1954 UK & Ireland Greyhound Racing Year

none March 2026 March 2026 1954 UK & Ireland Greyhound Racing Year 1953 1955 The 1954 UK & Ireland Greyhound Racing Year was the 29th year of greyhound racing in the United KingdomGreyhound Racing South Gloucestershire Gazette 24 Jul 1926 9 March 2026 https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0004065/19260724/015/0003 British Newspaper Archive subscription and the 28th year of greyhound racing in Ireland.https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0001542/19270419/075/0003 Belfast's New Sport Northern Whig 19 April 1927 British Newspaper Archive subscription 9 March 2026Fry Paul The Official NGRC Greyhound Racing Yearbook 1995 Ringpress Books 186054-010-4 Roll of honour Major Winners Award Name of Winner1954 English Greyhound Derby Pauls Fun Dack Barrie Greyhound Derby, the first 60 years page 96/97/98 1990 Ringpress Books 0-948955-36-8http://www.greyhound-data.com/d?r=2058 1954 Greyhound Data1954 Irish Greyhound Derby Spanish Battleship Comyn John 50 Years of Greyhound Racing in Ireland Aherlow Publishers LtdFortune Michael Irish Greyhound Derby 1932-1981 Victory Irish Promotions Ltd1954 Scottish Greyhound Derby Rushton Mac Hobbs Jonathan Greyhound Annual 2008, pages 153-154 2007 Raceform 978-1-905153-53-41954 Welsh Greyhound Derby Not held Genders Roy The Greyhound and Racing Greyhound, page 320 1975 Page Brothers (Norwich) 0-85020-0474Greyhound of the Year Pauls Fun & Pancho Villa Summary Spanish Battleship secured a second consecutive Irish Greyhound Derby title becoming the first greyhound in history to do so. In addition to the Derby win, during the year he won the Tostal Cup at Harold's Cross Stadium and Easter Cup at Shelbourne Park before an injury curtailed his efforts in the Callanan Cup final. After his historic Derby win he would win the Tipperary Cup with two track record runs and a victory in the McCalmont Cup but would be a shock loser in the final of the McAlinden Cup for the second year running.Fortune Michael Irish Greyhound Derby 1932-1981 Victory Irish Promotions Ltd Pauls Fun won the English Greyhound Derby for Leslie Reynolds securing a record fifth title for the trainer. The annual totalisator was £56,139,001.Particulars of Licensed tracks, table 1 Licensed Dog Racecourses 1954 Licensing Authorities Competitions Prince Lawrence and Ardskeagh Ville claimed the pre-derby classics, the Grand National and Gold Collar respectively. Jack Harvey went on a significant three classic winning run; his Gold Collar finalist Demon King captured the sprinters classic the Scurry Gold Cup.Genders Roy The Encyclopedia of Greyhound Racing 1981 Pelham Books Ltd 07207-1106-1 The following month during the Laurels, at Wimbledon Stadium Coolkill Chieftain picked up the £1,000 first prize and then in September his Laurels runner up Pancho Villa secured a four and half-length victory in the St Leger final. In addition he also won the Puppy Derby with Gulf of Darien.Genders Roy NGRC book of Greyhound Racing 1990 Pelham Books Ltd 0-7207-1804-X The Scottish Greyhound Derby moved to October in an attempt to gain more entries and this seemed to work when the competition received a good entry, including a pair of brothers who emerged to dominate the event. Rushton Mac (by Rushton News out of Rushton Panda) defeated his brother Rushton Spot, who was eliminated from the English Derby at the semi-final stage. Rushton Mac had previously won the Edinburgh Cup. The kennel brothers were trained by Frank Johnson and Rushton Mac won the Pall Mall Stakes and Select Stakes titles.Barnes Julia Daily Mirror Greyhound Fact File, Vol Two 1991 Ringpress Books 0-948955-61-9Barnes/Sellers