1949 English Greyhound Derby

1949 English Greyhound Derby
Location White City Stadium
Start date 11 June
End date 25 June
Total prize money £1,500 (winner)

The 1949 Greyhound Derby took place during June with the final being held on 25 June 1949 at White City Stadium. The winner Narrogar Ann received a first prize of £1,500. [1] [2]

Final result

At White City (over 525 yards):[3]

Position Name of Greyhound Breeding Trap SP Time Trainer
1st Narrogar AnnDutton Swordfish - Winnie of Berrow25-128.95Leslie Reynolds (Wembley)
2nd Dangerous PrinceBella's Prince - Dark Evening5100-729.05Ken Appleton (West Ham)
3rd Sailing At DawnShannon Shore - Bilting Antoinette19-229.25Sidney Probert (Wembley)
4th Local InterprizeRuby Border - Mythical Daisy43-129.37Stanley Biss (Clapton)
5th Glencloy RegentGlenview Shaggy - Little Twilight39-4f29.40Mayor Baker (Wolverhampton)
6th Saft AlexMad Tanist - Fair Light611-230.20Jack Toseland (Perry Barr)

Distances

1¼, 2½, 1½, neck, 10 (lengths)
The distances between the greyhounds are in finishing order and shown in lengths. From 1927-1950 one length was equal to 0.06 of one second but race times are shown as 0.08 as per modern day calculations.[4]

Review

During the first round, one of the competition favourites and the 1948 English Greyhound Derby runner-up Local Interprize ran poorly and only finished in second place to Derrys Game. A British bred bitch called Narrogar Ann won easily by four lengths, Narrogar Ann had won the British Bred Produce Stakes in 1948 when trained by Joe Farrand at Oxford before switching to Derby winning trainer Leslie Reynolds. Another competition favourite Ballymac Ball was eliminated and then rested until the winter.[1]

Saft Alex, the Puppy Derby and Midland Puppy Derby champion was the only race favourite to win during the second round. The heavily backed Whiterock Abbey lost out by one length to Narrogar Ann and Local Interprize struggled again going through by virtue of a third and final qualifying place in his heat.[1]

The first semi-final contained the 7-4 favourite, West End Dasher, and he went out after first bend trouble which allowed Glencloy Regent to win the race from Local Interprize and Dangerous Prince. Sailing at Dawn justified favouritism in the second semi-final winning from Narrogar Ann and Saft Alex.[1]

The final was wide open in regard to starting prices and the longest price available was the Grand National runner up Dangerous Prince at 100-7. The famous Derby final roar took place and from the start Dangerous Prince took a one length lead at the sectional placing, the lead increased as Saft Alex and Glencloy Regent were bumped at the first bend. Along the back straight Narrogar Ann began to make a move and took up second place from Sailing at Dawn. As the field came around the last bend Narrogar Ann edged in front and went on to win. She was only the second bitch in Derby history to take the title and the first to come from well behind the field in a final since the 1935 English Greyhound Derby (coincidentally the year that Greta Ranee became the first bitch to win). This was also a second success in three years for the British breeders. The winning owner and breeder, Mr William J Reid and trainer Leslie Reynolds (now a two time Derby winning trainer) were fortunate that Narrogar Ann came into season two days after the final because if it had been earlier she would not have been able to have competed.[1]

See Also

1949 UK & Ireland Greyhound Racing Year

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 Dack, Barrie (1990). Greyhound Derby, the first 60 years. Ringpress Books. pp. 88–89. ISBN 0-948955-36-8.
  2. ↑ ""Sports In Brief." Times [London, England] 27 June 1949". The Times Digital Archive.
  3. ↑ "1949". Greyhound Data.
  4. ↑ Genders, Roy (1990). NGRC book of Greyhound Racing (Timekeeper) p310. Pelham Books Ltd. ISBN 0-7207-1804-X.
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