The 1995 UK & Ireland Greyhound Racing Year was the 70th year of greyhound racing in the United Kingdom and the 69th year of greyhound racing in Ireland.
Roll of honour Major Winners Award Name of Winner1995 English Greyhound Derby Moaning Lad 1995 Irish Greyhound Derby Batties Rocket 1995 Scottish Greyhound Derby Solar Symphony Greyhound Trainer of the Year John Coleman Greyhound of the Year Staplers Jo Irish Greyhound of the Year Dew Reward Trainers Championship John Coleman
Summary The National Greyhound Racing Club (NGRC) released the annual returns, with totalisator turnover at £77,837,828 and attendances recorded at 3,652,671 from 6391 meetings.
Staplers Jo trained by Nick Savva was voted Greyhound of the Year after winning the Anglo Irish International, Produce Stakes, Guineas and Ladbrokes Puppy Derby. Dew Reward trained by Michael O'Donovan was voted Irish Greyhound of the Year after winning the Irish Champion Stakes.
John Coleman won the Greyhound Trainer of the Year.
While William Hill remained part of the doomed Brent Walker, the new owners of Hackney Wick Stadium Fleetfoot Racing (led by its Managing Director Ex-Lloyds broker and racing journalist Robert Parker) had announced an exciting redevelopment plan. However, before the end of the year the plans had turned into a fiasco. Work began on an ambitious project including a £12 million restaurant and state of the art facilities, leading trainers were recruited and the stadium was rebranded 'The London Stadium'. Robert Parker was later replaced by Stephen Rea, with the venture still requiring significant funds and beset with construction problems and internal disagreements the original £14 million scheme to develop the neglected stadium had run into serious problems. Extra cash was raised by rights issues with companies including Rothschild, Henderson Venture Managers and Samuel Montagu. In October 1995 the new stadium was finally ready offering first-class facilities and significantly high prize money. However, on the reopening night and despite a capacity crowd the stadium went into receivership during the same evening. Investigations began amidst rumours of fraud, banker Stephen Welton, was pursued by LWT reporter Trevor Phillips and questioned for the Board's failure to conduct due diligence on a prospective buyer who turned out to be an undischarged bankrupt. Parker appeared on Roger Cook's ITV's television program The Cook Report and allegations were made against Stephen Rea.
Tracks Construction company Hawkins of Harrow went into administration following a lull in the building industry and repayments required to the banks for loans to purchase garden centres. They owned Northern Sports which meant that Oxford Stadium and Ramsgate Stadium were in the hands of the receivers. Ramsgate boss Sheila Yanez believes the track could be sold for £1.2 million but that it would take at least a year to resolve planning issues with the neighbouring garden centre. Oxford General Manager John Blake and Northern Sports Group Racing Manager Mick Wheble were made redundant.
Harlow Stadium opened on 15 March. Toni Nicholls bought the land from receivers when the new football stadium was being built in 1993 and constructed the new facilities including executive suites, a restaurant and conference and banqueting facilities.
Sittingbourne opened on 3 October with new facilities including a track side restaurant, fast food outlets, three licensed bars and three private executive suites.
Eddie Ramsay's SGRC (Scottish Greyhound Racing Company) was in financial difficulties and he sold Powderhall Stadium to a Channel Islands company called Charlotte Twenty-One (that included a shareholder called Walton Hankinson, a housing development specialist).
News Treacys Triumph broke one of the oldest track records in Ireland after recording 31.68 at Harolds Cross for 580 yards. The half brother of Moral Standards improved Rail Ship's previous record set in 1973.
Competitions Spring Rose trained by Charlie Lister finished second behind Elliots Gem in the inaugural Puppy Classic at Nottingham. Spring Rose, a white and fawn bitch would make a champion stayer. It was however Ballarue Minx trained by Bill Masters that was the stand out stayer of the year; the white and brindle bitch won the first Cesarewitch to be held at Catford Stadium, which added to her St Leger crown from the previous year.
