The 1990 Daily Mirror/Sporting Life Greyhound Derby took place in May and June with the final being held on 23 June 1990 at Wimbledon Stadium. The winner was Slippy Blue and the winning owner Mrs Eileen Fenn received £40,000. The competition was sponsored by the Sporting Life and Daily Mirror. Slippy Blue was bred by William McAllister from Scotland.
Final result At Wimbledon (over 480 metres): PositionName of GreyhoundBreedingTrapSPTimeTrainer1stSlippy BlueIm Slippy - Valoris48-128.70 Kenny Linzell (Walthamstow)2ndDruids JohnoWhisper Wishes - Hotsauce Mistake64-7f28.96Patsy Byrne (Canterbury) 3rdFair Hill BoyTico - Echo Duchess14-128.98 Geoff De Mulder (Norton Canes) 4thFires of WarDipmac - Marys Silver510-129.04 Tony Meek (Oxford) 5thGaltymore LadFearless Champ - Westmead Glenda220-130.10 Geoff De Mulder (Norton Canes)6thBurnt Oak ChampMoral Support - Borris Chat314-130.14Paul Owens (Swindon)
Distances 3¼, head, ¾, 13½, neck (lengths) The distances between the greyhounds are in finishing order and shown in lengths. One length is equal to 0.08 of one second.
Competition Report The leading contender for the 1990 Derby was Druids Johno half owned by Prince Edward. The half share of the black dog had been given to the prince by Patsy Byrne during a charity meeting at Canterbury; all prize money would go to the Royal Marines Benevolent Fund.
John McGee's main hope Aghadown Timmy set the fastest qualifying heat win in 28.56 sec whilst Ger McKenna had two first round winners in Itsallovernow and Beau Ami. Lyons Dean set the fastest first round time with a 28.70 and Druids Johno made it two from two.
During the second round the ante-post favourite Aghadown Timmy went out after finishing lame whilst Westmead Lodge from the Savva kennels recorded a speedy 28.77. Fires of War trained by Tony Meek lit up the third round with a fast 28.67 only to be bettered one heat later by Druids Johno in 28.66. McGee's bad luck continued when his Irish Greyhound Derby and Laurels finalist Yes Speedy was eliminated after trouble.
The quarter-finals started badly as Westmead Lodge was knocked over; this was followed by Druids Johno catching Slippy Blue to win heat two with Shanavulin Bingo and Slippys Quest taking the remaining quarter-finals. Prince Edward watched Druids Johno win his semifinal at odds on from outsiders Burnt Oak Champ and Slippy Blue before the second decider ended with Galtymore Lad beating Fires of War and Fair Hill Boy.
Patsy Byrne now a trainer in his own right after having previous finalists Easy Prince and Stouke Whisper as an owner had brought Irishman Pa Fitzgerald to run his kennel and the pair trained Druids Johno, the odds on favourite for the Derby final. As the traps rose Slippy Blue trained by Kenny Linzell and owned by Eileen Fenn went into an early lead and maintained it to the finish. The blue dog had been backed ante post at 100-1 and 20-1 on course during the first show of the final. Druids Johno finished runner-up.
Quarter-finals
Heat 1 (Jun 12)PosName SP Time 1st Demesne Chance7-228.792nd Burnt Oak Champ16-129.193rd Little Spot 33-129.274th Itasllovernow 7-229.815th Westmead Lodge 11-8f00.006th Choice of Game 9-2 00.00
Heat 2 (Jun 12)PosName SP Time 1stDruids Johno 11-10f28.822ndSlippy Blue 6-129.023rdAttractive Son 25-129.104th Bawnard It 20-129.225th Lyons Dean5-429.236th Beau Ami 20-1 29.39
Heat 3 (Jun 12)PosName SP Time 1st Shanavulin Bingo3-1 28.842ndFair Hill Boy 11-8f28.963rdDaring Duke 33-129.084thBarefoot Band5-1 29.285thMoral Success4-1 29.546thKilcannon Bullet 8-129.84
Heat 4 (Jun 12)PosName SP Time 1st Slippys Quest 6-4f28.832nd Fires Of War 3-1 28.953rdGaltymore Lad 8-129.114thGulleen Whisper25-1 29.125thSwing The Mood 7-429.306thBallybrown Model20-1 29.72
Semifinals
First Semifinal (Jun 16)PosName of Greyhound SP Time Trainer1st Druids Johno 4-11f28.79 Byrne2ndBurnt Oak Champ25-129.05 Owens3rdSlippy Blue 7-129.19Linzell4thDaring Duke40-129.41 Honeysett5thShanavulin Bingo9-229.49 Gaskin Sr.6thLittle Spot33-1 29.55 Kinchett
Second Semifinal (Jun 16)PosName of Greyhound SP Time Trainer1stGaltymore Lad 20-129.12 De Mulder2ndFires Of War5-129.13Meek3rdFair Hill Boy10-129.23De Mulder4thDemesne Chance7-429.31Smith5thSlippys Quest5-4f29.61McEllistrim6thAttractive Son 25-129.65McKenna
See also 1990 UK & Ireland Greyhound Racing Year
References