The 1965 UK & Ireland Greyhound Racing Year was the 40th year of greyhound racing in the United Kingdom and the 39th year of greyhound racing in Ireland.
Roll of honour Major Winners Award Name of Winner1965 English Greyhound Derby Hack up Chieftain 1965 Irish Greyhound Derby Ballyowen Chief 1965 Scottish Greyhound Derby Clonmannon Flash 1965 Welsh Greyhound Derby Harmony Greyhound Trainer of the Year Jim Hookway & John BassettGreyhound of the YearClonmannon Flash Irish Greyhound of the YearBallyowen Chief
Summary The industry experienced a small rise in attendances and totalisator turnover for the first time since 1946. The National Greyhound Racing Club (NGRC) affiliated tracks saw 11,213,730 paying customers at 5972 meetings with tote turnover of £58,480,219. However the possibility of future increases was unlikely because there was competition from television, which had found its way into many of Britain's households, bingo halls (a recent gambling rival) which was now established and dance halls pulled in the younger generation. In addition many companies that owned tracks had evaluated that selling them for redevelopment brought large short term financial gain, especially in major cities.
Tracks Staines Greyhound Stadium was demolished, five years after closing and the Mexborough greyhound track called the Dog Daisy Stadium, which was situated on the corner of Sedgefield Way and Harlington Road also shut. Seaforth Greyhound Stadium closed on 31 December. Romford Stadium Ltd sold their controlling interest in the Dagenham Greyhound Stadium track for £185,000 stating that government restrictions on fixtures forced both tracks to race on the same day which impacted attendances. Incidentally The Dagenham Coup court case continued.
News On 25 January Juvenile champion Hi Joe trained by Noreen Collin and owned by bookmaker Victor Chandler Sr. was stolen from his Epping kennels. Initial hopes were that he could be recovered quickly to allow him to line up for the English Greyhound Derby but as the weeks passed he had not been recovered.
John Sutton became the Managing Director of the Greyhound Racing Association and the GRA extended its board by adding Major Percy Brown, John Cearns (son of WJ Cearns) and Charles Chandler Jr. to the directors. They then sold the Kingsfurze breeding establishment at Naas in County Kildare, the seven acre grounds had been breeding greyhounds for over 17 years. This was followed by the sale of Upper Childown Farm and Fan Court Farm grounds in Longcross near Chertsey. The two properties were used as a nursery and rearing establishment by the GRA. Further cutbacks by the GRA included the sacking of two advertising executives and five trainers from the Hook Estate and Kennels. Harry Buck, Dick Clark, Albert Jonas, Eric Hiscock and Jack Cooper all left while the remaining ten Hook Kennels trainers would cover the three tracks of White City Greyhounds, Harringay Stadium and Stamford Bridge Greyhounds. The Chairman and Directors were rewarded for their work by gaining a significant rise, doubling their salaries, which was deferred until 1966.
Track Chromatography (a drug testing unit) was first used at Walthamstow in their purpose built lab. Leading owner, the 70 year old shipping magnate Noel Purvis retired after forty years owning greyhounds, he rated Mile Bush Pride as his greatest greyhound.
Ireland Des Hanrahan became Chairman of the Bord na gCon and actively sought to buy any Irish tracks in danger of being sold to developers.
At the seaside resort of Ballybunion in County Kerry, Matt Sullivan finally received a licence to open Ballybunion Greyhound Stadium despite having to go to court against the Bord na gCon, who had reservations that it was too close to the Kingdom Greyhound Stadium in Tralee.
A litter whelped in February 1965, at the kennels of Leo Stack at Duagh, County Kerry, would become one of the greatest litters in the history of track racing. The litter, of five dogs and four bitches, was by Crazy Parachute out of Supreme Witch and included Forward Flash (a black dog), Forward King (a fawn dog), Spectre II and Tric-Trac (two black dogs) and Gezira (a fawn bitch).