Julia/John Ladbrokes Greyhound Fact File 1992 Ringpress Books 0-948955-22-8 West Ham Stadium received a star studded line up for the Cesarewitch final in October. Matchlock beat a field in the final by seven lengths that included Derby champion Pauls Fun, St Leger champion Pancho Villa, Title Role and Barrowside. The last major event of the year was the Grand Prix and the Rushton brothers took the first two places again, only this time in a reversal of the Scottish Derby final.Hobbs Jonathan Greyhound Annual 2003 2002 Raceform 1-904317-07-3 Kensington Perfection trained by Bill Higgins at Oxford Stadium completed an impressive four timer by winning four National Produce stakes finals at Stamford Bridge, Catford Stadium, Brighton & Hove Greyhound Stadium (The Regency) and Eastville Stadium. Tracks A new track in Weymouth opened during August; the site was on Radpole Lane and was known as the Wessex Stadium and Somercotes opened the following month.Barnes Julia Daily Mirror Greyhound Fact File 1988 Ringpress Books 0-948955-15-5 Stanley Greyhound Stadium withdrew from the National Greyhound Racing Club under the 'Combine' licence.Stanley Quit, Thursday 7 October 1954 Greyhound Owner Principal UK races Grand National, White City (May 8 525y h, £300) PosName of GreyhoundTrainerSP TimeTrap 1st Prince Lawrence Joe Pickering 10-1 30.29 12nd Brighton Master Sidney Orton 10-1 30.53 23rd Ruddy Caution Paddy McEvoy 7-2 30.71 54th Tanist Farewell 3-1 30.89 35th Parkroe Bob Jack Young 6-1 31.01 46th The Flying Kingdom A.W.Way 2-1f 31.09 6 Gold Collar, Catford (May 29, 440y, £450)PosName of Greyhound TrainerSP Time Trap 1st Ardskeagh Ville Dave Barker 9-4 25.86 52nd Rathroe Surprise Bob Burls 10-1 26.10 33rd Demon King Jack Harvey 100-7 26.20 24th More Majors 33-1 26.36 15th Safe Keys Miss Mary Vaughan 8-1 27.00 46th Home Luck Stan Martin 1-1f 00.00 6 Scurry Gold Cup, Clapton (Jul 24, 400y £600)PosName of Greyhound TrainerSP Time Trap 1st Demon King Jack Harvey 4-9f 22.84 12nd AnnaghnealJim Syder Jr. 7-1 23.00 33rd Hertzog Dave Geggus 100-8 23.18 24th Mystery Rival Bert Stephens 50-1 23.54 55th Fitzs Marquis Tom Paddy Reilly 7-1 23.64 46th Explosive Gilbert Leslie Reynolds 8-1 24.04 6 Laurels, Wimbledon (Aug 20, 500y, £1,000)PosName of Greyhound TrainerSP Time Trap 1st Coolkill Chieftain Jack Harvey 1-2f 28.05 52nd Pancho Villa Jack Harvey 11-2 28.49 43rd Christopher Hemley Sidney Orton 10-1 29.13 64th Ashcott Boy Leslie Reynolds 10-1 29.17 35th Rathroe Surprise Bob Burls 20-1 29.41 26th Something Odd Dave Geggus 15-2 29.53 1 St Leger, Wembley (Sep 13, 700y, £1,000)PosName of Greyhound TrainerSP Time Trap 1st Pancho Villa Jack Harvey 1-1f 40.99 12nd Matchlock Ted Brennan 9-2 41.35 23rd Fly Prince George Crussell 100-8 41.55 54th Blue Bell Crosty 4-1 41.61 45th The Sherpa Noreen Collin 8-1 41.67 6N/R Coolkill Chieftain Jack Harvey Oaks, White City (Oct 2, 525y, £500)PosName of Greyhound TrainerSP Time Trap 1st Ashcott Winsome Bert Heyes 100-6 29.39 22nd Cree Dusk Sidney Orton 2-1f 29.49 13rd Velvet Doll Jack Harvey 5-2 29.53 54th Rimmells Pearl Jim Hookway 4-1 29.56 65th Gift of Pleasure Arthur Hancock 6-1 29.72 36th Waltzers Choice Reg String Marsh 6-1 29.76 4 Scottish Greyhound Derby, Carntyne (Oct 9, 525y, £500)PosName of Greyhound TrainerSP Time Trap 1st Rushton Mac Frank Johnson 5-2 29.20 22nd Rushton Spot Frank Johnson6-1 29.32 53rd Hi There Jim Brennan 3-1 29.35 44th Prince Chancer Jimmy Jowett 6-4f 29.47 15th Stolen Seal 50-1 29.79 36th Tillside Beech 33-1 30.19 6 Cesarewitch, West Ham (Oct 15, 600y, £600)PosName of Greyhound TrainerSP Time Trap 1st Matchlock Ted Brennan 7-2 33.03 62nd Rose of Cooleeney Wembley 1-2f 33.59 53rd Pauls Fun Leslie