The 1976 UK & Ireland Greyhound Racing Year was the 51st year of greyhound racing in the United Kingdom and the 50th year of greyhound racing in Ireland.
Roll of honour Major Winners Award Name of Winner1976 English Greyhound Derby Mutts Silver 1976 Irish Greyhound Derby Tain Mor 1976 Scottish Greyhound Derby Flip Your Top 1976 Welsh Greyhound Derby Cameo Colonel Greyhound Trainer of the Year Phil Rees Sr. Greyhound of the Year Mutts Silver & Westmead ChampIrish Greyhound of the Year Tain Mor
Summary The National Greyhound Racing Club (NGRC) released the annual returns, with totalisator turnover down, at £66,657,176 and attendances up, recorded at 6,517,864 from 5923 meetings. The sport remained the UK's second most popular spectator sport behind football and Ireland's most popular sporting pastime.
Peruvian Style equalled Westpark Mustard's world record. Mutts Silver, a fawn dog trained by Phil Rees Sr. and Westmead Champ, another fawn dog trained by Pam Heasman were voted joint winners of the Greyhound of the Year. Mutts Silver won the premier event the 1976 English Greyhound Derby and Westmead Champ won the Gold Collar at Catford Stadium, the St Leger at Wembley Greyhounds and the Regency. A new system of selecting the greyhound of the year was inaugurated; it involved thirteen members of the greyhound press voting for one greyhound each. Mutts Silver and Westmead Champ ended with six votes each and were declared joint winners.
The Greyhound Racing Association (GRA) Property Trust relied on a scheme of arrangement that was organised to stop the once great greyhound company from going into liquidation, they owed £15 million to creditors. The remaining GRA greyhound racing tracks were left to pay the creditors by virtue of payments from their operating profit.
Tracks Two bookmaking giants Corals and Ladbrokes came directly into greyhound racing, Corals purchased Romford from Romford Stadium Ltd, headed by Managing Director Archer Leggett, the same man that had started the track in 1929. They invested heavily with a new grandstand, restaurant and track facilities. John Sutton became the new Managing Director and Sidney Wood became the new Racing Manager. Coral also bought Brighton, which received new investment and the track would go on to beat Shawfield Stadium in the final of the National Intertrack. Ladbrokes had been beaten to the purchase of the two tracks by Corals denying Ladbrokes the opportunity to own eight tracks in total because they had just purchased Totalisators and Greyhound Holdings (TGH) on 6 February. TGH owned six stadia at Brough Park, Crayford & Bexleyheath, Leeds, Gosforth, Willenhall and Monmore. However they were successful in acquiring a seventh track in July, when they purchased Perry Barr. Arthur Aldridge, formerly of the Greyhound Racing Association, joined Ladbroke as Racing Director.
Former Oaks winning trainer Mick Hawkins bought Ramsgate, under the name Northern Sports (parent company Hawkins of Harrow) from Dumpton (Thanet) Greyhounds Ltd for £185,000. His son David Hawkins was the Managing Director of Northern Sports who also owned the independent Doncaster Greyhound Track.
The unsold Oxford Stadium was renamed Cowley Stadium under a caretakers Don Joyce and Peter Jones and Maidstone opened following an agreement with Horace Luper and the Maidstone United Football Club. Salford closed on 30 July.
News Charles Chandler Sr. (the Walthamstow Stadium Chairman) died. Wimbledon Stadium introduced sectional timing and was one of the first tracks to use the system of grading in classes. A Romford bitch called Go Ahead Girl recorded 17 consecutive wins.
Prominent sire Newdown Heather died at Jack Mullan's kennels aged 12. His progeny included Dolores Rocket, Westpark Mustard and Time Up Please.
Competitions A white and blue dog called Xmas Holiday won both the Laurels at Wimbledon and the Scurry Gold Cup at Slough Stadium.