Principal UK races
Daily Mirror/Sporting Life Grand National, Hall Green (Mar 29, 474m h, £7,500) PosName of GreyhoundTrainerSP TimeTrap 1st Elegant Brandy Ernie Gaskin Sr. 10-1 29.24 12nd Fear Faire Kim Marlow 5-2 29.26 33rd Howling Darkie Bob Baker 16-1 29.40 64th Ace Choice Derek Knight 7-1 29.58 55th Flicks Flyer Patsy Byrne 11-4 29.59 26th Westlake Wonder Chris Duggan 2-1f 29.67 4
BBC TV Trophy, Oxford (Apr 19, 845m, £6,000)PosName of Greyhound TrainerSP Time Trap 1st Last Action John Wileman 10-11f 53.68 52nd Jubilee Rebecca Gordon Rooks 8-153.86 33rd Tain Flip David Mullins 11-253.87 24th Long Island Jim Chris Duggan 11-2 53.9165th Coalbrook Star Ken Shearman 8-1 54.1916th Aughadonagh Bay Bob Hall 50-1 54.514
Reading Masters, Reading (May 11, 465m, £20,000) PosName of Greyhound TrainerSP Time Trap 1st Longvalley Manor John Coleman 9-2 28.35 2nd Sodas Slippy D Barrett 8-1 28.49 23rd Tooting Tim Patsy Byrne 16-1 28.89 54th Strauss Gilly Davis 9-2 28.92 35th Academic John Coleman 6-4f 00.00 16th Seal of Gold Patsy Byrne 5-2 DNF 6
Regal Scottish Derby, Shawfield (May 20, 480m, £20,000)PosName of Greyhound TrainerSP Time Trap 1st Solar Symphony Stuart Ray 5-2jf 28.97+ 12nd Curryhills Fancy Linda Mullins 6-1 29.33 63rd Pond Pythagarus Harry Williams 10-1 29.34 54th West End Graham Calvert 4-1 29.46 35th Cill Dubh Sam Hazel Dickson 6-1 29.82 26th Murlens Link Davie Neill 5-2jf 30.12 4 +Track Record
Scurry Gold Cup, Catford (Jul 8, 385m, £2,500)PosName of Greyhound TrainerSP Time Trap 1st Demesne Bear Peter Payne 10-11f 23.68 12nd City Class John Wileman 4-1 23.86 63rd Ramor Treasure Paul Garland 25-1 24.04 44th Tamar Wizard Brian Clemenson 14-1 24.16 25th Hello October Tom Gates 9-4 24.24 56th Hendon Charlie Norah McEllistrim 25-1 24.32 3
Gold Collar, Catford (Sep 23, 555m, £7,500)PosName of Greyhound TrainerSP Time Trap 1st Alans Rose John Coleman 11-10f 34.61 12nd Coom Cruiser Derek Knight 3-1 34.77 33rd Coolmona Road Derek Knight 2-1 34.91 44th Mr Tan Dave Catchpole 20-1 34.95 25th Fulham Cross John Walsh 14-1 35.11 66th Opening Quote Donna Pickett 25-1 35.29 5
Grand Prix, Walthamstow (Oct 7, 640m, £7,500)PosName of Greyhound TrainerSP Time Trap 1st Suncrest Sail Charlie Lister 11-10f 39.62 2nd Sir Frederick Derek Knight 5-1 39.78 63rd Love of You Tom Foster 7-1 39.81 34th Alans Rose John Coleman 5-2 39.99 45th Just Ash Graham Sharp 66-1 40.39 26th Honest Endeavour Dick Hawkes 100-1 40.44 5
Laurels, Wimbledon (Oct 14, 460m, £7,500)PosName of Greyhound TrainerSP Time Trap 1st Demesne Bear Peter Payne 14-1 27.942nd Dragon Prince Charlie Lister 4-5f 28.08 33rd Hart To Mine Brian Clemenson 12-1 28.36 54th Bettys Wish John Wileman 20-1 28.38 45th Hinch Manx Patsy Byrne 5-2 28.52 66th Top Lodge Terry Kibble 14-1 28.72 1
St Leger, Wembley (Nov 17, 655m, £12,000)PosName of Greyhound TrainerSP Time Trap 1st Kens Dilemma Theo Mentzis 2-1f 39.80 62nd Dinan Wonder Charlie Lister 9-4 39.84 23rd Misties Cloud Hazel Dickson 7-2 39.92 44th Milwaukee Dream Ernie Gaskin Sr. 7-1 39.94 35th Andronikos Cindy Clapp 12-1 40.10 56th Slippy Ted Graham Sharp 14-1 40.24 1
Cesarewitch, Catford (Dec 2, 718m, £5,000)PosName of Greyhound TrainerSP Time Trap 1st Ballarue Minx Bill Masters 5-4 45.98 32nd Alans Rose John Coleman 5-6f 45.99 13rd Postal Delivery Tony Taylor 50-1 46.35 54th Musha Dennis Jewell 50-1 46.36 25th Rockmount Grand Tony Taylor 8-1 46.38 66th Whos Minnies Lorraine Sams 40-1 46.62 4
Oaks, Wimbledon (Dec 16, 480m, £6,000)PosName of Greyhound TrainerSP Time Trap 1st Saddlers Return Ernie Gaskin Sr. 3-1 28.7622nd Forgotten John Haynes 8-11f 29.12 63rd Bettys Wish John Wileman 5-1 29.14 14th Veras Echo Tommy Foster 50-1 29.64 45th Courage Queen Tommy Foster 7-1 29.70 36th Good Omen Ernie Gaskin Sr. 12-1 29.82 5
Totalisator returns
The totalisator returns declared to the National Greyhound Racing Club for the year 1995 are listed below.
StadiumTurnover £London (Walthamstow) 12,419,527London (Wimbledon) 8,572,980Romford 5,966,799Brighton & Hove 4,802,685Birmingham (Hall Green) 4,729,378London (Catford) 4,618,210Manchester (Belle Vue)4,224,570London (Wembley) 2,662,131Crayford 2,575,528Sheffield (Owlerton) 2,284,595Birmingham (Perry Barr) 2,222,567Peterborough 1,950,844Glasgow (Shawfield) 1,851,797
StadiumTurnover £Sunderland 1,624,156London (Hackney) 1,599,182Wolverhampton (Monmore)1,481,070Portsmouth 1,424,206Oxford1,288,604Yarmouth 1,253,082Bristol 1,213,568Newcastle (Brough Park) 1,196,826Reading 1,083,871Ramsgate 997,166Nottingham 698,649Milton Keynes696,937Swindon] 564,897
StadiumTurnover £Doncaster (Stainforth) 551,970Bolton 511,240Hull (New Craven Park) 402,312Harlow 390,000Canterbury 389,645Sittingbourne 340,441Middlesbrough 326,786Swaffham 308,010Henlow (Bedfordshire) 237,462Mildenhall 176,598Rye House 174,659Dundee 23,880
References