The 1961 UK & Ireland Greyhound Racing Year was the 36th year of greyhound racing in the United Kingdom and the 35th year of greyhound racing in Ireland.

Roll of honour Major Winners Award Name of Winner1961 English Greyhound Derby Palms Printer 1961 Irish Greyhound Derby Chieftain's Guest 1961 Scottish Greyhound Derby Hey There Merry 1961 Welsh Greyhound Derby Oregon Prince Greyhound Trainer of the Year Jack Harvey & Jimmy JowettGreyhound of the Year Palms Printer & Clonalvy Pride

Summary The Betting and Gaming Act 1960 came into force on 1 January 1961. The effect was almost instantaneous with afternoon attendances collapsing. In an attempt to combat the decline, the National Greyhound Racing Society banned telephones at the track and did not allow results to be published before 9.00 pm. In addition they attempted delaying trap draws and enforced a copyright on the tote returns but the government legislation had effectively handed over the afternoon track trade to the bookmaker industry.

Bizarrely the government handed horse racing a levy (a deduction from bookmaker's turnover that would be paid back to the racecourses), under the Betting Levy Act 1961. The levy was given because of the losses that horse racing would incur with daytime bookmakers shops opening. Greyhound racing was not given a levy which came as a further blow to the industry. Knowle Stadium, Stanley Greyhound Stadium (Liverpool) and Woodhouse Lane Stadium all closed.

Tracks The opening meeting was held at Poole football stadium on 8 May. A track was also added around the County Ground, Taunton despite an initial betting licence refusal. The Sheffield Corporation took over Owlerton Stadium with a £185,000 offer and converted the three private clubs into public bars which helped boost attendance figures.

Competitions Long Story won the Gold Collar to make up for his unlucky exit in the previous years 1960 Irish Greyhound Derby; the black dog had switched kennels from Jim Syder Jr. to Phil Rees. Oregon Prince easily won the Welsh Greyhound Derby while Palms Printer won the Scurry Gold Cup for his new handler Greg Doyle who had replaced Paddy McEvoy at the Clapton Stadium kennels; the veteran greyhound Gorey Airways was denied a third successive Scurry Gold Cup title. Chantilly Lace won the TV Trophy and Clonalvy Pride finally broke his classic duck, the April 1958 whelp ran a great race at Wimbledon, defeating the field that included Palms Printer and Winter Bell. Within two weeks he had also picked up the St Leger at Wembley Greyhounds and also won the Olympic at Wandsworth.

During the Eclipse heats the track record at Lythalls Lane Stadium is broken three times, Faithful Charlie (the eventual competition winner) set a new record of 29.19 followed by Jim's Tour in 29.16 and finally SS Leader in 29.12.

News John Sutton was handed control of the family-run business at Catford Stadium, following the death of his father Frank Sutton. He would introduce the first Jackpot Pool, later to be copied by horse racing. After the closure of the Knowle track, trainer John Rowe (father of Bob Rowe) joined Oxford Stadium. Within a year he had taken up the position as Racing Manager at Leicester Stadium and his son Bob became Assistant Racing Manager to Charles Boulton at Wandsworth Stadium.

The Greyhound Racing Association introduced under track heating systems at Belle Vue Stadium, Harringay Stadium and White City following a successful trial in Scotland. Electric cables were sewn into the track by the tractor and a team of workers then placed the cables eight inches under the turf. They would prove to be useful until the advent of all sand tracks. Catford and Walthamstow Stadium would continue to use under track systems replacing electric cables with water pipes until the late 1980s.

Former Oxford, Sheffield, Nottingham and Park Royal trainer Frank Schock leaves for Australia and takes a minor open race hound with him called Which Chariot. The greyhound provides a major bloodline in the Australian breeding industry. Five times Derby winning trainer Leslie Reynolds died on 1 August.

Ireland The Bord na gCon continued the process of upgrading their tracks by installing totalisator systems into seven more tracks.

