The 1996 UK & Ireland Greyhound Racing Year was the 71st year of greyhound racing in the United Kingdom and the 70th year of greyhound racing in Ireland.
Roll of honour Major Winners Award Name of Winner1996 English Greyhound Derby Shanless Slippy 1996 Irish Greyhound Derby Tina Marina 1996 Scottish Greyhound Derby Burnpark Lord Greyhound Trainer of the Year Linda MullinsGreyhound of the Year Spring RoseIrish Dog and Bitch of the Year Mountleader Peer / Tina Marina Trainers Championship Ernie Gaskin Sr.
Summary The National Greyhound Racing Club (NGRC) released the annual returns, with totalisator turnover at £73,575,880 from 6384 meetings. The drop in tote turnover could be partly attributed to the first full year of the National Lottery which had begun the previous November.
Spring Rose trained by Charlie Lister was voted Greyhound of the Year after winning the Grand Prix at Walthamstow Stadium and the St Leger at Wembley. She broke the Walthamstow track record twice on her way to winning the Grand Prix and made the St Leger final unbeaten before clocking 39.29 in the final, a new track record.
Linda Mullins became the first woman to win the Greyhound Trainer of the Year.
Tracks There was no news on the London Stadium (Hackney) which was in administration, the situation looked unsettled despite good reviews about the stadium. It also hosted the Trainers Championship won by Ernie Gaskin Sr.
Ramsgate Stadium was closed by the receivers but sister track Oxford Stadium was bought by Isle of Man businessman Don Joyce who brought in a new general manager Dan McCormack.
Sittingbourne closed following financial problems but was re-opened by Roger Cearns, the grandson of WJ Cearns the founder of Wimbledon Stadium.
The National Lottery was cited as one of the main reasons why Raikes Park Greyhound Stadium in Bolton closed. The site on by the Raikes colliery on the Manchester Road had been one of the most prestigious Independent tracks and hosted the Independent Derby, St Leger and Guineas. It was a major loss within the independent circles and the independents had a bad year because Bury St Edmunds also closed.
News Former Slough and Wembley trainer Ted Dickson died leaving daughter Hazel to run the kennels on her own. When Ramsgate closed trainer Peter Rich moved to Catford and then Romford in quick succession. Hove trainer Bill Masters retired leaving Alan (Claude) Gardiner to take over the kennel. Gardiner was previously assistant to Brian Clemenson. Romford installed former Bolton Racing Manager Peter O'Dowd as the new Racing Manager to replace Steve Daniel who had only recently replaced Ray Spalding.
The Bord na gCon sold the site of the Cork Greyhound Stadium in Cork and purchased a green-field site in Curraheen on the western fringes of the city with the intention of building a brand new facility there.
The Intertrack betting service was introduced for the first time enabling racegoers at other tracks around the country to view the racing and place bets direct into the Wimbledon tote.
Competitions A greyhound called Some Picture looked a great prospect after winning the Select Stakes and Eclipse.
Principal UK races
Daily Mirror/Sporting Life Grand National, Hall Green (Mar 27, 474m h, £7,500)PosName of GreyhoundTrainerSP TimeTrap 1st Dynamic Display Barry O'Sullivan 7-2 29.23 22nd Diamond Hero Les Lawrence 7-2 29.25 13rd Fear Faire Kim Marlow7-2 29.27 54th Colorado Joker Maria Nierobisz 5-1 29.39 35th Doctor Fox David Mullins 3-1f 29.53 46th Ebony Lad Kim Marlow 9-1 29.61 6
BBC TV Trophy, Walthamstow (Apr 6, 820m, £6,000)PosName of Greyhound TrainerSP Time Trap 1st Suncrest Sail Charlie Lister 7-2 51.7522nd Martinstown Gem Patsy Byrne 3-151.87 43rd High Knight Ernie Gaskin Sr. 9-4f 52.1114th Miss Piggy Ann Power 5-2 52.2365th Autumn Tiger S Brunt 16-152.31 36th Dusty Image C Finch 50-152.71 5
