1930 UK & Ireland Greyhound Racing Year

The 1930 UK & Ireland Greyhound Racing Year was the fifth year of greyhound racing in the United Kingdom and Ireland.

1930 UK & Ireland Greyhound Racing Year

Summary

Mick the Miller now trained by Sidney Orton successfully defended his English Greyhound Derby title and in the process propelled greyhound racing into a boom period that would last for over thirty years.[1] A crowd of 50,000 witnessed the brindle dog win the 1930 English Greyhound Derby at White City Stadium on 28 June.[2]

Following the Derby win, he then won the Cesarewitch at West Ham Stadium over the longer distance of 600 yards and the Welsh Greyhound Derby at White City Stadium, Cardiff, winning the final by ten lengths in a new track and national record of 29.55.[1] His season ended when he finished lame during the Laurels, a new event introduced at Wimbledon Stadium.[3] The total annual attendance across the country for 1930 increased to 17,119,120 from 15,855,162 (in 1929), a fourth consecutive annual increase.[4]

Tracks

The Greyhound Racing Association (GRA) continued to acquire tracks and purchased White City Stadium (Manchester) from the Canine Sports Ltd company. The circuit was 450 yards in circumference with wide well banked turns and an inside Sumner hare. Further tracks continued to open including Charlton and the Irish tracks of Dundalk and Tralee. Romford moved to a new site after £600 was raised to build a stand in a nearby field next to the original site. The independent track (flapping track) in Portsmouth closed down on 29 November due to plans to open a larger track nearby at Target Road.[5] [6][7]

News

Trainers Stanley Biss and Ken Appleton left Wimbledon for West Ham. John Bilsland bought out Jimmy Shand for £400,000 leaving the Electric Hare Company under the control of Bilsland. Blinkers were used at Wimbledon for the first and only time, the experiment to stop ungenuine greyhounds from fighting failed.[5] [6] [7]

Competitions

Bradshaw Fold was the leading bitch in training and the unluckiest because following her second place to Mick the Miller in the Derby final she was unplaced in a second consecutive Oaks final. Fellow Derby finalist So Green also reached the St Leger final, the last major race of the year.[5] [6] [7] [8]

Tracks opened

Date	Stadium/Track	Location
9 April	Kingdom Greyhound Stadium	Tralee
15 May	Clydeholm	Glasgow
20 July	Charlton Stadium	London
02 September	Royal Gymnasium Ground	Edinburgh
02 September	Nelson Recreation Ground	Glasgow
29 October	Dundalk Ramparts Greyhound Stadium	Dundalk
29 October	Firs Park	Falkirk
13 December	County Ground Stadium	Exeter
unknown	Battersea Greyhound Track	London
unknown	Dagenham Greyhound Track	London

Roll of honour

Major Winners
Award	Name of Winner
1930 English Greyhound Derby	Mick the Miller
1930 Irish Greyhound Derby+	Prince Fern
1930 Scottish Greyhound Derby	Captured Half
1930 Welsh Greyhound Derby	Mick the Miller

+ unofficial National Derby

Principal UK races

Cesarewitch, West Ham (July 12, 600y, £1,000) Pos Name of Greyhound Trainer SP Time Trap 1st Mick the Miller Sidney Orton 1-7f 34.11 2 2nd Five of Hearts Thomas Cudmore 100-8 34.35 6 3rd Killowen Sidney Orton 66-1 34.51 3 u Johnny Canuck (Manchester) 66-1 1 u Buckna Boy Renwick 25-1 4 u Bradshaw Fold Stanley Biss 100-8 5

Scottish Greyhound Derby, Carntyne (Jul 26, 525y, £100) Pos Name of Greyhound Trainer SP Time Trap 1st Captured Half Stanley Biss 1-5f 30.30 2 2nd Redlaw 20-1 30.62 3 3rd Maori Chief 10-1 30.66 1 u Dio Dorus 20-1 3 u Nafferton 8-1 4 u Sister Olive 10-1 5

Scurry Gold Cup, Clapton (Aug 2, 400y, £600) Pos Name of Greyhound Trainer SP Time Trap 1st Barlock John 'Jack' Kennedy 100-7 24.19 4 2nd Never Certain Jimmy Lowther 8-1 24.43 3 3rd Moss Knowe Jimmy Lowther 3-1 24.67 1 u Bright Bass Renwick 100-7 5 u Flying Shamrock 7-1 2 u Tipperary Boy Darlington 11-10f 6

Welsh Derby, White City (Cardiff) (Aug 9, 525y, £115) Pos Name of Greyhound Trainer SP Time Trap 1st Mick the Miller Sidney Orton 1-8f 29.55+ 2 2nd Barleybee WC Cardiff 100-6 30.35 3 3rd Hydrometer Sidney Orton 33-1 30.43 1 4th Filon Slough 10-1 4 + Track record

Oaks, White City (Aug 9, 525y, £300) Pos Name of Greyhound Trainer SP Time Trap 1st Faithful Kitty Stanley Biss 4-6f 30.02 5 2nd Toftwood Misery Sidney Orton 3-1 30.34 4 3rd Small Cutlet K.W. Wilmot 25-1 30.50 1 u Melksham Firefly 100-6 2 u Fixture Ellen Pennington 10-1 3 u Bradshaw Fold Patrick McKinney 5-1 5

Grand National, White City (Aug 16, 525y h, £300) Pos Name of Greyhound Trainer SP Time Trap 1st Stylish Cutlet Jock Hutchinson 11-4 30.94 4 2nd Killing Pace Paddy McEllistrim 8-1 31.06 1 3rd Rathwire Sidney Orton 4-7f 31.10 2 4th Firework Paddy McEllistrim 5-1 3

Laurels, Wimbledon (Sep 13, 500y, £1,232) Pos Name of Greyhound Trainer SP Time Trap 1st Kilbrean Boy Sidney Orton 10-1 29.20 2 2nd Clandown Sweep Sidney Orton 5-1 29.68 1 3rd Toftwood Misery Sidney Orton 5-1 29.76 4 u Jack Bob Bill Fear 2-1f 3 u Wild Warrior II Thomas Cudmore 9-4 5 u Mick McGee Jimmy Lowther 100-6 6

St Leger, Wembley (Oct 4, 700y, £750) Pos Name of Greyhound Trainer SP Time Trap 1st Maidens Boy S Young 4-9f 41.48 1 2nd Loughnagare Charles Cross 100-8 42.04 3 3rd So Green Jim Syder Sr. 6-1 42.07 4 4th Prince Fern J Harper 9-2 2

Key

U = unplaced

References

1. Tanner, Michael (2004). The Legend of Mick the Miller: Sporting Icon of the Depression. Newbury: Highdown. ISBN 978-1-904317-67-8.
2. Dack, Barrie (1990). Greyhound Derby, the first 60 years, pages 59-61. Ringpress Books. ISBN 0-948955-36-8.
3. Barnes, Julia (1988). Daily Mirror Greyhound Fact File. Ringpress Books. ISBN 0-948955-15-5.
4. "Particulars of Licensed Tracks". Licensing Authorities. 1930.
5. Genders, Roy (1975). The Greyhound and Racing Greyhound. Page Brothers (Norwich). ISBN 0-85020-0474.
6. Genders, Roy (1981). The Encyclopedia of Greyhound Racing. Pelham Books Ltd. ISBN 07207-1106-1.
7. Genders, Roy (1990). NGRC book of Greyhound Racing. Pelham Books Ltd. ISBN 0-7207-1804-X.
8. Barnes/Sellers, Julia/John (1992). Ladbrokes Greyhound Fact File. Ringpress Books. ISBN 0-948955-22-8.