Competitions The Grand Prix at Walthamstow Stadium is cancelled for the second year in succession due to problems over filling the event. Walthamstow had applied for a change to 700 yards at late notice but it is refused by the NGRC. They will however apply for a longer distance the following year and be successful. Conna Count, a white and brindle dog became the fourth greyhound to successfully defend the Laurels at Wimbledon Stadium for a new increased prize of £1,500.
Clonmannon Flash, the Jim Hookway trained greyhound won the Scottish Greyhound Derby, Northern Flat, Edinburgh Cup, Pall Mall Stakes, Gimcrack and Stewards' Cup. He subsequently received the accolade of Greyhound of the Year at the end of year awards held at the Dorchester Hotel.
Principal UK races
Grand National, White City (April 24 525y h, £500) PosName of GreyhoundTrainerSP TimeTrap 1st Im Crazy Randy Singleton 11-4 29.60 42nd Killouragh Course Adam Jackson 8-1 30.24 13rd Gladstone Mark Jim Singleton 9-1 30.30 64th Tact Nora Gleeson 9-1 30.32 55th Bolshoi Prince Phil Rees Sr. 2-1f 30.56 26th Chantillys Fawn Lace Jimmy Clubb 4-1 30.64 3
BBC Sportsview TV Trophy Wimbledon (Apr 28, 880y, £1,000)PosName of Greyhound TrainerSP Time Trap 1st Lucky Hi There Jimmy Jowett 13-8f 51.35 22nd Conna Jester Tony Dennis 100-7 51.41 53rd What About This S Brennan 11-2 51.44 34th Boothroyden Flash Harry Bamford 3-1 51.50 15th Fatal Result 8-1 51.82 66th Boothroyden Larry Harry Bamford 4-1 51.83 4
Gold Collar, Catford (May 15, 570y, £1,000)PosName of Greyhound TrainerSP Time Trap 1st Friday Morning Ron Chamberlain 11-10f 33.73 62nd Clifden Orbit Tom Johnston Jr. 5-1 34.17 33rd AutomationPhil Rees Sr. 3-1 34.23 54th Lucky MonforteJohn Bassett 11-2 34.39 15th Speed Rue R.Dalton 9-2 34.75 4N/R Mercedes Star Paddy Keane 2
Welsh Derby, Arms Park (Jul 3, 525y £500)PosName of Greyhound TrainerSP Time Trap 1st Harmony Jim Irving 3-1 29.43 12nd Creggan Bush Reg Webb 6-4f 29.59 63rd Bernies Fire 7-1 29.73 54th Tact Nora Gleeson 12-1 29.99 25th Cons Prince Lionel Maxen 14-1 30.15 36th Venture Again Dave Geggus 5-2 30.18 4
Oaks, Harringay (Jul 5, 525y, £1,000)PosName of Greyhound TrainerSP Time Trap 1st Marjone Mick O'Toole 4-1 29.37 62nd Geddys Empress Bill Kelly 2-7f 29.53 13rd Shancloon Lady Stan Gudgin 8-1 29.54 34th Carols Champion Johnny Bullock 20-1 29.78 45th Miss Taft Bob Burls 20-1 29.80 56th Extra Smart 50-1 30.20 2
Scurry Gold Cup, Clapton (Jul 17, 400y £1,000)PosName of Greyhound TrainerSP Time Trap 1st After You John Bassett 7-1 22.47 12nd Cassildo (dead-heat) Ron Chamberlain 5-1 22.87 22nd Faithful Hope (dead-heat) Paddy Keane 5-2jf 22.87 34th Orphan Swan Paddy McEvoy 9-2 23.07 65th Bank Note Paddy Power 14-1 23.55 56th Ballinasloe Fred Bill Kelly 5-2jf 23.69 4