Ireland American tracks were increasing in number and with the 22 Irish tracks in operation the demand in breeding increased. Irish bred greyhounds increased in value as a consequence. Peruvian Style returned after his winter rest in a quest to beat Westpark Mustard's world record. After winning the Callanan Cup at Harold's Cross Stadiums the sequence stood at 16 consecutive wins. Two runs and wins with a track record in 29.28 seconds, during the Truboard Gold Cup at Waterford extended the run to 18 just one short of Mick the Miller and two less than Westpark Mustard. However an injury sustained in the final would leave him side-lined for six months. Peruvian Style returned to action in October with the defence of his Waterford Glass Stakes title. In the first round he won but pulled up lame after the race resulting in a one-month break. He was then entered at his home track Galway for the Federation Championship. A heat win enabled him to overtake Mick the Miller and equal Westpark Mustard's world record. A record attendance watched the final and witnessed an incredible shock when a greyhound called Pet Ace defeated Peruvian Style and the world record was not surpassed. He was immediately retired and put to stud duties. A greyhound called Tain Mor was voted Irish Greyhound of the Year despite the exploits of Peruvian Style
Principal UK races
BBC TV Trophy, Belle Vue (Mar 24, 815m, £1,500) PosName of GreyhoundTrainerSP TimeTrap 1st Aughadonagh Jock Brian Jay 52.77 12-1 32nd Dunworkin 52.93 3-1 63rd Go Ahead Girl 53.11 7-2 54th Doverdale Lady Rita Wood 53.43 8-1 45th Young Hostess 53.55 10-1 16th Butchers Trac 53.85 2-1f 2
Grand National, White City (April 10 500m h, £1,500) PosName of Greyhound TrainerSP Time Trap 1st Weston Pete Colin West 4-5f 30.60 32nd Fawn Hunter 40-1 30.66 23rd Ashgrove Road Paddy McEvoy7-1 30.76 44th Tawny Black David Kinchett 10-1 30.86 65th Rokeel Striker Adam Jackson 6-1 31.10 56th Crefogue Special 100-30 31.22 1
Scurry Gold Cup, Slough (April 17, 434m, £2,000)PosName of Greyhound TrainerSP Time Trap 1st Xmas Holiday Phil Rees Sr. 11-10f 26.67 12nd Mutts Silver Phil Rees Sr. 11-2 26.95 23rd Solid Sid John Cox 14-1 27.09 54th Raheen Sam John Coleman 6-4 27.25 65th Bold Tycoon 33-1 27.26 46th Black Gent Joe Farrand 40-1 27.71 3
Laurels, Wimbledon (May 21, 460m, £3,000)PosName of Greyhound TrainerSP Time Trap 1st Xmas Holiday Phil Rees Sr. 3-1 27.66 32nd Sean Na Gaisce John Coleman 9-4f 27.76 63rd Reddans Walk George Curtis 4-1 27.84 44th Black Barbarian Paddy McEvoy 5-1 27.90 55th Vive Argente 25-1 28.02 16th Knockanure Champ Barney O'Connor 7-1 28.18 2
Welsh Derby, Arms Park (Jul 10, 500m £1,200)PosName of Greyhound TrainerSP Time Trap 1st Cameo Colonel John Gibbons 10-1 29.63 32nd Ballybeg Punter 6-1 29.69 53rd Cu An Oir Ralph Smith 5-1 30.03 44th Houghton Rip Barbara Tompkins 5-4f 30.07 25th Reddans Walk George Curtis 2-1 30.13 1N/R Ardbeg Express Andy Agnew
Ladbrokes Cesarewitch, Belle Vue (July 17, 815m, £2,000)PosName of Greyhound TrainerSP Time Trap 1st Moy Summer Harry Bamford 16-1 51.32 52nd The Sheik 14-1 51.58 63rd Bonzo George Curtis 4-6f 51.66 14th Nurses Son John Coleman 7-1 51.68 45th Anglo Highjinks 6-1 51.82 26th Bedas Flame Jim Singleton 7-2 51.04 3