Regal Scottish Derby, Shawfield (Apr 27, 480m, £20,000)PosName of Greyhound TrainerSP Time Trap 1st Burnpark Lord Dave Hopper 5-2 29.32 12nd Carnegie John Robinson (Ire) 14-1 29.40 53rd Quick Tune Gordon Hodson 3-1 29.44 64th Heres Andy Paul Stringer 6-4f 29.54 25th Cill Dubh Sam Hazel Dickson 20-1 29.74 46th Murlens Link Willie Frew 3-1 29.94 3
Reading Masters, Reading (May 13, 465m, £20,000) PosName of Greyhound TrainerSP Time Trap 1st Doyougetit Tony Meek 2-5f 27.99 62nd Come On Royal Barry McIntosh 6-1 28.11 33rd Mottos Gold Arthur Hitch 8-1 28.23 24th El Grand Senor Linda Mullins 11-2 28.29 15th Mi Cooper Kennerley 7-1 4N/R Gold DempseyTerry Kibble
Scurry Gold Cup, Catford (Jul 13, 385m, £2,500)PosName of Greyhound TrainerSP Time Trap 1st Come On Royal Barry McIntosh 4-1 23.58 22nd Woodside Erah Arthur Boyce 7-2 23.64 43rd Aglish Lester Brian Clemenson 14-1 23.72 34th Chipeta Jack Tony Taylor 10-1 23.74 55th Lemon Duchess Ernie Gaskin Sr. 9-2 23.82 16th Tiger Khan Derek Knight 7-4f 23.90 6
Gold Collar, Catford (Sep 21, 555m, £7,500)PosName of Greyhound TrainerSP Time Trap 1st Homeside Knight Tom Gates 7-1 34.80 32nd Away Duke Derek Knight 9-4 34.81 13rd El Tenor Linda Mullins 8-11f 34.82 44th Square Penny Derek Knight 10-1 34.84 65th Heros Morsel Linda Mullins 33-1 34.96 5N/R Coom Cruiser Derek Knight
Laurent-Perrier Grand Prix, Walthamstow (Oct 5, 640m, £7,500)PosName of Greyhound TrainerSP Time Trap 1st Spring Rose Charlie Lister 4-7f 39.05+ 62nd Sadlers Return Ernie Gaskin Sr. 9-2 39.61 23rd Level Coaster Bob Hall 9-2 39.71 54th Deenside Sport Dick Hawkes 25-1 39.87 15th Honest Guv Chris Duggan 50-1 40.11 36th Hilton Patch Natalie Savva 14-1 40.31 4 +Track Record
Ike Morris Laurels, Wimbledon (Oct 12, 460m, £7,500)PosName of Greyhound TrainerSP Time Trap 1st El Grand Senor Linda Mullins 9-4f 27.52 12nd Pavilion Rock Sam Sykes 11-4 27.94 23rd Sandwichsunshine Peter Rich 4-1 27.98 54th Im Trigo Tom Foster 10-1 27.99 45th Killila JohnoSam Sykes 20-1 28.09 66th Night Trooper Nikki Adams 7-2 28.29 3
Wendy Fair St Leger, Wembley (Nov 15, 655m, £12,000)PosName of Greyhound TrainerSP Time Trap 1st Spring Rose Charlie Lister 2-5f 39.29+ 62nd Wise Beauty Patsy Byrne 7-1 39.91 23rd Dinan Wonder Charlie Lister 10-1 39.93 14th Bonnies Major Steve Davis 10-1 40.09 55th Level Coaster Bob Hall 12-1 40.11 46th One For Tarbert Graham Holland 33-1 40.63 3 +Track Record
Cesarewitch, Catford (Dec 7, 718m, £5,000)PosName of Greyhound TrainerSP Time Trap 1st Elbony Rose Nick Savva 11-10f 45.90 22nd Love of You Tom Foster 7-2 45.93 13rd Misties Cloud Hazel Dickson 9-2 45.95 64th Orizontals Star Tony Taylor 10-1 46.15 55th Bubbly Boy Linda Jones 6-1 46.17 46th Countrywide Lass Peter Rich 25-1 46.67 3
Oaks, Wimbledon (Dec 14, 480m, £6,000)PosName of Greyhound TrainerSP Time Trap 1st Annies Bullet Nick Savva 7-4jf 28.76 42nd Be Bopa Lola Phil Rees Jr. 7-4jf 29.00 33rd Clodeen Magic Brian Clemenson 11-4 29.06 24th Freds Flame Graham Sharp 25-1 29.12 55th Pams Wizard Jim Reynolds 6-1 29.44 6N/R Roses Opinion Mick Puzey
Totalisator returns
The totalisator returns declared to the National Greyhound Racing Club for the year 1996 are listed below.
StadiumTurnover £London (Walthamstow) 11,235,549London (Wimbledon) 7,606,497Romford 5,989,366Brighton & Hove 4,565,571Birmingham (Hall Green) 4,527,118Manchester (Belle Vue)3,984,297London (Catford) 3,769,208Crayford 2,424,532Sheffield (Owlerton) 2,359,515Birmingham (Perry Barr) 2,305,608Peterborough 2,045,249London (Wembley) 2,011,499Sunderland 1,685,804
StadiumTurnover £Glasgow (Shawfield) 1,678,487London (Hackney) 1,650,000Wolverhampton (Monmore)1,423,000Portsmouth 1,332,268Bristol 1,323,050Yarmouth 1,240,261Newcastle (Brough Park) 1,231,215Oxford1,082,732Reading 1,041,505Milton Keynes1,011,687Bolton 874,940Nottingham 848,833Canterbury 628,548
StadiumTurnover £Swindon 511,529Harlow 505,855Sittingbourne 480,000Hull (New Craven Park) 450,000Rye House 343,820Middlesbrough 291,611Doncaster (Stainforth) 278,736Ramsgate 234,000Swaffham 221,447Mildenhall 189,171Henlow (Bedfordshire) 181,972Dundee 11,400
References