The 1938 UK & Ireland Greyhound Racing Year was the 13th year of greyhound racing in the United Kingdom and the 12th year of greyhound racing in Ireland.
Roll of honour Major Winners Award Name of Winner1938 English Greyhound Derby Lone Keel1938 Irish Greyhound Derby Abbeylara1938 Scottish Greyhound Derby Roeside Scottie
Summary 1938 in the United Kingdom was a place of tension due to the unrest in Europe and the ongoing negotiations between the Prime Minister, Neville Chamberlain and Germany. However the public continued to embrace greyhound racing which was an affordable national pastime. Attendances at the National Greyhound Racing Club (NGRC) licensed tracks topped 26 million with totalisator turnover recorded as £39,352,839. The track tote deduction was 6% and the government tote tax was an additional 6%.
The leading greyhound company, the Greyhound Racing Association (GRA) significantly increased profits once again. The operating profit for 1938 was £278,000 (a substantial figure at the time) and attendances at GRA tracks increased rose to 4,408,412. The GRA also invested heavily into their breeding facility on the company owned Fan Court Farm, on the Longcross Road in Chertsey, Surrey.
Lone Keel won the 1938 English Greyhound Derby, he was jointly owned by Staines Greyhound Stadium's owner Jack Walsh and William Hill (the founder of the betting company.
The All England Cup was introduced at Brough Park as the most significant event outside of London and the trophy was presented by Helen Percy, Duchess of Northumberland.
Glen Ranger won the Golden Crest, reached three major finals and broke multiple track records throughout the year.
Tracks Six known tracks were opened, three of which were in Scotland. Independent tracks were common north of the border with many choosing not to apply for NGRC status and remaining as small unlicensed tracks.
Tracks opened DateStadium/TrackLocation 9 July Denny Stadium Denny 14 September Hartlepool Stadium Hartlepool 1 October Coundon Greyhound Stadium Coundon, County Durham3 November Houghton Stadium Houghton-le-Spring, County Durham21 December Raploch Park Larkhall unknown date North End Greyhound Stadium Cowdenbeath unknown date Pontefract Greyhound Stadium Pontefract
Competitions Trainer Joe Harmon experienced considerable success with his pair of kennels brothers, Puppy Derby champion Junior Classic and Juvenile Classic and Trafalgar Cup champion Quarter Day. Junior Classic overcame a tough field in the Gold Collar, a competition that included 1937 English Greyhound Derby champion Wattle Bark, now trained by Leslie Reynolds and Scurry Gold Cup champion Hexham Bridge. One week earlier Juvenile Classic had jumped to glory in the Grand National.
Jesmond Cutlet made an unsuccessful attempt at defending his Scottish Greyhound Derby title, when well beaten by favourite Roe Side Scottie in July and during the same month Orlucks Best won the Scurry Gold Cup, one year after he finished runner up in the same event. Ballyhennessy Sandills retained his Laurels crown, a great achievement because the final consisted of Wattle Bark, Bealtaine and Roe Side Scottie. Quarter Day claimed the Oaks from Gretas Rosary.
Nine days later Gretas Rosary picked up the St Leger winner's prize at Wembley. The blue brindle and white bitch had a qualifying heat in between the two classic competition finals and also accounted for the Irish Greyhound Derby winner Abbeylara. Quarter Day then returned to White City, in November and won the valuable 'White City' invitation race.
Ireland Abbeylara stood out as the leading greyhound in Ireland, the brindle dog easily won the Irish Greyhound Derby and the St Leger. He also reached the English St Leger final.
News GRA trainer Eddie Wright moved from his Powderhall kennels to the Hook Estate and Kennels and a track attachment at Harringay and the GRA also moved Harry Buck from Belle Vue to White City.
