The 1975 UK & Ireland Greyhound Racing Year was the 50th year of greyhound racing in the United Kingdom and the 49th year of greyhound racing in Ireland.

Roll of honour Major Winners Award Name of Winner1975 English Greyhound Derby Tartan Khan 1975 Irish Greyhound Derby Shifting Shadow 1975 Scottish Greyhound Derby Dromlara Master 1975 Welsh Greyhound Derby Baffling Bart Greyhound Trainer of the Year Paddy Milligan Greyhound of the Year Pineapple GrandIrish Greyhound of the Year Ballybeg Prim

Summary The National Greyhound Racing Club officially went metric from 1 January, which would mean all races being measured over metres instead of yards. The Irish authorities decided not to adopt the new system. The annual (NGRC) returns were released, with totalisator turnover at £69,220,977 and attendances recorded at 6,200,118, representing an increase in both.

Pineapple Grand, a fawn bitch trained by Frank Baldwin was voted Greyhound of the Year after winning the Wembley Spring Cup, Laurels at Wimbledon Stadium and Oaks at Harringay Stadium. Tartan Khan was unlucky not to get the vote after winning the 1975 English Greyhound Derby and the St Leger at Wembley.

The GRA Property Trust shares were suspended as it was revealed that the company had debts near to £20 million. The future of the company looked bleak.

Tracks Allied presentations re-opened a new Reading track at Bennett Road, just over one year after the Greyhound Racing Association had closed the venue at Oxford Road. The new venue was built by owner trainer Bill Dore. Three independent tracks also opened at the Loomer Road Stadium in Chesterton at the Horton Road Stadium and at the Queens Park Football Ground (Bedford). Yarmouth Stadium made their debut under NGRC rules by virtue of the permit scheme.

Oxford Stadium Managing Director Ian Stevens (son of Con Stevens), acting for Bristol Stadium Ltd, sold Oxford to the City Council housing committee for £235,000 in October. A 27,000 strong petition was lodged with the local authorities and Tory MP Michael Heseltine called for a public meeting with a deadline set to find a new buyer. Shawfield Stadium suffered a devastating fire, destroying most of the facilities. Hull Kingston Rovers bought the Craven Park stadium back from the owners; they had previously sold it in 1938.

News Brighton trainer Fred Lugg retired and was replaced by Doreen Walsh, the head kennelhand to George Curtis. Tom Baldwin died aged 77 and John Sherry gained a position as a trainer at Walthamstow Stadium after serving his apprenticeship at the kennels of Wembley trainer Tom Johnston.

Drynham Star broke the Derby Stadium track record over 590 metres in a re-run, despite already having run to the third bend before the hare broke down. Ramsgate trainer Peter Rich, former head man to John Coleman won all eight races at one meeting at his home track producing a 428,793-1 accumulator.

Competitions Harringay introduced the Golden Jacket, a new event for stayers.

Ireland Peruvian Style, a light brindle 1973 whelp owned by Deirdre Hynes and trained by Tony Fahy had been beaten in the 1,000 Guineas final by Lively Band at Dundalk. Following this he went on to win the Tipperary Cup, made the semi-finals of the Laurels, won the Harp Lager Stakes at Dundalk and the Waterford Glass Stakes breaking the track record. Twelve consecutive wins were achieved after a Shelbourne Park event win before a winter rest.

The Ger McKenna trained Ballybeg Prim was voted Irish Greyhound of the Year after winning the Irish Cesarewitch, Irish St Leger and the Shelbourne 600.

Principal UK races

Grand National, White City (April 12 500m h, £1,250) PosName of GreyhoundTrainerSP TimeTrap 1st Pier Hero Frank Melville 1-1f 30.65 12nd Weston Pete Colin West 5-1 30.81 43rd Tawny Black 16-1 30.82 54th Bachelor Rose 10-1 30.86 35th Try It Blackie Frank Melville 5-1 31.04 66th Killoneford Dash 5-1 31.18 2

Scurry Gold Cup, Slough (April 15, 434m, £1,500)PosName of Greyhound TrainerSP Time Trap 1st Longnor Lad Ben Parsons 4-1 26.77 52nd Clear Reason Mrs Dorin Clark 5-4f 27.21 23rd Grange Tim George Curtis 4-1 27.29 64th Monsoon Boy 5-1 27.57 15th Deire Na Fienna Terry Duggan 20-1 27.81 46th Star Vega Mrs.J.Hawkins 7-1 27.83 3

BBC TV Trophy, Monmore (April 23, 815m, £1,000) PosName of Greyhound TrainerSP Time Trap 1st Lizzies Girl Ted Williams 7-4jf 52.16+62nd Silver Lipstick Rowe 4-1 52.1933rd Mcarthur Pride Tom Chamberlain 14-1 52.37 14th Captain Saul Gwen Lynds 20-152.53 55th Monavale Belle Vue 25-152.65 46th Chain Gang Frank Melville 7-4jf 52.71 2 +Track Record