Laurels, Wimbledon (Aug 13, 500y, £1,500)PosName of Greyhound TrainerSP Time Trap 1st Conna CountPaddy McEvoy 11-2 28.13 42nd Venture Again Dave Geggus 1-1f 28.23 53rd Charlie Caesar Stan Martin 7-1 28.27 14th Chittering Clapton Adam Jackson 5-1 28.35 25th Lucky Private 20-1 28.36 36th Sapphire Prince Jimmy Fletcher 4-1 28.37 6
Scottish Greyhound Derby, Carntyne (Sep 4, 525y, £1,000)PosName of Greyhound TrainerSP Time Trap 1st Clonmannon Flash Jim Hookway 2-1f 29.00 62nd O'Leary Jim Hookway 6-1 29.12 53rd Olivers Leader 8-1 29.15 34th Kilbeg Kuda John Bassett 6-1 29.16 45th Flash Solar Stan Mitchell 4-1 29.24 16th Chittering Clapton Adam Jackson 5-2 29.25 2
St Leger, Wembley (Sep 6, 700y, £1,250)PosName of Greyhound TrainerSP Time Trap 1st Greenane Flash Jimmy Quinn 2-1 40.13 62nd Claudyne John Brown 13-8f 40.21 13rd Suir View II Tom Johnston Jr. 5-1 40.31 44th Joystick Harry Bamford 20-140.41 55th Ringulator Jimmy Jowett 9-2 40.49 26th Adamstown Toast 10-1 40.65 3
Cesarewitch, West Ham (Oct 8, 600y, £1,500)PosName of Greyhound TrainerSP Time Trap 1st Lucky Montforte John Bassett 5-1 33.00 12nd Faithful Hope Paddy Keane 4-5f 33.04 33rd Greenane Flame Jack Harvey 16-1 33.4454th Lucky Arrow II Peter Collett 7-1 33.46 45th Motor Now Tom Johnston Jr. 5-2 33.54 26th Clifden Orbit Tom Johnston Jr. 16-1 33.74 6
Totalisator returns
The totalisator returns declared to the licensing authorities for the year 1965 are listed below.
StadiumTurnover £London (White City) 5,415,369London (Harringay) 3,496,197London (Wimbledon) 3,150,990London (Walthamstow) 2,913,718London (Wembley) 2,505,145London (Catford) 2,030,731London (Clapton) 1,965,500London (West Ham) 1,854,887Manchester (Belle Vue) 1,834,078London (Wandsworth) 1,778,071London (New Cross) 1,372,102London (Hendon) 1,347,031Romford 1,282,457London (Stamford Bridge) 1,275,368Birmingham (Perry Barr, old)1,219,632Edinburgh (Powderhall) 1,193,969Manchester (White City) 1,146,295London (Hackney) 1,081,582Glasgow (Shawfield) 1,080,310
StadiumTurnover £Brighton & Hove 991,959London (Park Royal) 950,507Birmingham (Hall Green) 923,625Glasgow (White City) 887,241Slough 819,895Leeds (Elland Road) 757,118Sheffield (Owlerton) 732,336Southend-on-Sea 722,286Manchester (Salford) 715,087Newcastle (Brough Park) 707,159Wolverhampton (Monmore)705,836Bristol (Eastville) 680,701Crayford & Bexleyheath 673,742Willenhall 648,176Newcastle (Gosforth)619,462Cardiff (Arms Park) 576,908Birmingham (Kings Heath) 567,888Reading (Oxford Road)549,249Bradford (Greenfield) 539,608
StadiumTurnover £Gloucester & Cheltenham 535,785Ramsgate (Dumpton Park) 522,651Liverpool (White City) 498,134Glasgow (Carntyne) 465,557Derby460,975Poole419,305Rochester & Chatham 385,533Oxford362,050Gateshead 342,751Middlesbrough 328,571Liverpool (Seaforth) 295,851Leicester (Blackbird Rd) 291,283Hull (Old Craven Park) 290,437Nottingham (White City)289,003Portsmouth 286,792Aberdeen 278,707Preston 253,309South Shields 202,255Norwich (City) 159,055
References