1952 UK & Ireland Greyhound Racing Year
# 1952 UK & Ireland Greyhound Racing Year

The 1952 UK & Ireland Greyhound Racing Year was the 27th year of greyhound racing in the United Kingdom and Ireland.

## Roll of honour

Major Winners :

| Award | Name of Winner |
| - | - |
| 1952 English Greyhound Derby | Endless Gossip |
| 1952 Irish Greyhound Derby | Rough Waters |
| 1952 Scottish Greyhound Derby | Not held |
| 1952 Welsh Greyhound Derby | Endless Gossip |
| Greyhound of the Year | Endless Gossip |

## Summary

The annual totalisator was £64,263,725, which indicated that the industry had stabilised following a few turbulent years.

The year focused on the performances of two greyhounds, Endless Gossip and Magourna Reject. Despite the fact that Magourna Reject had failed to land a classic competition during the year, he drew the crowds everywhere he went and Endless Gossip was denied the chance to win the Triple Crown because the Scottish Greyhound Derby had been cancelled.

## Competitions

Match racing was still popular even twenty years after the Mick the Miller era. One such match was between XPDNC (the Grand National champion against this year's favourite Lambourn Blackflash. Lambourn Blackflash won by five lengths and both competed in the Grand National at White City during May. The two rivals qualified for the final, but it was a 20-1 shot (Whistling Laddie) who upset the odds beating Lambourn Blackflash by one and a quarter lengths, XPDNC finished fifth in the first Grand National to contain six dogs.

The National Intertrack Championship sponsored by the News of the World was won by Eastville after the Bristol track defeated Bradford 19–11. Endless Gossip travelled to Cardiff Arms Park after winning the 1952 English Greyhound Derby and added the Welsh Greyhound Derby final defeating a field including Magourna Reject, Ballylanigan Tanist and Drumman Rambler.

Monachdy Girlie trained by Jimmy Jowett, won the Scurry Gold Cup and Endless Gossip then won the Laurels at Wimbledon Stadium which now offered £1,000 to the winner. Magourna Reject was switched to the longer distances but failed to win both the Cesarewitch and St Leger and looked destined to never win a classic race. Monachdy Girlie won a second classic after a dead heat in the Oaks The Grand Prix competition was not run due to insufficient entries.

## Tracks

The Abbey Stadium in Swindon opened on 1 November. The stadium was opened by the Bristol Greyhound Racing Association, soon to change their name to Bristol Stadium Ltd and they also took control of affairs at Oxford Stadium, following the death of Managing Director Leslie Calcutt.

## News

Trainer Stan Biss died after suffering a stroke and failing to recover and the well-respected Managing Director of Catford Stadium, Frank Sutton also died. Sutton had introduced the British Breeders Produce Stakes. Laughing Lieutenant was the first stud dog to fly to Ireland for breeding purposes and trainer Jack Tallantire joined the New Cross Stadium training ranks.

The National Greyhound Racing Club made the weighing of greyhounds before a race compulsory.

## Ireland

Racing in Ireland was experiencing a boom as attendances flocked to see the racing. A greyhound called Rough Waters had spent 1951 flapping (racing on independent tracks), in Scotland before being aimed towards Shelbourne Park and the Irish Greyhound Derby. Owned by one of Ireland's leading bookmakers Jimmy Lalor and trained by his brother Henry, the brindle went on to win the Derby final.

## Principal UK races

Grand National, White City (May 9 525y h, £300) :

| Pos | Name of Greyhound | Trainer | SP | Time | Trap |
| - | - | - | - | - | - |
| 1st | Whistling Laddie | Stan Martin | 20-1 | 30.13 | 2 |
| 2nd | Lambourn Blackflash | O Papps | 7-4f | 30.23 | 1 |
| 3rd | Funny Prince | Les Parry | 100-6 | 30.25 | 6 |
| 4th | Drumman Rambler | Olly Chetland | 3-1 | 30.29 | 4 |
| 5th | XPDNC | Les Parry | 20-1 | 30.39 | 5 |
| 6th | Cooleen Flyer | Tom Reilly | 2-1 | 30.57 | 3 |