Laurels, Wimbledon (May 16, 460m, £3,000)PosName of Greyhound TrainerSP Time Trap 1st Pineapple Grand Frank Baldwin 3-1 27.77 12nd Flip Your Top Bob Young 11-4 27.83 33rd Bealkilla Diver Pat Mullins 9-1 27.93 24th Hillside Kuda Sam Sykes 10-1 27.94 65th Slender Lead 9-1 28.08 56th Tory Mor Paddy Milligan 5-2 28.16 4

Welsh Derby, Arms Park (Jul 12, 484m £1,200)PosName of Greyhound TrainerSP Time Trap 1st Baffling Bart Paddy Milligan 3-1 29.37 32nd Clatra Glee Andy Agnew 12-1 29.89 63rd Greenane Spy M.Hickey 6-1 30.07 44th Domlara Master Bertie Gaynor 5-1 30.25 55th Main Avenue 11-4 30.28 26th That Silver John Coleman 3-1 30.50 1

Scottish Greyhound Derby, Shawfield (Aug 16, 485m, £2,500)PosName of Greyhound TrainerSP Time Trap 1st Dromlara Master Bertie Gaynor 7-1 29.30 22nd Macbeth 4-1 29.42 43rd Tory Mor Paddy Milligan 6-4f 29.58 54th Garford Joe 6-1 29.74 65th Kind Effort Pat Casey 20-1 29.8036th Foreign Exchange Paddy Milligan 5-2 29.96 1

St Leger, Wembley (Sep 1, 655m, £2,500)PosName of Greyhound TrainerSP Time Trap 1st Tartan Khan Gwen Lynds 7-2 39.45+ 32nd Sandispec Clare Orton 13-8f 39.51 23rd Countville Natalie Savva 25-139.71 64th Dancing Dolores Paddy Reilly 5-2 39.77 15th Flashy Snoopy Frank Baldwin 16-1 39.99 56th Drynham Star Natalie Savva 5-1 40.15 4 +Track Record

Gold Collar, Catford (Sep 20, 555m, £2,000)PosName of Greyhound TrainerSP Time Trap 1st Abbey Glade George Curtis 11-4 34.97 42nd Dancing Dolores Paddy Reilly 3-1 35.55 53rd Foreign Exchange Paddy Milligan 9-4f 35.56 14th Westmead Land Natalie Savva 20-1 35.62 65th Mad Quest Colin West 14-1 35.78 36th Adioss Adam Jackson 7-2 35.82 2

Cesarewitch, Belle Vue (Sep 27, 815m, £2,000)PosName of Greyhound TrainerSP Time Trap 1st Silver Sceptre Reg Young 4-1 52.31 42nd Bonzo George Curtis 7-1 52.35 33rd Babe MonaleeDave Geggus 9-2 52.39 24th Favourite Animal Harry Bamford 5-1 52.93 65th Major HopeFrank Melville 5-1 53.07 16th Joys Image Ted Parker 5-2f 53.29 5

Oaks, Harringay (Nov 7, 480m, £1,500)PosName of Greyhound TrainerSP Time Trap 1st Pineapple Grand Frank Baldwin 8-11f 28.85 42nd Tory Mor Paddy Milligan 7-2 28.89 63rd Stylish Kilbeg Paddy Milligan 4-1 29.01 34th Fairland Flash Gordon Bailey 25-1 29.11 25th Gay Kathy Tom Johnston Jr. 10-1 29.19 16th Indiana Blues 66-1 29.41 5

Totalisator returns

The totalisator returns declared to the licensing authorities for the year 1975 are listed below.

StadiumTurnover £London (White City) 7,659,552London (Walthamstow) 6,046,355London (Wimbledon) 4,910,587London (Harringay) 4,119,519London (Catford) 3,195,352London (Wembley) 2,861,233Romford 2,833,215Manchester (Belle Vue) 2,334,210Edinburgh (Powderhall) 2,109,465Brighton & Hove 2,035,327Birmingham (Perry Barr, old)1,999,703Slough 1,902,342Birmingham (Hall Green) 1,782,587Southend-on-Sea 1,652,727Crayford & Bexleyheath 1,610,532Newcastle (Brough Park) 1,502,681

StadiumTurnover £Glasgow (Shawfield) 1,501,432Sheffield (Owlerton) 1,412,133Leeds (Elland Road) 1,362,053Wolverhampton (Monmore)1,123,854Manchester (White City) 1,103,005Bristol (Eastville) 1,055,765London (Hackney) 1,031,109Rochester & Chatham 883,890Gloucester & Cheltenham 836,379Derby824,637Cardiff (Arms Park) 811,009Yarmouth 762,759Newcastle (Gosforth)728,586Manchester (Salford) 672,347Willenhall 655,725Oxford568,513

StadiumTurnover £Portsmouth 558,274Poole527,652Ramsgate (Dumpton Park) 522,486Cradley Heath 411,118Hull (Old Craven Park) 408,221Middlesbrough 385,966Milton Keynes369,406Leicester (Blackbird Rd) 310,718London (Watford) 299,535Swindon 278,524Ipswich 246,000Preston 239,815Reading 235,698Rye House 234,182Norton Canes 216,046Halifax 78,878

References