1971 English Greyhound Derby

The 1971 Greyhound Derby took place during June with the final being held on 26 June 1971 at White City Stadium.[1] The winner was Dolores Rocket and the winning owner received £10,000.[2] Dolores Rocket was bred and reared by his owner Bert White.[3]

1971 English Greyhound Derby
Location	White City Stadium
Start date	12 June
End date	26 June
Total prize money	£10,000 (winner)

Final result

At White City (over 525 yards):[4]

Position	Name of Greyhound	Breeding	Trap	SP	Time	Trainer
1st	Dolores Rocket	Newdown Heather - Come On Dolores	2	11-4	28.74	Herbert White (Private)
2nd	Supreme Fun	Newdown Heather - Top Note	6	6-1	28.80	Sid Ryall (Private)
3rd	Leap and Run	Booked Out - Aubawns Dream	3	3-1	28.84	John Bassett (Private)
4th	Moordyk Champion	Monalee Champion - Nelsons Farewell	1	6-1	28.90	Freddie Warrell (Private)
5th	Cobbler	Monalee Champion - Yurituni	5	20-1	29.08	Dave Geggus (Walthamstow)
6th	Ivy Hall Flash	Proud Lincoln - Ivy Hall Rose	4	7-4f	29.20	Paddy Keane (Ireland)

Distances

¾, ½, ¾, 2¼, 1½ (lengths)
The distances between the greyhounds are in finishing order and shown in lengths. One length is equal to 0.08 of one second.[5]

Competition Report

With the National Greyhound Racing Club allowing trainers to seed+ their greyhounds wide for the first time it was generally agreed that there would be less crowding in races. Little County and Moordyke Spot had both retired but defending champion John Silver was entered for the competition. Clohast Rebel trained by Geoff De Mulder set a time of 28.28sec in a solo trial, two spots faster than the track record held by Yellow Printer. Laurels champion Sole Aim, Puppy Derby champion Crefogue Flash and Irish entry Postal Vote topped the ante-post lists alongside Clohast Rebel.[6]

The qualifying round was held on a firm track and many greyhounds posted fast times including Postal Vote who recorded the best time of 28.33, a heat that ended with the elimination of John Silver. The fastest first round winner was Brighton’s Hurst Wickham trained by Fred Lugg in a time of 28.56; Sole Aim, Crefogue Flash and Dolores Rocket also claimed heats.[6]

Dolores Rocket and 'Leap and Run' both won second round heats and remained unbeaten whilst Clohast Rebel bounced back to winning ways in the fastest time of 28.39. Postal Vote and Gold Collar champ Down Your Way both failed to make it to the semi-finals. The semi-finals resulted in two 10-1 shot winners, the first was Leap and Run who had now made the final unbeaten. Clohast Rebel and Crefogue Flash failed to progress. The second semi went to Irish hope Ivy Hall Flash; Sole Aim handled by Nora Gleeson for the duration of the event went out.[6]

The final saw Supreme Fun first away from the traps but Leap and Run soon took the lead and maintained an advantage from Supreme Fun and Moordyk Champion. However it was Dolores Rocket who came from last place to first becoming the first bitch to win the Derby since 1949.[6] Dolores Rocket's dam was Come on Dolores owned by Ernie Gaskin Sr.[7]

+Seeding (The process of classifying a greyhound to run in the inside traps or outside traps, known by the terms railer or wide runner.)[8]

Quarter finals

[9]

Heat 1 Pos Name SP Time 1st Dolores Rocket 3-1 28.61 2nd Ivy Hall Flash 5-4f 28.79 3rd Supreme Fun 7-2 28.85 4th Davyhulme Expt 20-1 29.15 5th Micks Pride 7-1 29.16 6th Big Crash 25-1 29.24

Heat 2 Pos Name SP Time 1st Clohast Rebel 7-4 28.39 2nd Michaels Bar 50-1 28.77 3rd Sir Ginger 12-1 28.87 4th Postal Vote 4-5f 28.89 5th Spectre Jockey 8-1 29.19 6th Herrhund 100-1 29.51

Heat 3 Pos Name SP Time 1st Leap And Run 4-1 28.88 2nd Cobbler 14-1 28.94 3rd Sole Aim 6-4f 29.00 4th Down Your Way 9-4 29.06 5th Mullas Shore 9-2 29.38 6th Linmaree 8-1 30.98

Heat 4 Pos Name SP Time 1st Ballybeg Era 4-1 28.76 2nd Moordyk Champ 14-1 28.90 3rd Crefogue Flash 4-6f 28.92 4th Hurst Wickham 3-1 28.98 5th King Lester 10-1 29.66 6th I'm Careful 33-1 29.68

Semi finals

First Semi Final [9] Pos Name of Greyhound SP Time Trainer 1st Leap And Run 10-1 28.67 Bassett 2nd Moordyk Champion 10-1 28.93 Warrell 3rd Cobbler 25-1 29.23 Geggus 4th Ballybeg Era 10-1 29.24 Holloway 5th Clohast Rebel 4-5f 29.30 De Mulder 6th Crefogue Flash 3-1 29.56 Mitchell

Second Semi Final [9] Pos Name of Greyhound SP Time Trainer 1st Ivy Hall Flash 10-1 28.76 Keane 2nd Supreme Fun 7-2 28.86 Ryall 3rd Dolores Rocket 11-8f 29.12 White 4th Sole Aim 6-1 29.13 Geggus 5th Michaels Bar 10-1 29.21 Rees Sr. 6th Sir Ginger 14-1 29.31 Warrell

See also

• 1971 UK & Ireland Greyhound Racing Year

References

1. Hobbs, Jonathan (2007). Greyhound Annual 2008, page 91. Raceform. ISBN 978-1-905153-53-4.
2. Genders, Roy (1981). The Encyclopedia of Greyhound Racing, page 110. Pelham Books Ltd. ISBN 07207-1106-1.
3. Genders, Roy (1975). The Greyhound and Racing Greyhound. Page Brothers (Norwich). ISBN 0-85020-0474.
4. "1971". Greyhound Data.
5. Genders, Roy (1990). NGRC book of Greyhound Racing (Timekeeper) p310. Pelham Books Ltd. ISBN 0-7207-1804-X.
6. Dack, Barrie (1990). Greyhound Derby, the first 60 years, pages 136/137/138/139. Ringpress Books. ISBN 0-948955-36-8.
7. Betts, Bob (1991). The Sporting Life Greyhound Annual, pages 21/26. The Sporting Life. ISBN 0-901091-33-2.
8. "GBGB Rules of Racing - Rule 48" (PDF). Greyhound Board of Great Britain. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2018-08-10. Retrieved 2018-08-11.
9. "The Greyhound Magazine (July 1971)". The Greyhound Magazine Company Ltd. 1971.