title: 1952 UK & Ireland Greyhound Racing Year
text: # 1952 UK & Ireland Greyhound Racing Year
  
  The 1952 UK & Ireland Greyhound Racing Year was the 27th year of greyhound racing in the United Kingdom and Ireland.
  
  ## Roll of honour
  
  Major Winners :
  
  | Award | Name of Winner |
  | - | - |
  | 1952 English Greyhound Derby | Endless Gossip |
  | 1952 Irish Greyhound Derby | Rough Waters |
  | 1952 Scottish Greyhound Derby | Not held |
  | 1952 Welsh Greyhound Derby | Endless Gossip |
  | Greyhound of the Year | Endless Gossip |
  
  ## Summary
  
  The annual totalisator was £64,263,725, which indicated that the industry had stabilised following a few turbulent years.
  
  The year focused on the performances of two greyhounds, Endless Gossip and Magourna Reject. Despite the fact that Magourna Reject had failed to land a classic competition during the year, he drew the crowds everywhere he went and Endless Gossip was denied the chance to win the Triple Crown because the Scottish Greyhound Derby had been cancelled.
  
  ## Competitions
  
  Match racing was still popular even twenty years after the Mick the Miller era. One such match was between XPDNC (the Grand National champion against this year's favourite Lambourn Blackflash. Lambourn Blackflash won by five lengths and both competed in the Grand National at White City during May. The two rivals qualified for the final, but it was a 20-1 shot (Whistling Laddie) who upset the odds beating Lambourn Blackflash by one and a quarter lengths, XPDNC finished fifth in the first Grand National to contain six dogs.
  
  The National Intertrack Championship sponsored by the News of the World was won by Eastville after the Bristol track defeated Bradford 19–11. Endless Gossip travelled to Cardiff Arms Park after winning the 1952 English Greyhound Derby and added the Welsh Greyhound Derby final defeating a field including Magourna Reject, Ballylanigan Tanist and Drumman Rambler.
  
  Monachdy Girlie trained by Jimmy Jowett, won the Scurry Gold Cup and Endless Gossip then won the Laurels at Wimbledon Stadium which now offered £1,000 to the winner. Magourna Reject was switched to the longer distances but failed to win both the Cesarewitch and St Leger and looked destined to never win a classic race. Monachdy Girlie won a second classic after a dead heat in the Oaks The Grand Prix competition was not run due to insufficient entries.
  
  ## Tracks
  
  The Abbey Stadium in Swindon opened on 1 November. The stadium was opened by the Bristol Greyhound Racing Association, soon to change their name to Bristol Stadium Ltd and they also took control of affairs at Oxford Stadium, following the death of Managing Director Leslie Calcutt.
  
  ## News
  
  Trainer Stan Biss died after suffering a stroke and failing to recover and the well-respected Managing Director of Catford Stadium, Frank Sutton also died. Sutton had introduced the British Breeders Produce Stakes. Laughing Lieutenant was the first stud dog to fly to Ireland for breeding purposes and trainer Jack Tallantire joined the New Cross Stadium training ranks.
  
  The National Greyhound Racing Club made the weighing of greyhounds before a race compulsory.
  
  ## Ireland
  
  Racing in Ireland was experiencing a boom as attendances flocked to see the racing. A greyhound called Rough Waters had spent 1951 flapping (racing on independent tracks), in Scotland before being aimed towards Shelbourne Park and the Irish Greyhound Derby. Owned by one of Ireland's leading bookmakers Jimmy Lalor and trained by his brother Henry, the brindle went on to win the Derby final.
  
  ## Principal UK races
  
  Grand National, White City (May 9 525y h, £300) :
  
  | Pos | Name of Greyhound | Trainer | SP | Time | Trap |
  | - | - | - | - | - | - |
  | 1st | Whistling Laddie | Stan Martin | 20-1 | 30.13 | 2 |
  | 2nd | Lambourn Blackflash | O Papps | 7-4f | 30.23 | 1 |
  | 3rd | Funny Prince | Les Parry | 100-6 | 30.25 | 6 |
  | 4th | Drumman Rambler | Olly Chetland | 3-1 | 30.29 | 4 |
  | 5th | XPDNC | Les Parry | 20-1 | 30.39 | 5 |
  | 6th | Cooleen Flyer | Tom Reilly | 2-1 | 30.57 | 3 |
  
