Greyhound Derby

This is the week of the English Greyhound Derby final which I first saw in '46 when I was working for a horse vet at Epsom called Frank Chamberlain.  I also saw the Derby that was won by Airborne. The race at White City was won by a greyhound called Monday's News.  I well remember the exciting atmosphere before a crowd of 60,000.  The new exciting sport was highly attractive.  I wished I had attended the final two years later because it attracted 80,000 spectators and Priceless Border from Northern Ireland was the popular winner.  A few years later the sport gradually began to lose it's appeal.  In the absence of statutory control a few officials took advantage of their positions.  Racegoers noticed the odd suspect decision.  Attendances have gradually declined and this year's final is unlikely to attract much more than two thousand.

Before I went to the dogs -- in 1939 there was actually 92,000 at White City to see Highland Rum win.  The very first Derby that I saw was the Irish one at Shelbourne Park in 1940 when I had started at the veterinary college.  The winner was Tanist.  He was trained by Bill Quinn from Killenaule.  He was owned by an Englishman called Arthur Probert.  When he bought him he first sent him to race at Wimbledon.  He had three races there but failed to handle the sharp turns.  Mr Probert sent him back to Ireland for the Irish Derby.  He had no problem with the bends at Shelbourne and won the Derby.  When the winter came Probert gave him a few trials on the coursing field.  He showed stamina in a long course after a strong hare and attracted a nomination in the Irish Cup at Clounanna.  Against bigger and stronger dogs he surprised many experienced coursing enthusiasts in reaching the last four.  When he got a minor injury Probert advertised him at stud at a fee of 20 guineas which was unheard of at the time.  Shrewd breeders who had been impressed by his pace gladly paid the fee.  Two years later many of his progeny clocked fast times on the track and more breeders were willing to use him.  In due course a number of the young Tanist’s won major races.  I remember two -- Mad Tanist and Sandown Champion. 

Tanist  '38 by Inler ex Tranquilla 

The greatest Derby winner in the history of the sport in my book is Spanish Battleship. He only weighed 60-61 lbs.  He won the Irish Derby at Harolds Cross in 1953, at Shelbourne in 1954 and at Harolds Cross in 1955.  He also won the Laurels, the Easter Cup, the Tipperary Cup, the McCalmount Cup and the Corn Tostal.  In 1956 I went to Dagenham to see him in an exhibition Solo run.  When I saw the hare being put around it was a noisy inside rattler.  I said to myself  " The Battleship is too clever to chase this ".  Sure enough, he put his ears up as soon as he came out of the traps.  He went about 50 yards and stopped.  The big crowd were terribly disappointed. 

This year's winner Sidaz Jack was the most inexperienced I have ever known to win it.  He had only one previous race and that was in Ireland.  I saw  him only on television and thought he looked calm and was totally unfazed.  He seemed typical of dogs under the care of the experienced Charlie Lister OBE.  But if he were to miss the start I expected one of the two trained by my countrymen Fraser Black and Liam Dowling to get around that vital first turn in front. 

It's all over now and what surprised me was that the winner was allowed to start at 6/1. I can only conclude that the bookmakers thought he would miss the start.  One of the first things I learnt about Lister was the empathy he had with his dogs.  He and his staff appreciated that their mental stimulation was as important as their physical needs.  I first heard of Charlie in 1967 when the famous Joe Booth came to me with three lame dogs.  He told me that one belonged to a man called Lister who was a good payer.  Joe said he would pay for the others because he was holding prize money he had won.  Charlie first won the Derby in 1997 with 'Some Picture'.  This was one of the best track greyhounds I have ever seen.  His Dad was 'Slaneyside Hare' whom I called the best that ever stood in my kennels.  Charlie won in 2000 and again in 2001 with Ray White's Rapid Ranger.  In 2003 there was a sensation.  Droopy's Hewitt by Top Honcho X Droopy's Cheryl by Slaneyside Hare won easily but was later disqualified for having had a positive test in the first round.  The Derby was awarded to Farloe Verdict -- trained by Charlie.  In 2010 and 2011 Charlie won again with Bandicoot Tipoki and Taylor's Sky.

Another respected client of mine Nick Savva also has a proud record in Derby races with his own dogs.  He won both the English and the Irish one with Tom's the Best in 1998.  In 2005 and again in 2006 he won at Wimbledon with his own mighty Westmead Hawk and in 2007 his heavyweight Westmead Lord won another English Derby.