The 1971 Greyhound Derby took place during June with the final being held on 26 June 1971 at White City Stadium. The winner was Dolores Rocket and the winning owner received £10,000. Dolores Rocket was bred and reared by his owner Bert White.

Competition Report With the National Greyhound Racing Club allowing trainers to seed+ their greyhounds wide for the first time it was generally agreed that there would be less crowding in races. Little County and Moordyke Spot had both retired but defending champion John Silver was entered for the competition. Clohast Rebel trained by Geoff De Mulder set a time of 28.28sec in a solo trial, two spots faster than the track record held by Yellow Printer. Laurels champion Sole Aim, Puppy Derby champion Crefogue Flash and Irish entry Postal Vote topped the ante-post lists alongside Clohast Rebel.

The qualifying round was held on a firm track and many greyhounds posted fast times including Postal Vote who recorded the best time of 28.33, a heat that ended with the elimination of John Silver. The fastest first round winner was Brighton's Hurst Wickham trained by Fred Lugg in a time of 28.56; Sole Aim, Crefogue Flash and Dolores Rocket also claimed heats.

Dolores Rocket and 'Leap and Run' both won second round heats and remained unbeaten whilst Clohast Rebel bounced back to winning ways in the fastest time of 28.39. Postal Vote and Gold Collar champ Down Your Way both failed to make it to the semi-finals. The semi-finals resulted in two 10-1 shot winners, the first was Leap and Run who had now made the final unbeaten. Clohast Rebel and Crefogue Flash failed to progress. The second semi went to Irish hope Ivy Hall Flash; Sole Aim handled by Nora Gleeson for the duration of the event went out.

The final saw Supreme Fun first away from the traps but Leap and Run soon took the lead and maintained an advantage from Supreme Fun and Moordyk Champion. However it was Dolores Rocket who came from last place to first becoming the first bitch to win the Derby since 1949. Dolores Rocket's dam was Come on Dolores owned by Ernie Gaskin Sr.

+Seeding (The process of classifying a greyhound to run in the inside traps or outside traps, known by the terms railer or wide runner.)

Final result At White City (over 525 yards): PositionName of GreyhoundBreedingTrapSPTimeTrainer1stDolores Rocket Newdown Heather - Come On Dolores 211-428.74Herbert White (Private)2ndSupreme Fun Newdown Heather - Top Note 66-128.80Sid Ryall (Private)3rdLeap and Run Booked Out - Aubawns Dream 33-128.84John Bassett (Private)4thMoordyk Champion Monalee Champion - Nelsons Farewell 16-128.90Freddie Warrell (Private)5thCobbler Monalee Champion - Yurituni 520-129.08 Dave Geggus (Walthamstow)6thIvy Hall Flash Proud Lincoln - Ivy Hall Rose 47-4f29.20 Paddy Keane (Ireland)

Distances ¾, ½, ¾, 2¼, 1½ (lengths) The distances between the greyhounds are in finishing order and shown in lengths. One length is equal to 0.08 of one second.

Quarter finals

Heat 1PosName SP Time 1st Dolores Rocket 3-128.612nd Ivy Hall Flash 5-4f28.793rd Supreme Fun 7-228.854th Davyhulme Expt 20-129.155th Micks Pride 7-129.166th Big Crash 25-1 29.24

Heat 2PosName SP Time 1st Clohast Rebel 7-4 28.392nd Michaels Bar 50-1 28.773rd Sir Ginger 12-128.874th Postal Vote 4-5f 28.895th Spectre Jockey 8-129.196th Herrhund 100-1 29.51

Heat 3PosName SP Time 1st Leap And Run 4-1 28.882nd Cobbler 14-1 28.943rd Sole Aim 6-4f 29.004th Down Your Way 9-4 29.065th Mullas Shore 9-2 29.386th Linmaree 8-1 30.98

Heat 4PosName SP Time 1st Ballybeg Era 4-1 28.762nd Moordyk Champ 14-1 28.903rd Crefogue Flash 4-6f 28.924th Hurst Wickham 3-1 28.985th King Lester 10-1 29.666th I'm Careful 33-1 29.68

Semi finals

First Semi Final PosName of Greyhound SP Time Trainer1st Leap And Run 10-1 28.67 Bassett2nd Moordyk Champion 10-1 28.93 Warrell3rd Cobbler 25-1 29.23 Geggus4th Ballybeg Era 10-1 29.24 Holloway5th Clohast Rebel 4-5f 29.30 De Mulder6th Crefogue Flash 3-1 29.56 Mitchell

Second Semi Final PosName of Greyhound SP Time Trainer1st Ivy Hall Flash 10-1 28.76 Keane2nd Supreme Fun 7-2 28.86 Ryall3rd Dolores Rocket 11-8f 29.12 White4th Sole Aim 6-1 29.13 Geggus5th Michaels Bar 10-1 29.21 Rees Sr.6th Sir Ginger 14-1 29.31 Warrell

See also 1971 UK & Ireland Greyhound Racing Year

References