Kilkenny Greyhound Stadium

Kilkenny Greyhound Stadium is a greyhound racing track located in north-west Kilkenny in Ireland.[1]

Kilkenny Greyhound Stadium
LocationSt. James' Park, Kilkenny, Ireland
Coordinates52°39'47.2"N 7°15'48.9"W
Date opened1946
Race typegreyhound racing
Official website

The racing takes place on a Wednesday and Friday evenings at 6.30pm.

St James Park in Kilkenny is a large park that contains sports pitches to the south and a greyhound track to the north. The greyhound circuit can be found south of Parkview Drive off the Freshford Road. Race distances are 300, 325, 550, 727, 750 & 1000 yards.

History

The opening night was on 5 June 1946 and the first ever winner was Rebel Gunner. The following year the Kilkenny management wanted to introduce a major race to bring an identity to the track, they decided on a race over 525 yards and called it the McCalmont Cup. The first Winner in 1947 was a greyhound called Lady Maud who also broke the track record in winning the event. The McCalmont Cup attracted Ireland’s biggest names each time it was held including the three times Irish Greyhound Derby champion Spanish Battleship who claimed the crown in both 1954 & 1955. Two years later in 1957 a greyhound called Prairie Champion took the honours; this brindle would have his name changed to Pigalle Wonder who went on to win the 1958 English Greyhound Derby.[2]

The circuit has been described as both a good galloping track and too tight which is probably because of the slightly odd shape of the track. In addition to the McCalmont Cup the track hosted two other popular events called the Hurst Cup and Great Whistler Cup.[3]

Jimmy Kinahan was the Racing Manager when the track opened back in 1946 and remained so until his death in 1978. One of the track bookmakers in the sixties and seventies was the well-known celebrity show jumper Tommy Wade who rode Dundrum. John O'Flynn became Racing and General Manager and stayed with the track for twenty years continuing the long service record of its management. He saw the Bord na gCon buy a minority stake in the track from the Agricultural Society who use the fields at St James Park for agriculture events such as bull sales and show jumping.[4]

In July 2007, the Bord na gCon put aside €8 million for a long awaited regeneration project, the agreement between the Bord na gCon (IGB) and Agricultural Society would allow a new lease, demolition of the old structures and the building of a new grandstand.[5] [6] However the project did not go ahead and following much deliberation towards the end of 2008 it was decided that the financial position of Kilkenny made it no longer viable to operate.

After the meeting on 30 January 2009 the track closed its doors until further notice. However a group of local owners, breeders and supporters got together forming the Kilkenny Track Supporters Club and re-opened Kilkenny on 17 May 2009, they met with the IGB and agreed a funding policy and re-laid the entire track surface in addition to installing new rails and a new hare system.[7]

Despite the small nature of the track it is regarded as an important contributor to the local economy and is still supported strongly by the same Kilkenny Track Supporters Club. The long running BEAM race nights have been a success for over 25 years.

Tom Kinane arrived as General Manager and in recent years sponsorship was secured from Red Mills allowing the track to stage the Red Mills Unraced, Red Mills Juvenile and Langton Derby in addition to the prestigious McCalmont Cup.[8]

Competitions

Track records

Current [9] [10] [11]

Yards Greyhound Time Date Notes
300Ullid Conor [12]15.9912.09.2008
325Ballygur Mike17.4917.06.2009
525Priceless Brandy28.4617.06.2016
550Dingo Will30.1229.05.2016
725Kiltrea Brian40.3109.07.2017
970Hulkster56.8818.06.2006
1000Crackoftheash57.4622.07.2012
525 HComans Joe29.1024.06.2007

Former

Yards Greyhound Time Date Notes
300Veroden16.5017.11.1961
300Moygara Sligo16.5002.06.1973
300Margos Choice16.5002.09.1977
300Margos Choice16.5007.04.1978
300Roses Friend16.361988
300Greyfriars Rose16.2811.10.1989
300Ballybray Jasper16.1405.09.2001
300Derwent Storm16.1303.10.2003
300Balerno Ron16.1320.06.2004
300Honcho's Pearl16.0815.05.2004
500Magic Hands28.3025.05.1968
525Clomoney Grand29.0028.05.1966
525Ballybeg Maid29.0002.07.1975
525Nameless Star29.0023.07.1976
525Lax Law28.9821.09.1979
525Spiral Nikita28.7007.07.1996
525Kilcarrig Zak28.6920.06.2004
525Boherduff Light28.5303.09.2004
525Boherduff Light28.4910.09.2004
550Clopook King31.5010.07.1959
550Welesbourne Dan30.2511.09.2009
700White Sails41.0003.06.1966
700The Knack40.851980
700Ballyknock Amy40.6513.08.1982
700Deenside Mist40.4705.07.1991
700Penn Pepe40.4504.07.1999
700Coolavanny Bird40.3711.07.2003
700Smooth Slippy40.3325.06.2004
700Group Skater40.1003.10.2008
725Salacres Whyte42.3521.06.2009
745Summerhill Swift43.5006.07.1997
745Blue Boomer43.0823.06.2002
745Kilcloney Wine42.9820.06.2004
970Ballygalda Keri57.6304.07.1999
970Finuge Rumble57.4122.06.2003
1000Barrow Stamps58.3321.06.2009
300 HSinging Border17.3507.11.1952
525 HTropical Splendour29.9514.06.1961
525 HSober Pride29.8824.06.2001
525 HDebs The Best29.6410.05.2002
525 HDot Tom29.5622.06.2003
525 HBally Euro29.5616.04.2004
525 HComans Joe29.5113.06.2007
gollark: That would be silly. You put the length at the end, as a suffix.
gollark: I was very clear about this.
gollark: It's length-terminated.
gollark: What? That's wrong.
gollark: Besides, a differential probe would differentiate them, and if mains is a sine wave you'll just get a phase-shifted sine wave.

References
  1. "Kilkenny Greyhound Stadium". Touring Ireland.
  2. Genders, Roy (1981). The Encyclopedia of Greyhound Racing. Pelham Books Ltd. ISBN 07207-1106-1.
  3. Genders, Roy (1981). The Encyclopedia of Greyhound Racing. Pelham Books Ltd. ISBN 07207-1106-1.
  4. Barnes, Julia (1991). Daily Mirror Greyhound Fact File. Ringpress Books. ISBN 0-948955-61-9.
  5. "Remember When - July". Greyhound Star.
  6. "Bord na gCon announces €28m investment". RTE.
  7. "Kilkenny back on track". Kilkenny People.
  8. "Kilkenny (St James Park)". Greyhound Data.
  9. "Track records". Greyhound Data.
  10. "Track records". Greyhound Star.
  11. "Kilkenny Track records". Greyhound Star.
  12. "Droopys Stud & K.G.O.B.A. Open 300 Stake Final". Irish Greyhound Board.

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