Gold Collar, Catford (May 31, 440y, £600) :

| Pos | Name of Greyhound | Trainer | SP | Time | Trap |
| - | - | - | - | - | - |
| 1st | Hectic Birthday | Ronnie Melville | 10-1 | 25.41+ | 4 |
| 2nd | Fitzsman | Leslie Reynolds | 8-1 | 25.65 | 6 |
| 3rd | Fawn Wind | Jonathan Hopkins | 7-4f | 25.71 | 5 |
| 4th | Denver Colonist | Pam Heasman | 3-1 | 25.93 | 3 |
| 5th | Yew Berry | Stan Martin | 9-2 | 26.03 | 2 |
| 6th | Carlane Briskie | Reg Holland | 4-1 | 26.17 | 1 |

Welsh Derby, Arms Park (Jul 5, 525y £500) :

| Pos | Name of Greyhound | Trainer | SP | Time | Trap |
| - | - | - | - | - | - |
| 1st | Endless Gossip | Leslie Reynolds | 7-4 | 29.41 | 1 |
| 2nd | Magourna Reject | Noreen Collin | 4-5f | 30.01 | 3 |
| 3rd | Ballylanigan Tanist | Leslie Reynolds | 7-2 | 30.11 | 6 |
| 4th | Drumman Rambler | Olly Chetland | 20-1 | 30.29 | 5 |
| 5th | Outcast Bally | | 66-1 | 30.51 | 4 |
| N/R | Kind Comrade | Noreen Collin | | | |

Scurry Gold Cup, Clapton (Jul 26, 400y £500) :

| Pos | Name of Greyhound | Trainer | SP | Time | Trap |
| - | - | - | - | - | - |
| 1st | Monachdy Girlie | Jimmy Jowett | 4-1 | 23.08 | 5 |
| 2nd | Tams Taigle | Ronnie Melville | 9-2 | 23.36 | 6 |
| 3rd | Carlane Briskie | Reg Holland | 9-2 | 23.52 | 1 |
| 4th | Kilcool Griston | | 33-1 | 23.60 | 3 |
| 5th | Minorcas Hope | Frank Conlon | 11-8f | 23.90 | 2 |
| 6th | Marazion Michael | Paddy Fortune | 7-1 | 24.14 | 4 |

Laurels, Wimbledon (Aug 22, 500y, £1,000) :

| Pos | Name of Greyhound | Trainer | SP | Time | Trap |
| - | - | - | - | - | - |
| 1st | Endless Gossip | Leslie Reynolds | 2-11f | 27.96 | 1 |
| 2nd | Ballylanigan Tanist | Leslie Reynolds | 6-1 | 28.10 | 4 |
| 3rd | Midnight Charlotte | Stan Martin | 33-1 | 28.20 | 2 |
| 4th | Denver Colonist | Pam Heasman | 20-1 | 28.38 | 6 |
| 5th | Happy Luck | | 33-1 | 28.54 | 3 |
| N/R | Magic Blackbird | | | | |

St Leger, Wembley (Sep 8, 700y, £1,000) :

| Pos | Name of Greyhound | Trainer | SP | Time | Trap |
| - | - | - | - | - | - |
| 1st | Funny Worker | Bob Burls | 6-1 | 40.50 | 6 |
| 2nd | Malanna Mace | Henry Parsons | 7-1 | 40.66 | 4 |
| 3rd | Shaggy Swank | Tom Lightfoot | 50-1 | 40.88 | 5 |
| 4th | Magourna Reject | Noreen Collin | 8-11f | 40.90 | 3 |
| 5th | Mad Miller | Leslie Reynolds | 7-2 | 40.91 | 1 |
| 6th | Mansion Bell | J.W.Bell | 25-1 | 41.17 | 2 |

Oaks, White City (Sep 27, 525y, £500) :

| Pos | Name of Greyhound | Trainer | SP | Time | Trap |
| - | - | - | - | - | - |
| 1st | Flos Pet* | Paddy Fortune | 8-1 | 29.60 | 1 |
| 1st | Monachdy Girlie* | Jimmy Jowett | 10-1 | 29.60 | 4 |
| 3rd | Lovely Birthday | Jack Harvey | 11-4 | 29.62 | 2 |
| 4th | Shaggy Shale | | 100-8 | 29.68 | 3 |
| 5th | Ballinasloe Mona | Jack Harvey | 10-11f | 29.69 | 5 |
| 6th | Queen of the Roses II | | 100-1 | 29.79 | 6 |

