1998 English Greyhound Derby
The 1998 William Hill Greyhound Derby took place during May and June with the final being held on 27 June 1998 at Wimbledon Stadium.[1] The winner Toms The Best received £50,000. The competition was sponsored by William Hill following the demise of the famous Sporting Life newspaper. Ante-post favourite Larkhill Jo was eliminated in the third round.[2] The heats were held on 26, 29 & 30 May, the second round on 2, 5 & 6 June, third round on 13 June, quarter finals on 16 June and semi finals on 20 June.
| 1998 English Greyhound Derby | |
|---|---|
| Location | Wimbledon Stadium |
| Start date | 26 May |
| End date | 27 June |
| Total prize money | £50,000 (winner) |
Final result
At Wimbledon (over 480 metres):[3]
| Position | Name of Greyhound | Breeding | Trap | SP | Time | Trainer |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | Toms The Best | Frightful Flash - Ladys Guest | 4 | 4-5f | 28.75 | Nick Savva (Milton Keynes) |
| 2nd | Tuesdays Davy | Phantom Flash - Likely Wish | 6 | 6-1 | 29.09 | Patsy Byrne (Wimbledon) |
| 3rd | Tullerboy Cash | Cry Dalcash - Tullerboy Kate | 1 | 8-1 | 29.47 | Brian Clemenson (Hove) |
| 4th | Jaspers Boy | Castlelyons Gem - Polnoon Lane | 5 | 9-4 | 29.48 | David Pruhs (Peterborough) |
| 5th | Honour and Glory | Murlens Slippy - Satharn Lady | 2 | 7-1 | 29.56 | John Coleman (Walthamstow) |
| N/R | Greenwood Flyer | I'm His - Pendle Witch | Patsy Byrne (Wimbledon) |
Distances
4¼, 4¾, short head, 1 (lengths)
The distances between the greyhounds are in finishing order and shown in lengths. One length is equal to 0.08 of one second.[4]
Race Report
Toms The Best added the English Derby crown to his 1997 Irish Greyhound Derby success becoming one of a very select group to have won both the English and Irish Derby. The race was won with relative ease by the hot favourite in a crowded race which featured only five greyhounds (the first time since 1970) after Greenwood Flyer was disqualified by the stewards in the semi-finals for fighting*.
Semi finals
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* Deliberate interference with other greyhounds in running.
References
- Hobbs, Jonathan (2007). Greyhound Annual 2008, page 91. Raceform. ISBN 978-1-905153-53-4.
- "LARK HILL JO DERBY SHOCK". Sunday World (Dublin). 14 June 1998. p. 88. Retrieved 27 May 2021 – via British Newspaper Archive.
- "1998". Greyhound Data.
- Genders, Roy (1990). NGRC book of Greyhound Racing (Timekeeper) p310. Pelham Books Ltd. ISBN 0-7207-1804-X.