Principal UK races
Grand National, White City (May 21, 525y h, £300) PosName of GreyhoundTrainerSP TimeTrap 1st Juvenile Classic Joe Harmon 2-1 30.35 52nd Bay Moon Joe Harmon 8-1 30.47 23rdGrakle Paddy McEllistrim 8-1 30.87 34th Mount Pottinger Jerry Hannafin 25-1 31.03 45th Lenins Ring Joe Harmon 4-7f 31.19 1
Gold Collar, Catford (May 28, 400y, £600)PosName of Greyhound TrainerSP Time Trap 1st Junior Classic Joe Harmon 11-8f 25.77 62nd Demotic Mack Charles Cross 100-7 25.87 23rd Sandfield Girl Archie Whitcher 6-1 26.19 34th Hexham Bridge Bill Cowell 5-1 26.5115th Golden Alexander Jimmy Campbell 6-1 26.59 56th Wattle Bark Leslie Reynolds 7-2 26.69 4
Scottish Greyhound Derby, Carntyne (Jul 9, 525y, £240)PosName of Greyhound TrainerSP Time Trap 1st Roeside Scottie Michael Downey 1-1f 29.53 62nd Whispering Symphony Michael Downey 7-2 29.54 23rd Jesmond Cutlet Dal Hawkesley 6-1 29.86 34th Kinauld DemonstratorEddie Wright 14-1 30.02 45th Model Hope J.W Day 10-1 30.18 56th Yarridge HeightsBill Cowell 10-1 30.34 1
Scurry Gold Cup, Clapton (Jul 23, 400y, £500)PosName of Greyhound TrainerSP Time Trap 1st Orlucks Best Charlie Ashley11-8f 23.24 62nd Demotic Mack Charles Cross 4-1 23.40 53rd Kilcora Willie Charlie Ashley 8-1 23.44 44th Westley Bridge Jack Harvey 100-7 23.68 25th Ballyhennessy Sandills Sidney Orton 11-4 23.72 36th Found At LastJack Power 100-7 23.96 1
Laurels, Wimbledon (Aug 12, 500y, £700)PosName of Greyhound TrainerSP Time Trap 1st Ballyhennessy Sandills Sidney Orton 11-8f 28.50 62nd Wattle Bark Leslie Reynolds 7-2 28.78 13rd Glen Ranger Les Parry 9-4 28.82 54th Bealtaine Joe Harmon 100-6 28.88 35th Roe Side Scottie Michael Downey 20-1 28.96 26th Woodstock Swift Joe Harmon 25-1 29.36 4
Oaks, White City (Sep 10, 525y, £300)PosName of Greyhound TrainerSP Time Trap 1st Quarter Day Joe Harmon 4-5f 29.49 52nd Gretas Rosary Eddie Wright 11-4 29.93 23rd Dogberry Davate E Harfield 100-8 30.49 34th Sally Maid A Rees 6-1 30.57 15th Oak Cutlet Marshall 8-1 30.61 46th Grey RibbonTom Lightfoot33-1 31.25 6
St Leger, Wembley (Sep 19, 700y, £500)PosName of Greyhound TrainerSP Time Trap 1st Gretas Rosary Eddie Wright 7-4jf 40.82 42nd Gayhunter A Jack 7-2 40.98 23rd Keeries Pride Patrick McKinney 100-8 41.22 54th Catherine of Waterhall Bill Cowell 100-8 41.23 65th Neville the Devil Leslie Reynolds 10-1 41.43 36th Abbeylara Tom Black 7-4jf 41.59 1
The White City White City (Nov 5, 525y, £2,000)PosName of Greyhound TrainerSP Time Trap 1st Quarter Day Joe Harmon 2-1f 29.58 52nd Jesmond Cutlet Dal Hawkesley 100-7 29.98 33rd Roeside Scottie Michael Downey 7-1 30.46 64th Glen Ranger Les Parry 3-1 30.48 25th Cinderella of WaterhallBill Cowell 10-1 30.56 46th Ballyjoker Sidney Orton 11-4 30.60 1
Cesarewitch, West Ham (Dec 12, 600y, £500)PosName of Greyhound TrainerSP Time Trap 1st Ballyjoker Sidney Orton 3-1 34.02 12nd d/h Barryreel Joe Harmon 8-1 34.34 22nd d/h Colonel of WaterhallLeslie Carpenter 6-1 34.34 34th Glen Ranger Les Parry 1-1f 34.42 45th Great Record Eddie Wright 10-1 34.44 56th Neville the Devil Leslie Reynolds 33-1 35.00 6
Key d/h = dead heat
Totalisator Returns
The totalisator returns declared to the licensing authorities for the year 1938 are listed below. Tracks that did not have a totalisator in operation are not listed.