Cesarewitch, West Ham (Oct 17, 600y, £600) :

| Pos | Name of Greyhound | Trainer | SP | Time | Trap |
| - | - | - | - | - | - |
| 1st | Shaggy Swank | Tom Lightfoot | 5-1 | 34.03 | 2 |
| 2nd | Magourna Reject | Noreen Collin | 8-11f | 34.23 | 6 |
| 3rd | Mansion Bell | J.W.Bell | 11-2 | 34.43 | 5 |
| 4th | Outcast Surprise | | 20-1 | 34.69 | 3 |
| 5th | Mellow Mystery | Bert Heyes | 11-2 | 34.81 | 4 |
| 6th | Smart Prince | | 10-1 | 35.35 | 1 |

## Totalisator returns

Extended content :

The totalisator returns declared to the licensing authorities for the year 1952 are listed below. Tracks that did not have a totalisator in operation are not listed.

Stadium

Turnover £

London (White City)4,955,981

London (Harringay)3,352,649

London (Wembley)2,918,149

London (Wimbledon)2,752,199

London (Walthamstow)2,543,822

London (Wandsworth)1,836,266

London (Stamford Bridge)1,750,349

London (Clapton)1,741,183

London (Park Royal)1,717,716

Manchester (Belle Vue)1,717,283

London (West Ham)1,675,649

London (Catford)1,603,783

London (Hackney)1,280,383

London (New Cross)1,259,516

London (Hendon)1,073,466

Manchester (White City)973,583

Brighton & Hove908,716

London (Charlton)870,316

Glasgow (Shawfield)861,266

Romford857,950

Edinburgh (Powderhall)811,050

Newcastle (Brough Park)790,050

Birmingham (Perry Barr, old)753,116

Birmingham (Hall Green)752,100

Crayford & Bexleyheath722,900

Manchester (Salford)720,283

London (Dagenham)703,200

Cardiff (Arms Park)659,033

Newcastle (Gosforth)633,350

Sheffield (Owlerton)629,333

Glasgow (White City)615,366

Wolverhampton (Monmore)602,633

Bristol (Eastville)563,466

Gateshead548,183

Coventry (Lythalls Lane)530,016

Southend-on-Sea529,033

Bradford (Greenfield)528,000

Stadium

Turnover £

Southampton522,383

Liverpool (Seaforth)492,766

Glasgow (Albion)476,300

Leeds (Elland Road)475,433

Glasgow (Carntyne)467,565

Slough465,800

Sheffield (Darnall)442,166

Willenhall434,366

Ramsgate (Dumpton Park)412,967

Blackpool (St Anne's)397,733

Liverpool (White City)397,417

Birmingham (Kings Heath)386,650

Bolton372,733

South Shields362,667

Middlesbrough362,067

Leicester (Blackbird Rd)357,483

Reading (Oxford Road)353,983

Liverpool (Stanley)346,283

Ashington (Co Durham)330,967

Chester320,033

Rochester & Chatham319,850

Bradford (City)298,483

Gloucester & Cheltenham294,533

Derby291,783

Hull (Old Craven Park)289,467

Plymouth283,600

Portsmouth269,683

Preston256,900

Aberdeen248,000

Nottingham (White City)247,733

Blackburn245,483

West Hartlepool229,717

Sheffield (Hyde Park)228,317

Newport223,650

Exeter (County Ground)218,783

Stanley (Co Durham)214,217

Glasgow (Firhill)213,267

Stadium

Turnover £

Warrington204,950

Oxford194,783

Stoke-on-Trent (Cobridge)183,583

Keighley181,300

Sunderland179,717

Yarmouth179,233

Stoke-on-Trent (Hanley)176,000

Norwich (City)168,067

Norwich (Boundary Park)165,683

Bristol (Knowle)165,433

Luton161,600

Cradley Heath149,150

Houghton-le-Spring148,467

Rochdale126,300

London (Southall)126,117

St Helens125,217

Ipswich122,167

Wallyford (East Lothian)110,617

Peterborough109,283

London (Harlington Corner)100,217

Stockport (Hazel Grove)95,200

Stockton-on-Tees (Belle Vue)93,033

Rayleigh (Essex)89,867

Easington (Co Durham)85,333

Wigan (Poolstock)71,350

Long Eaton69,167

Wakefield60,600

Wigan (Woodhouse)60,050

Spennymoor (Co Durham)57,683

Doncaster (Spotbrough)55,517

Durham City48,233

Northampton41,117

Workington38,883

Aycliffe (Co Durham)10,833

Irvine (Townhead)6,650 :