Reynolds 10-1 33.65 14th Pancho Villa Jack Harvey 10-1 33.69 25th Barrowside Jack Harvey 25-1 33.83 36th Title Role Jack Harvey 10-1 33.97 4 The Grand Prix Walthamstow (Oct 13, 525y, £750)PosName of Greyhound TrainerSP Time Trap 1st Rushton Spot Frank Johnson 10-3 29.57 52nd Rushton Mac Frank Johnson 5-2 30.09 63rd Cheeky Tony 25-1 30.17 44th Cooleen Surprise George Crussell 6-1 30.45 35th Step Inside Ron Chamberlain 7-2 30.47 16th Please Champion Miss K.G.Sanderson 9-4f 30.63 2 Totalisator returns The totalisator returns declared to the licensing authorities for the year 1954 are listed below. Tracks that did not have a totalisator in operation are not listed. StadiumTurnover £London (White City) 4,367,000London (Harringay) 2,967,000London (Wimbledon) 2,464,000London (Wembley) 2,429,000London (Walthamstow) 2,298,000London (Wandsworth) 1,748,000London (Clapton) 1,681,000London (Park Royal) 1,641,000London (West Ham) 1,583,000London (Stamford Bridge) 1,561,000Manchester (Belle Vue) 1,558,000London (Catford) 1,467,000London (Hackney) 1,231,000London (New Cross) 1,083,000London (Hendon) 1,000,000Manchester (White City) 867,000London (Charlton) 843,000Romford 837,000Brighton & Hove 773,000Glasgow (Shawfield) 760,000Birmingham (Perry Barr, old)747,000Edinburgh (Powderhall) 721,000Birmingham (Hall Green) 696,000Newcastle (Gosforth)673,000Manchester (Salford) 652,000Crayford & Bexleyheath 640,000Newcastle (Brough Park) 635,000London (Dagenham) 633,000Cardiff (Arms Park) 614,000Birmingham (Kings Heath) 559,000Wolverhampton (Monmore)547,000Sheffield (Owlerton) 544,000Bradford (Greenfield) 515,000Gateshead 499,000Glasgow (White City) 490,000Leeds (Elland Road) 481,000Slough 481,000Southampton 478,000 StadiumTurnover £Bristol (Eastville) 477,000Glasgow (Albion) 466,000Southend-on-Sea 462,000Coventry (Lythalls Lane) 440,000Liverpool (Seaforth) 424,000Ramsgate (Dumpton Park) 394,000Middlesbrough 384,000Willenhall 372,000Liverpool (White City)352,000Blackpool (St Anne's) 349,000Sheffield (Darnall) 349,000Glasgow (Carntyne) 348,000Gloucester & Cheltenham 342,000Ashington (Co Durham)333,000Reading (Oxford Road)331,000South Shields 324,000Leicester (Blackbird Rd) 317,000Bolton 310,000Rochester & Chatham 309,000Chester 294,000Liverpool (Stanley) 272,000Hull (Old Craven Park) 261,000Derby254,000Bradford (City) 246,000Preston 236,000Nottingham (White City)231,000Aberdeen 225,000Sheffield (Hyde Park)214,000West Hartlepool 210,000Portsmouth 208,000Plymouth 207,000Newport 205,000Oxford205,000Sunderland 205,000Blackburn 203,000Stanley (Co Durham) 197,000Warrington 177,000Stoke-on-Trent (Hanley) 175,483 StadiumTurnover £Exeter (County Ground)166,000Glasgow (Firhill) 162,000Norwich (Boundary Park) 1556,000Luton 154,000Yarmouth 151,000Cradley Heath 141,000Norwich (City) 138,000Keighley129,000Bristol (Knowle) 124,000Houghton-le-Spring 124,000Ipswich 118,000Stoke-on-Trent (Cobridge) 117,000St Helens 133,000Rochdale 97,000Stockton-on-Tees (Belle Vue) 97,000Rayleigh (Essex) 95,000Wallyford (East Lothian)95,000Peterborough 92,000Oldham 89,000Easington (Co Durham) 77,000Long Eaton72,000Swindon 67,000Stockport (Hazel Grove) 63,000Wakefield 60,000Wigan (Poolstock) 54,000Wigan (Woodhouse) 50,000Durham City 46,000Northampton 40,000Rotherham 35,000Tamworth 32,000Doncaster (Spotbrough) 30,000Coundon (Co Durham) 27,000Workington 25,000Spennymoor (Co Durham) 24,000Aycliffe (Co Durham) 18,000Irvine (Townhead)6,000 References 30em Category:Greyhound racing in the United Kingdom Category:Greyhound racing in the Republic of Ireland UK and Ireland Greyhound Racing Year UK and Ireland Greyhound Racing Year UK and Ireland Greyhound Racing Year UK and Ireland Greyhound Racing Year