1975 Irish Greyhound Derby
The 1975 Irish Greyhound Derby took place during June and July with the final being held at Shelbourne Park in Dublin on 26 July 1975.[1]
| 1975 Irish Greyhound Derby | |
|---|---|
| Venue | Shelbourne Park |
| Location | Dublin |
| End date | 26 July |
| Total prize money | £11,000 (winner) |
The winner Shifting Shadow won £11,000 and was trained by Podger Molloy, owned by Brian Donovan and Michael Cummiskey and bred by Paddy O'Connor.[2] The competition was sponsored by Carrolls.
Final result
At Shelbourne, 26 July (over 525 yards):
| Position | Winner | Breeding | Trap | SP | Time | Trainer |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | Shifting Shadow | Clonsherry - Queens Parachute | 1 | 9-4f | 29.35 | Podger Molloy |
| 2nd | Moonshine Bandit | Yanka Boy - Westpark Roma | 3 | 6-1 | 29.43 | Jeremiah Hurley |
| 3rd | Macbeth | Yanka Boy - Gallant and Gay | 6 | 4-1 | 29.51 | Mrs L Paterson |
| unplaced | Sage | Monalee Champion - Itsamint | 2 | 3-1 | William McNair | |
| unplaced | Brave Bran | The Grand Silver - Rosemoth | 5 | 7-1 | Christy Daly | |
| unplaced | Again and Again | Wonderful Era - Little Pilgrim | 4 | 6-1 | Dermot O'Rourke |
Distances
1, 1 (lengths)
Competition Report
There was no Lively Band or Myrtown when the entries came in for the 1975 Derby so Ger McKenna's Shamrock Point was the leading runner in the ante-post lists. Only two favourites out of 17 won in the opening round, Shamrock Point being the fastest of them in 29.18 with next best being Tory Snowball in 29.21.[3]
After a win in 29.03 by Shamrock Point in round two he looked to be the one to beat. The white and black dog had unluckily missed out on the English Derby final the previous year before winning the consolation. The next best were Cindy's Speck and Sage both winners in 29.44.[4]
The quarter finals arrived and there was a major shock as Shamrock Point was beaten by Cindy's Speck and Win Sam won another with a greyhound called Tain Mor eliminated. Shifting Shadow, a £600 purchase by Podger Molloy from Paddy O'Connor won the third before a controversy ensued in the fourth and final quarter final. Clopook Ivy was disqualified after passing the line first but Clopook Ivy’s owner Cora Jones disagreed with the disqualification and was granted a temporary injunction against Shelbourne Greyhound Stadium Ltd from holding the semi-finals. A few days later the High Court reversed the injunction but then the Supreme Court had to deal with an appeal before agreeing with the High Court. All this meant that the semi finals were delayed and started four days later than scheduled.[4]
The racing got underway again and Shifting Shadow trained by Podger Molloy beat Moonshine Bandit and Sage with favourite Cindy's Speck failing to progress. The second semi-final race resulted in the elimination of Shamrock Point who found serious trouble leaving Macbeth to cross the line first from Again and Again.[4]
The final line up was regarded as a weak line up but the finalists deserved to be there after progressing through four rounds. Shifting Shadow broke well from the traps and took a course on the rails, leading all the way and winning from Moonshine Bandit and Macbeth.[3]
References
- Genders, Roy (1990). NGRC book of Greyhound Racing. Pelham Books Ltd. p. 261. ISBN 0-7207-1804-X.
- Comyn, John. 50 Years of Greyhound Racing in Ireland. Aherlow Publishers Ltd.
- Fortune, Michael. Irish Greyhound Derby 1932–1981. Victory Irish Promotions Ltd.
- Fortune, Michael. The 75 Years History of the Irish Greyhound Derby. Irish Greyhound Review. ISSN 0709-0609.