1972 English Greyhound Derby
The 1972 Greyhound Derby took place during June with the final being held on 24 June 1972 at White City Stadium.[1] The winner was Patricias Hope and the winning owners Brian Stanley, Gordon Marks and B Marks received £10,952.[2]
| 1972 English Greyhound Derby | |
|---|---|
 Patricias Hope in action | |
| Location | White City Stadium |
| Start date | 10 June |
| End date | 24 June |
| Total prize money | £10,952 (winner) |
Competition Report
Ante-post favourites were Favourite Rory and Juvenile champion Short Interview. Oaks heroine Decimal Queen and the previous year’s third placed greyhound Leap and Run were two other leading contenders.[3]
The first round consisted of nine heats and three fast winners were Super Rory (28.59), Suburban Gent (28.65) and Westmead County (28.76), both ante-post favourites went out. When round two got underway Super Rory aged (only 20 months) recorded 28.36 to win heat two by five lengths from Patricias Hope; Westmead County was eliminated in the same heat. Irish entry Proud Life, Bally Lander from Walthamstow and Lucky Punter trained by Peter Hawkesley took the other heat wins.[3]
Proud Life won again to claim the first semi-final from Patricias Hope and Micks Pride; hot favourite First Case trained by Tom Johnston Jr could only finish fifth. In the second semi-final Super Rory became the fastest greyhound in the world by setting a time 28.26 sec when winning and bettering his father's (Yellow Printer) time.[3]
An anonymous offer of £12,000 was followed by a £14,000 by Freddie Warrell for Super Rory but both were turned down and he was sent to traps as the 4-9 favourite for the final. Super Rory failed to trap well after being unsettled by the Derby roar* but Patricias Hope did trap well and went on to record a comfortable victory.[3]
Note
Derby roar* (the noise made by the crowd when the electric hare is set in motion)
Final result
At White City (over 525 yards):[4]
| Position | Name of Greyhound | Breeding | Trap | SP | Time | Trainer |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | Patricias Hope | Silver Hope - Patsicia | 5 | 7-1 | 28.55 | Adam Jackson (Clapton) |
| 2nd | Bally Lander | Powerstown Proper - Peg the Gag | 4 | 16-1 | 28.81 | Tom 'Paddy' Reilly (Walthamstow) |
| 3rd | Micks Pride | Carry On Oregon - Frank Refusal | 6 | 25-1 | 28.83 | Bob Burls (Wembley) |
| 4th | Scintillas Gem | Spectre II - Scintillas Second | 1 | 7-1 | 28.93 | Paddy Milligan (Private) |
| 5th | Super Rory | Yellow Printer - Laharn Beauty | 3 | 4-9f | 29.01 | Noreen Collin (White City - London) |
| 6th | Proud Life | Always Proud - Rich Life | 2 | 8-1 | 29.29 | Max Davis (Ireland) |
Distances
3¼, head, 1¼, 1, 3½ (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]
Quarter finals
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Semi finals
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+ World and track record
References
- Hobbs, Jonathan (2007). Greyhound Annual 2008, page 91. Raceform. ISBN 978-1-905153-53-4.
- Genders, Roy (1981). The Encyclopedia of Greyhound Racing, page 110. Pelham Books Ltd. ISBN 07207-1106-1.
- Dack, Barrie (1990). Greyhound Derby, the first 60 years, pages 140/141/142/143. Ringpress Books. ISBN 0-948955-36-8.
- "1972". Greyhound Data.
- Genders, Roy (1990). NGRC book of Greyhound Racing (Timekeeper) p310. Pelham Books Ltd. ISBN 0-7207-1804-X.
- "The Greyhound Magazine (July 1971), page 5". The Greyhound Magazine Company Ltd. 1971.