, £500)PosName of Greyhound TrainerSP Time Trap 1st Cranog Bet Phil Rees Sr. 4-9f 29.02+ 22nd SurpriseBette Godwin 8-1 30.06 13rd Flying SherryKen Moody 8-1 30.09 64th Peace SpriteJimmy Quinn 25-1 30.11 55th Lisheeghan Lady 5-1 30.15 46th Hi Cola Bill Kelly 20-1 30.25 3 +Equalled Track record
Scurry Gold Cup, Clapton (Jul 18, 400y £1,000)PosName of Greyhound TrainerSP Time Trap 1st Salthill SandJohn Bassett 100-6 22.72 62nd Lucky Land 100-8 23.46 23rd Ballinasloe Fred Bill Kelly 10-1 23.47 44th Cranog Bet Phil Rees Sr. 8-13f 24.05 15th Kans Jack Harvey 7-2 24.29 56th Light Headed Gordon Hodson 100-8 24.35 3
Laurels, Wimbledon (Aug 14, 500y, £1,000)PosName of Greyhound TrainerSP Time Trap 1st Conna Count Dennis Hannafin 100-7 28.08 12nd Pineapple Joe Dennis Hannafin 10-11f 28.18 33rd Kans Jack Harvey 5-2 28.20 54th Captain Pike Phil Rees Sr. 100-8 28.44 45th Ferns Con Mrs.J.Reeve 5-1 28.45 66th Outcast Roger 25-1 28.55 2
St Leger, Wembley (Aug 31, 700y, £1,000)PosName of Greyhound TrainerSP Time Trap 1st Lucky Hi There Jimmy Jowett 1-2f 39.90 42nd Slow Traveller Frank Conlon 8-1 40.10 33rd Shangris Captain A.M.Bennett 100-8 40.34 14th Failte MalBill Dash 5-1 40.42 55th Clifden Orbit Tom Johnston Jr. 7-1 40.432N/R Automation Phil Rees Sr. 6
Scottish Greyhound Derby, Carntyne (Sep 5, 525y, £750)PosName of Greyhound TrainerSP Time Trap 1st Hi Imperial Tom Johnston Jr. 20-1 29.13 62nd Private Gun Tommy Kane 5-1 29.14 23rd Crazy Platinum Bessie Lewis 8-1 29.22 34th Lowfield King P.O'Loughlin 6-1 29.36 45th O'LearyJim Hookway 4-7f 29.39 16th Scamp Boy Bessie Lewis 6-1 29.43 5
Cesarewitch, West Ham (Oct 2, 600y, £1,000)PosName of Greyhound TrainerSP Time Trap 1st Clifden Orbit Tom Johnston Jr. 4-1 33.08 62nd Ring Roller Jack Kinsley 12-1 33.14 13rd Pineapple Joe Dennis Hannafin 10-1 33.34 34th Failte Mal Bill Dash 8-13f 33.62 45th Denises Pride Randy Singleton 20-1 33.65 26th Slow Traveller Frank Conlon 5-1 33.68 5
Principal Irish races
Produce Stakes, Clonmel (May 13, 525y £1,000)PosName of GreyhoundTrainerTime1st Mothel Chief Paddy Dunphy 29.70 2nd Vales Corner 30.18 3rd Lucky Break 30.584th Greenane Flame 30.78 u Kileden Chief u Rattle the Jungle
St Leger, Limerick (Jul 11, 550y £1,000)PosName of Greyhound TrainerTime 1st Brook Jockey P Boyce 31.66 2nd Kylepark Special 31.72 3rd Solo Jungle 32.00 4th Honey Fitz 32.16 u Lovely Fashion u November King
Laurels, Cork (Sep 12, 525y £1,250)PosName of Greyhound TrainerTime 1st Tanyard Heather P Cashman 29.202nd Good Brandy 29.363rd Seagulls Ltd 29.764th Tanyard There 29.92 u Brindle John u Bimco
Oaks, Harold's Cross (Sep 18, 525y £1,000)PosName of Greyhound TrainerTime 1st Knock Her T O’Shaughnessy 29.982nd Have A Mink 30.103rd Bally Minorca 30.114th Venpact 30.35 u Weed Pest u Brandon View
u=unplaced
Totalisator returns
The totalisator returns declared to the licensing authorities for the year 1964 are listed below.
StadiumTurnover £London (White City) 4,817,765London (Harringay) 3,157,901London (Wimbledon) 2,477,246London (Walthamstow) 2,367,934London (Wembley) 2,178,577London (Clapton) 1,757,020London (Catford) 1,704,894Manchester (Belle Vue) 1,699,762London (West Ham) 1,677,282London (Wandsworth) 1,552,680London (Stamford Bridge) 1,124,298London (Hendon) 1,121,676London (New Cross) 1,094,011Romford 1,078,854Edinburgh (Powderhall) 1,052,195Manchester (White City) 1,016,507Birmingham (Perry Barr, old)980,477Glasgow (Shawfield) 904,791London (Park Royal) 896,739Brighton & Hove 841,553
StadiumTurnover £London (Hackney) 823,797Birmingham (Hall Green) 766,837Slough 723,168Glasgow (White City) 713,322Leeds (Elland Road) 685,494Crayford & Bexleyheath 672,566Southend-on-Sea 652,600Manchester (Salford) 623,516Newcastle (Brough Park) 610,007Bristol (Eastville) 608,358Wolverhampton (Monmore)589,489Newcastle (Gosforth)543,663Willenhall 542,387Cardiff (Arms Park) 541,252London (Dagenham) 534,336Ramsgate (Dumpton Park) 496,702Bradford (Greenfield) 490,951Sheffield (Owlerton) 486,339Reading (Oxford Road)484,672
StadiumTurnover £Birmingham (Kings Heath) 463,246Gloucester & Cheltenham 424,472Liverpool (White City) 415,753Glasgow (Carntyne) 391,829Derby372,172Poole 338,888Oxford331,782Rochester & Chatham 314,635Gateshead 303,070Middlesbrough 287,248Liverpool (Seaforth) 285,094Hull (Old Craven Park) 243,075Aberdeen 239,323Leicester (Blackbird Rd) 234,056Nottingham (White City)230,844South Shields 218,345Portsmouth 200,560Preston 198,701Norwich (City) 127,804
References