Scottish Greyhound Derby, Shawfield (Aug 7, 505m, £2,000)PosName of Greyhound TrainerSP Time Trap 1st Flip Your Top Bob Young11-10f 30.56 22nd Westmead Myra Natalie Savva 2-1 30.80 43rd Merry Forever Pat Casey 8-1 30.92 34th Doon Fantasy Terry Dartnall 6-1 30.95 15th Dromlara Master Bertie Gaynor 10-1 5N/R Drynham Star Natalie Savva
Gold Collar, Catford (Sep 25, 555m, £2,000)PosName of Greyhound TrainerSP Time Trap 1st Westmead Champ Pam Heasman 4-7f 35.02 22nd Mutts Silver Phil Rees Sr. 2-1 35.32 43rd Faypoint Flyer 33-1 35.42 14th Angel Eyes Ted Parker 10-1 35.82 65th Findon Venture Arthur Boyce 33-1 35.84 56th Isle of Thanet Jim Barry 40-1 36.24 3
St Leger, Wembley (Sep 6, 655m, £5,000)PosName of Greyhound TrainerSP Time Trap 1st Westmead Champ Pam Heasman 9-4 39.90 22nd Drynham Star Natalie Savva 4-1 39.94 53rd Bangor Boon Paddy Coughlan 6-1 39.96 14th Moy Summer Harry Bamford 33-1 40.22 65th Flip Your Top Bob Young 11-2 40.46 46th Picture Parade Geoff De Mulder 7-4f 40.54 3
The Grand Prix, Walthamstow (Oct 23, 640m, £2,500)PosName of Greyhound TrainerSP Time Trap 1st Manderlay King Geoff De Mulder 9-2 40.21 42nd Picture Parade Geoff De Mulder 1-1f 40.29 33rd Lady Denellen Pam Heasman 25-1 40.49 64th Sail Out Era P.Hawke 11-2 40.69 55th Miss Mott 33-1 40.85 26th Bonzo Mrs Berry Bateman 3-1 00.00 1
Oaks, Harringay (Nov 5, 475m, £1,750)PosName of Greyhound TrainerSP Time Trap 1st Ballinderry Moth Barney O'Connor4-6f 28.60 22nd Paradise Peg Ted Griffin 6-1 28.82 33rd Ka Boom Natalie Savva 12-1 29.06 54th Isle of Thanet Jim Barry 20-1 29.14 15th Ballybeg Seven Sid Ryall 33-1 29.22 66th Lucky Arrival Hugh McEntyre 7-2 29.28 4
Totalisator returns
The totalisator returns declared to the licensing authorities for the year 1976 are listed below.
StadiumTurnover £London (White City) 7,171,665London (Walthamstow) 6,064,978London (Wimbledon) 5,003,053London (Harringay) 3,623,272London (Catford) 3,043,604London (Wembley) 2,830,998Romford 2,791,227Manchester (Belle Vue) 2,220,451Edinburgh (Powderhall) 2,058,957Brighton & Hove 2,040,800Birmingham (Perry Barr, old)1,964,389Slough 1,943,452Birmingham (Hall Green) 1,850,297Crayford & Bexleyheath 1,712,226Southend-on-Sea 1,681,924Newcastle (Brough Park) 1,474,211
StadiumTurnover £Leeds (Elland Road) 1,348,174Glasgow (Shawfield) 1,299,425Sheffield (Owlerton) 1,296,725Wolverhampton (Monmore)1,059,563Manchester (White City) 1,021,854Bristol (Eastville) 950,559London (Hackney) 914,507Rochester & Chatham 847,248Derby826,794Gloucester & Cheltenham 794,251Yarmouth 746,716Cardiff (Arms Park) 714,614Newcastle (Gosforth)712,773Willenhall 635,844Portsmouth 554,330Ramsgate (Dumpton Park) 492,386
StadiumTurnover £Reading 467,861Poole438,026Oxford418,730Hull (Old Craven Park) 402,424Cradley Heath 380,621Milton Keynes377,668Middlesbrough 359,338Manchester (Salford) 320,129Leicester (Blackbird Rd) 313,524Swindon 263,913Rye House 240,275Ipswich 213,311Norton Canes 200,000Preston 200,000Halifax 58,496
References