The 1997 Daily Mirror/Sporting Life Greyhound Derby took place during May & June with the final being held on 28 June 1997 at Wimbledon Stadium. The winner Some Picture received £50,000. The competition was sponsored by the Sporting Life and Daily Mirror.
Final result At Wimbledon (over 480 metres): PositionName of GreyhoundBreedingTrapSectionalSPTimeTrainer1stSome Picture Slaneyside Hare - Spring Season65.128-13f28.23Charlie Lister (Nottingham)2ndHe KnowsPolnoon Chief - Polnoon Lane45.233-128.73Barrie Draper (Sheffield)3rdStows ValSlaneyside Hare - I Know You35.0610-128.77Linda Mullins (Walthamstow)4thAnnies BulletSlippys Quest - O Hickey Kylie5 7-129.07 Nick Savva (Walthamstow)5thCharpaidonCravencottage UK - Kildare Raven1 33-129.09Sam Sykes (Wimbledon)6thHeres AndyPolnoon Chief - Minnies Nikita2 7-129.33Paul Stringer (Private)
Distances 6¼, ½, 3¾, head, 3 (lengths) The distances between the greyhounds are in finishing order and shown in lengths. One length is equal to 0.08 of one second.
Race Report Some Picture the recent Scottish Greyhound Derby champion remained unbeaten going into the final. Three greyhounds broke well out of the traps, they were Stows Val, Annies Bullet and Some Picture but as they came to the first bend Annies Bullet was squeezed out and lost all chance of winning. Some Picture and Stows Val led around the first two bends well clear of the pack but the Charlie Lister trained black dog forged ahead down the back straight leading to an comfortable victory. He Knows made up good ground to finish runner up. The winning time was a very fast 28.23 sec, the fastest time ever for a Wimbledon Derby final, and just two spots outside Greenane Squire's rack record.
Quarter finals
Heat 1 (Jun 17)PosName SP Time 1st Lenson Billy 9-4 28.982nd Midway Sweep 20-1 29.083rd Annies Bullet 2-1f 29.284th Nashoba 8-1 29.495th Powys Prince 9-4 29.526th Countrywide Stag 25-1 29.72
Heat 2 (Jun 17)PosName SP Time 1st Some Picture 4-7f 28.832nd Stows Val 33-1 28.863rd Capital Cee 7-1 28.914th Corpo Election 14-1 29.055th Saradeb 6-1 29.13 6th Ladbrook Park 9-2 29.20
Heat 3 (Jun 17)PosName SP Time 1st Charpaidon 20-1 28.912nd Forest Jet 6-1 29.203rd Airmount Jeff 8-1 29.244th Eagle Boy 5-1 29.345th Astrosyn Eulogy 5-4f 29.456th Im Trigo 9-4 29.65
Heat 4 (Jun 17)PosName SP Time 1st Toms The Best 9-2 28.412nd He Knows 6-4f 28.903rd Heres Andy 4-1 29.084th You Will Call 5-1 29.255th Cool Dynamite 66-1 29.506th Pavilion Rock 5-1 dnf
Semi finals
First Semi Final (Jun 21) PosName of Greyhound SP Time 1st Some Picture 4-7f 28.602nd Stows Val 9-2 29.103rd Charpaidon 14-1 29.124th Forest Jet 8-1 29.235th Midway Sweep 14-1 29.256th Capital Cee 4-1 29.29
Second Semi Final (Jun 21)PosName of Greyhound SP Time 1st Annies Bullet 12-1 28.842nd He Knows 7-4 28.903rd Heres Andy 6-1 29.24 4th Toms The Best 5-4f 29.295th Airmount Jet 20-1 29.426th Lenson Billy 8-1 29.51
See also 1997 UK & Ireland Greyhound Racing Year
References