Principal UK races

Grand National, White City (April 29 525y h, £500) PosName of GreyhoundTrainerSP TimeTrap 1st Ballinatona Special Stan Martin 6-4f 29.50 12nd Rory's Special Joe Pickering 3-1 29.56 63rd Shannon Dasher Jimmy Maw 10-1 29.80 34th Dawn Dancer Cyril Beaumont 3-1 29.81 45th Prince Thomas 10-1 30.29 26th Bruff Chariot Jimmy Jowett 100-7 30.45 5

The Grand Prix Walthamstow (May 9, 500y, £600)PosName of Greyhound TrainerSP Time Trap 1st Clonalvy Romance Fred Taylor 9-2 28.57 32nd Twinies Pet Jimmy Jowett 100-8 28.73 43rd Shootover Dave Geggus 10-1 28.81 64th Fitz's Star Tom 'Paddy' Reilly 10-11f 29.05 55th Ashmount Bronco Barney O'Connor 8-1 29.08 26th Drakes Honey Reg 'String' Marsh 13-2 29.14 1

Gold Collar, Catford (May 20, 440y, £1,000)PosName of Greyhound TrainerSP Time Trap 1st Long Story Phil Rees Sr. 20-1 25.69 62nd Skips Choice Leslie Reynolds 1-1f 25.97 43rd Spinning Coin II Phil Rees Sr. 4-1 26.00 24th Crazy Invitation Bob Burls 11-4 26.16 15th Flying Fox II Jimmy Jowett 10-1 26.17 36th Ashfield Miller Jimmy Jowett 8-1 26.41 5

Welsh Derby, Arms Park (Jul 1, 525y £500)PosName of Greyhound TrainerSP Time Trap 1st Oregon Prince Phil Rees Sr. 2-5f 28.86 62nd Galbally Airways Dr Dennis O'Brien 10-1 29.58 53rd Early Foot Jimmy Jowett 4-1 29.70 14th Clonmannon Fire 8-1 29.82 45th Gallant Leader Ronnie Mills 20-1 30.04 26th Crazy Holiday Bob Burls 16-1 30.68 3

Oaks, Harringay (Jul 3, 525y, £500)PosName of Greyhound TrainerSP Time Trap 1st Ballinasloe Blondie Jack Harvey 2-7f 29.58 12nd Linda's Flier Mrs.E.Eade 7-2 29.88 23rd Wins Eye DuckieIvor Morse 10-1 29.92 44th Black Rattler Jack Harvey 33-1 30.04 35th Morning Moonlight Joe Pickering 50-1 30.44 6N/R About July Wilf France 5

Scottish Greyhound Derby, Carntyne (Jul 3, 525y, £500)PosName of Greyhound TrainerSP Time Trap 1st Hey There Merry Hugo Spencer 12-1 29.11 52nd Tutcher 7-1 29.13 63rd Desert Rambler Joe Booth 1-1f 29.19 34th Ballinclogher Champion 3-1 29.35 25th Prince of Honour 25-1 29.41 16th Dainty Spark Harry Ward 5-1 29.45 4

Scurry Gold Cup, Clapton (Jul 232, 400y £1,000)PosName of Greyhound TrainerSP Time Trap 1st Palms Printer Greg Doyle 10-11f 22.63 32nd Jims Tour Bob Burls 7-2 22.85 63rd Shootover Dave Geggus 7-1 23.03 14th Irish Blood Jimmy Jowett 5-1 23.33 55th Crazy HolidayBob Burls 25-1 23.47 26th Gorey Airways Jimmy Jowett 10-1 23.55 4

Laurels, Wimbledon (Aug 18, 500y, £1,000)PosName of Greyhound TrainerSP Time Trap 1st Clonalvy Pride Jack Harvey 2-1jf 27.66+ 52nd Galbally Airways Dr Dennis O'Brien20-1 27.94 43rd Golden Arrow II Bob Burls 10-1 27.95 24th Violets Duke Barney O'Connor 2-1jf 28.09 15th Palms Printer Greg Doyle3-1 28.23 36th Winter Bell Clare Orton 100-8 23.24 6 +Equalled Track Record

St Leger, Wembley (Sep 4, 700y, £1,000)PosName of Greyhound TrainerSP Time Trap 1st Clonalvy Pride Jack Harvey 4-7f 39.64 12nd Desert Rambler Joe Booth 3-1 39.76 63rd Old Berry Silver Jack Toseland 10-1 40.16 24th Chubbys Choice Ted Brennan 6-1 40.32 45th Avis Jimmy Rimmer 50-1 40.36 56th Utellme Clare Orton 50-1 40.40 3

Cesarewitch, West Ham (Oct 6, 600y, £1,000)PosName of Greyhound TrainerSP Time Trap 1st Prairie Flash Jack Harvey 9-4 32.91 22nd Nans Land 3-1 33.09 63rd Desert Rambler Joe Booth 11-8f 33.25 14th Cross Word Arthur Hancock 20-1 33.37 55th Laird O'The Glen Ken Moody 6-1 33.59 46th Raymond Gift Tony Dennis 20-1 33.77 3

References