1978 English Greyhound Derby

1978 English Greyhound Derby
Lacca Champion
LocationWhite City Stadium
Start date20 May
End date1 July
Total prize money£20,000 (winner)
← 1977
1979 →

The 1978 Spillers Greyhound Derby took place during May, June and July[1] with the final being held on 1 July 1978 at White City Stadium.[2] The winner was Lacca Champion and the winning owners Paul Howell, Sandra Howell and David Hill received a record £20,000. The competition was sponsored by the Spillers.[3]

Competition Report

The Derby attracted a significant number of runners from Ireland with 21 of the 163 hopefuls making the journey. The first round was held at different tracks which proved unpopular. Scurry Gold Cup champion Jet Control ran in a heat the night after winning the Laurels.[4]

Ante-post favourite Witchs Champion went out in round two and Heres Tat ran well below expectation but the Ger McKenna trained greyhound retained the overall favouritism. The Pat and Linda Mullins pair of Lacca Champion and Paradise Spectre both progressed as did Balliniska Band.[4] The erratic Glen Rock who had recorded the fastest trial of the year at the track (29.47) also progressed but failed at the quarter-final stage.[5]

The third round ended the challenge of defending champion Balliniska Band following two dislocated toes. The fastest heat winner was Geoff De Mulder's Dale Lad in a time of 29.30. The quarter-finals resulted in another win for Lacca Champion who remained unbeaten and Irish sprinter Glenroe Hiker led all the way in his heat but Paradise Spectre went out.[4]

The long format of the competition now meant that the semifinals would be the fifth run for the greyhounds. The first semi resulted in a fifth win for Lacca Champion after he matched the early pace of Glenroe Hiker out of the traps; All Wit took third place. In the second semi Mulcair Rocket the 6-4f trained by Emil Kovac missed the break leaving Superior Model winning from Backdeed Man and Great Ali.[4]

Six contenders lined up for the final and Lacca Champion was sent off 6-4 favourite. Out of the traps he was led by Glenroe Hiker, but Lacca Champion maintained his challenge and went on to win from Backdeed Man in 29.42sec, with the early leader fading into fifth. Lacca Champion had gone through the Derby unbeaten with the added anomaly of winning his first round heat at Harringay Stadium.[4]

Final result

At White City (over 500 metres):[6]

Position Name of Greyhound Breeding Trap SP Time Trainer
1st Lacca Champion Itsachampion - Highland Finch 3 6-4f 29.42 Pat Mullins (Private)
2nd Backdeed Man Flaming King - Beachwalk Lady 6 6-1 29.56 David McClenaghan (Ireland)
3rd All Wit Monalee Champion - Dunally 5 7-1 29.76 Frank Baldwin (Perry Barr)
4th Superior Model Right O' Myross - Dusty Silver 1 5-1 29.78 Bob Hall (Private)
5th Glenroe Hiker Monalee Hiker - Glenroe Dasher 4 9-4 29.90 Colm McGrath (Ireland)
6th Great Ali Tartan Khan - Blues Babe 2 16-1 29.96 Ted Griffin (Bletchley)

Distances

1¾, 2½, head, 1½, ¾ (lengths)
The distances between the greyhounds are in finishing order and shown in lengths. One length is equal to 0.08 of one second.[7]

Quarter-finals

[8]

Heat 1 (June 22)
Pos Name SP Time
1st Lacca Champion 4-6f 29.58
2nd All Wit 9-2 29.61
3rd Dull Morning 20-1 29.75
4th Bubbling Away 14-1 29.83
5th Sophronia 5-1 29.93
6th Tiger Jazz 12-1
Heat 2 (June 22)
Pos Name SP Time
1st Backdeed Man 6-1 29.70
2nd Superior Model 10-1 29.72
3rd Fairbourn Paddy 50-1 29.78
4th Ashcarne Bronco 9-4 29.79
5th Glen Rock 5-4f 29.87
6th Donal's Greatest 9-2 30.05
Heat 3 (June 22)
Pos Name SP Time
1st Mulcair Rocket 2-1 29.65
2nd Lesleys Charm 12-1 29.85
3rd Great Ali 6-1 29.95
4th Bye A Mile 6-4f 30.11
5th Man of Tudor 8-1 30.19
6th Toms Chance 16-1 30.29
Heat 4 (June 22)
Pos Name SP Time
1st Glenroe Hiker 13-8 29.77
2nd Dolla Arkle 40-1 29.99
3rd Malange 12-1 30.03
4th Paradise Spectre 5-1 30.11
5th Durfold Dandy 33-1 30.25
6th Dale Lad 5-4f 30.37

Semifinals

First Semifinal (Jun 24)
Pos Name of Greyhound SP Time Trainer
1st Lacca Champion 11-4 29.31 Mullins
2nd Glenroe Hiker 11-8f 29.61 McGrath
3rd All Wit 11-4 29.65 Baldwin
4th Malange 10-1 29.73 O'Donnell
5th Fairbourn Paddy 25-1 29.81
6th Dull Morning 40-1 30.09 Briggs
Second Semifinal (Jun 24)
Pos Name of Greyhound SP Time Trainer
1st Superior Model 4-1 29.72 Hall
2nd Backdeed Man 3-1 29.76 McClenaghan
3rd Great Ali 16-1 29.82 Griffin
4th Lesley's Charm 12-1 29.92
5th Mulcair Rocket 6-4f 29.95 Kovac
6th Dolla Arkle 8-1 30.03 Coleman

See also

References

  1. ^ "The Greyhound Magazine (July 1978), pages 8-9". J J Publications. 1978.
  2. ^ Hobbs, Jonathan (2007). Greyhound Annual 2008, page 91. Raceform. ISBN 978-1-905153-53-4.
  3. ^ Genders, Roy (1981). The Encyclopedia of Greyhound Racing, page 110. Pelham Books Ltd. ISBN 07207-1106-1.
  4. ^ a b c d e Dack, Barrie (1990). Greyhound Derby, the first 60 years, pages 160/161/162/163/164/165. Ringpress Books. ISBN 0-948955-36-8.
  5. ^ "Monthly Greyhound Star (Remember When 1978) April edition". Greyhound Star. 2012.
  6. ^ "1978". Greyhound Data.
  7. ^ Genders, Roy (1990). NGRC book of Greyhound Racing (Timekeeper) p310. Pelham Books Ltd. ISBN 0-7207-1804-X.
  8. ^ "The Greyhound Magazine (July 1978), page 51". J-Jay Publications. 1978.