The Welsh Greyhound Derby was a former classic greyhound competition held in Wales.[1]

Welsh Greyhound Derby
Triple Crown race (discontinued)
1929 Welsh Greyhound Derby winner Back Isle
LocationCardiff Arms Park
Inaugurated1928
Last run1977

History

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The competition was held at the White City Stadium in Cardiff from 1928 to 1937. The competition was sometimes run as a handicap race.[2]

After the closure of White City, the race switched to the Cardiff Arms Park from 1945 until 1977. It gained classic status in 1971.[3]

When the Cardiff Arms Park closed to greyhound racing there was no remaining fully licensed National Greyhound Racing Club track in Wales resulting in the race discontinuing.[4] During the vast majority of its existence the race formed part of the triple crown of racing alongside the English Greyhound Derby and Scottish Greyhound Derby.[5]

The famous Mick the Miller, who was a household name during the 1930s won the event in 1930.[6][7]

Venues

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  • 1928–1937 (Welsh White City, Cardiff 525 yards)
  • 1945–1974 (Arms Park, Cardiff 525 yards)
  • 1975–1977 (Arms Park, Cardiff 500 metres)

Past winners

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Year Winner Breeding Trainer Time SP Notes
1928 Cheerful Choice Mutton Cutlet – Glorious Still Paddy Fortune (Welsh White City) 30.73 sec 8-11f
1929 Back Isle Spike Island – Giddy Fiddler Cronin 29.67 sec 4-9f
1930 Mick The Miller Glorious Event – Na Boc Lei Sidney Orton (Wimbledon) 29.55 sec 1-8f Track Record
1931 Altamatzin Wily Warrior – Looks Likely Arthur 'Doc' Callanan (Wembley) 29.88 sec 2-1
1932 Reel Tom Melksham Tom – Rigadoon Billy Quinn (Ireland) 29.87 sec 5-1
1933 Beef Cutlet Mutton Cutlet – Burette John Hegarty (Welsh White City) 29.56 sec
1934 Valiant Rufus Red Robin – Hotel Avro Leslie Carpenter (Gloucester) 30.08 sec 1/1f
1936 Bully Ring Mount Hillarys Boy – Brittas Belle Robert Linney (Gloucester) 30.28 sec 4-1
1937 Genial Radiance Johnny Peters - Reymerston J.W.Day (Private) 30.15 sec 5-1
1945 Shaggy Lass Castledown Lad – Shaggy Shore G.H.Vickery (Private) 29.75 sec 4-5f
1946 Negro's Lad Kilrea Lad – Negro's Fire Jack Toseland (Perry Barr) 29.54 sec 8-1 Track record
1947 Trev's Perfection Trevs Despatch - Friar Tuck Fred Trevillion (Private) 29.74 sec 1-3f
1948 Local Interprize Ruby Border - Mythical Daisy Stan Biss (Clapton) 29.32 sec 4-6f
1950 Ballycurreen Garrett Ballycurreen Duke – Ballymakeera Keeper Jack Harvey (Wembley) 29.22 sec 100-30 Track record
1951 Ballylanigan Tanist Mad Tanist - Fly Dancer Leslie Reynolds (Wembley) 29.95 sec 1-1f
1952 Endless Gossip Priceless Border - Narrogar Ann Leslie Reynolds (Wembley) 29.41 sec 7-4
1953 Glittering Look Glittering Smack – Knockrour Favourite Tom 'Paddy' Reilly (Walthamstow) 29.39 sec 5-2
1955 Rushton Mac[8] Rushton News – Rushton Panda Frank Johnson (Private) 29.40 sec 1-2f
1957 Go Doggie Go Ballymac Ball – Marchioness Minnie Jack Toseland (Perry Barr) 29.38 sec 5-4f
1958 Our Defence Defence Leader – Our Violet Dennis O'Brien (Private) 30.27 sec 6-1
1959 Mile Bush Pride The Grand Champion – Witching Dancer Jack Harvey (Wembley) 28.80 sec 8-11f Track record
1960 Fitz's Star Cheerful Chariot – Fitz's Lass Tom 'Paddy' Reilly (Walthamstow) 29.48 sec 4-1
1961 Oregon Prince Knock Hill Chieftain - Burleigh's Fancy Phil Rees Sr. (Private) 28.86 sec 2-5f
1962 Summerhill Fancy Knockrour Again – Brandon Princess George Waterman (Wimbledon) 29.07 sec 3-1
1963 Fairys Chum Knock Hill Chieftain – Fairy Julia Bob Burls (Wembley) 29.49 sec 4-1
1964 Davo's Rink Hopeful Cutlet – Move Along Kentucky Tom Baldwin (Perry Barr) 28.84 sec 9-4
1965 Harmony Mile Bush Pride – Perfect Queen Jim Irving (Private) 29.43 sec 3-1
1966 I'm Quickest Skips Choice – Gratton Star Randy Singleton (White City) 29.59 sec 3-1
1968 Swift Half Hack Up Chieftain – Imperial Astra Jim Irving (Private) 29.58 sec 9-2
1969 Pallas Joy Movealong Santa – Happy Now Adam Jackson (Clapton) 29.43 sec 7-2
1970 Super Gamble Flash Solar – Big Gamble Paddy Coughlan (Private) 29.46 sec 2-1
1971 Spectres Dream Spectres II – Jockeys Dream Hugo Spencer (Portsmouth) 29.22 sec 16-1
1972 Patricias Hope Silver Hope - Patsicia Adam Jackson (Clapton) 29.75 sec 3-1
1973 Silly Rocket Shanes Rocket – Silly Pride Bertie Gaynor (Wolverhampton) 29.56 sec 11-8f
1974 Dankie Monalee Champion – Weela Heather Colin West (White City) 29.72 sec 4-1
1975 Baffling Bart The Grand Silver - Mosaduva Paddy Milligan (Private) 29.37 sec 3-1
1976 Cameo Colonel Own Pride – New Curriculum John Gibbons (Private) 29.63 sec 10-1
1977 Instant Gambler Itsachampion - Sabrina Barbara Tompkins (Private) 30.01 sec 1-1f

Discontinued

References

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  1. ^ Genders, Roy (1981). The Encyclopedia of Greyhound Racing, pages 129-130. Pelham Books Ltd. ISBN 07207-1106-1.
  2. ^ "Valiant Rufus wins Welsh Derby". Western Mail. 28 May 1934. Retrieved 17 May 2024 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  3. ^ Genders, Roy (1990). NGRC book of Greyhound Racing, pages 104-105. Pelham Books Ltd. ISBN 0-7207-1804-X.
  4. ^ Barnes, Julia (1988). Daily Mirror Greyhound Fact File. Ringpress Books. ISBN 0-948955-15-5.
  5. ^ Genders, Roy (1975). The Greyhound and Racing Greyhound. Page Brothers (Norwich). ISBN 0-85020-0474.
  6. ^ Dack, Barrie (1990). Greyhound Derby, the first 60 years, pages 59-61. Ringpress Books. ISBN 0-948955-36-8.
  7. ^ Tanner, Michael (2004). The Legend of Mick the Miller: Sporting Icon of the Depression. Newbury: Highdown. ISBN 978-1-904317-67-8.
  8. ^ "Rushton Mac wins easily". Western Mail. 28 June 1955. Retrieved 8 January 2022 – via British Newspaper Archive.