StadiumTurnover £London (White City) 4,003,332London (Harringay) 3,033,931London (Wimbledon) 2,210,504London (Wembley) 1,617,278London (West Ham) 1,590,106London (Stamford Bridge) 1,475,624 Glasgow Stadia combined (Albion, Carntyne, Firhill, Shawfield, White City) 1,427,174London (Walthamstow) 1,380,475London (Clapton) 1,297,462London (Catford) 1,090,357London (Park Royal) 933,827Manchester (Belle Vue) 863,352London (Wandsworth) 862,614London (Hackney) 810,869London (New Cross) 715,021Edinburgh (Powderhall) 593,481Manchester (White City) 589,786London (Hendon) 493,766Newcastle (Gosforth)464,145Sheffield (Owlerton) 444,933Liverpool (Seaforth) 425,460Gateshead 410,589Bradford (Greenfield) 407,166 Manchester (Salford) 375,136 Crayford & Bexleyheath 354,734Newcastle (Brough Park) 352,634Birmingham (Perry Barr, old) 351,205Bristol (Eastville) 349,525 Birmingham (Hall Green) 346,452Brighton & Hove 336,366
StadiumTurnover £South Shields 336,519London (Charlton) 312,690Newcastle (White City) 298,775Leeds (Elland Road) 292,579Wolverhampton (Monmore)291,069Liverpool (White City)286,394Romford 283,486Liverpool (Stanley) 245,642Birmingham (Kings Heath) 245,213Willenhall 236,918Ashington (Co Durham) 228,360Sheffield (Darnall) 226,229Nottingham (White City)219,514West Hartlepool 216,326Portsmouth 210,584Southampton 206,895Cardiff (Arms Park) 203,169Gloucester & Cheltenham 196,112Stanley (Co Durham) 193,962Slough 182,949Rochester & Chatham 182,458Reading (Oxford Road) 177,686Blackpool (St Anne's) 166,593Plymouth 162,678Stoke-on-Trent (Hanley) 154,673Middlesbrough 141,108Preston 134,087Derby132,324Liverpool (Breck Park) 131,778Stoke-on-Trent (Cobridge) 121,151Exeter (County Ground)117,118Norwich (Boundary Park) 113,365
StadiumTurnover £Sheffield (Hyde Park)111,772Ipswich 106,332Newport 100,908Houghton-le-Spring 92,793Bradford (City) 88,653Warrington 82,645Coventry (Lythalls Lane) 75,886Falkirk (Brockville Park) 71,816London (Stratford) 61,503Luton 59,050Wigan (Poolstock) 55,205Aberdeen 54,654Edinburgh (Stenhouse) 42,136Wallyford (East Lothian) 36,359Wishaw (North Lanarks) 36,359Doncaster (Spotbrough) 36,041London (Southall) 34,405London (Dagenham)31,541Rochdale 31,132Norwich (City) 25,260Bolton 22,001Easington (Co Durham) 20,331Thornton (Fife) 20,275Coundon (Co Durham) 17,102Leeds (Parkside) 16,470Worksop 9,398Rotherham 7,905Castleford (Whitwood) 6,442Ayr (Tams Brig) 4,594Stockport (Hazel Grove) 2,437Wombwell (South Yorks)828
Summary +CountryNo of tracks(with tote)Turnover England 81 £ 33,545,716 Wales 2 £ 304,077 Scotland 9£ 2,189,090 Total 92 £ 36,038,883
References