  Gold Collar, Catford (May 31, 440y, £600) :
  
  | Pos | Name of Greyhound | Trainer | SP | Time | Trap |
  | - | - | - | - | - | - |
  | 1st | Hectic Birthday | Ronnie Melville | 10-1 | 25.41+ | 4 |
  | 2nd | Fitzsman | Leslie Reynolds | 8-1 | 25.65 | 6 |
  | 3rd | Fawn Wind | Jonathan Hopkins | 7-4f | 25.71 | 5 |
  | 4th | Denver Colonist | Pam Heasman | 3-1 | 25.93 | 3 |
  | 5th | Yew Berry | Stan Martin | 9-2 | 26.03 | 2 |
  | 6th | Carlane Briskie | Reg Holland | 4-1 | 26.17 | 1 |
  
  Welsh Derby, Arms Park (Jul 5, 525y £500) :
  
  | Pos | Name of Greyhound | Trainer | SP | Time | Trap |
  | - | - | - | - | - | - |
  | 1st | Endless Gossip | Leslie Reynolds | 7-4 | 29.41 | 1 |
  | 2nd | Magourna Reject | Noreen Collin | 4-5f | 30.01 | 3 |
  | 3rd | Ballylanigan Tanist | Leslie Reynolds | 7-2 | 30.11 | 6 |
  | 4th | Drumman Rambler | Olly Chetland | 20-1 | 30.29 | 5 |
  | 5th | Outcast Bally | | 66-1 | 30.51 | 4 |
  | N/R | Kind Comrade | Noreen Collin | | | |
  
  Scurry Gold Cup, Clapton (Jul 26, 400y £500) :
  
  | Pos | Name of Greyhound | Trainer | SP | Time | Trap |
  | - | - | - | - | - | - |
  | 1st | Monachdy Girlie | Jimmy Jowett | 4-1 | 23.08 | 5 |
  | 2nd | Tams Taigle | Ronnie Melville | 9-2 | 23.36 | 6 |
  | 3rd | Carlane Briskie | Reg Holland | 9-2 | 23.52 | 1 |
  | 4th | Kilcool Griston | | 33-1 | 23.60 | 3 |
  | 5th | Minorcas Hope | Frank Conlon | 11-8f | 23.90 | 2 |
  | 6th | Marazion Michael | Paddy Fortune | 7-1 | 24.14 | 4 |
  
  Laurels, Wimbledon (Aug 22, 500y, £1,000) :
  
  | Pos | Name of Greyhound | Trainer | SP | Time | Trap |
  | - | - | - | - | - | - |
  | 1st | Endless Gossip | Leslie Reynolds | 2-11f | 27.96 | 1 |
  | 2nd | Ballylanigan Tanist | Leslie Reynolds | 6-1 | 28.10 | 4 |
  | 3rd | Midnight Charlotte | Stan Martin | 33-1 | 28.20 | 2 |
  | 4th | Denver Colonist | Pam Heasman | 20-1 | 28.38 | 6 |
  | 5th | Happy Luck | | 33-1 | 28.54 | 3 |
  | N/R | Magic Blackbird | | | | |
  
  St Leger, Wembley (Sep 8, 700y, £1,000) :
  
  | Pos | Name of Greyhound | Trainer | SP | Time | Trap |
  | - | - | - | - | - | - |
  | 1st | Funny Worker | Bob Burls | 6-1 | 40.50 | 6 |
  | 2nd | Malanna Mace | Henry Parsons | 7-1 | 40.66 | 4 |
  | 3rd | Shaggy Swank | Tom Lightfoot | 50-1 | 40.88 | 5 |
  | 4th | Magourna Reject | Noreen Collin | 8-11f | 40.90 | 3 |
  | 5th | Mad Miller | Leslie Reynolds | 7-2 | 40.91 | 1 |
  | 6th | Mansion Bell | J.W.Bell | 25-1 | 41.17 | 2 |
  
  Oaks, White City (Sep 27, 525y, £500) :
  
  | Pos | Name of Greyhound | Trainer | SP | Time | Trap |
  | - | - | - | - | - | - |
  | 1st | Flos Pet* | Paddy Fortune | 8-1 | 29.60 | 1 |
  | 1st | Monachdy Girlie* | Jimmy Jowett | 10-1 | 29.60 | 4 |
  | 3rd | Lovely Birthday | Jack Harvey | 11-4 | 29.62 | 2 |
  | 4th | Shaggy Shale | | 100-8 | 29.68 | 3 |
  | 5th | Ballinasloe Mona | Jack Harvey | 10-11f | 29.69 | 5 |
  | 6th | Queen of the Roses II | | 100-1 | 29.79 | 6 |
  
  Cesarewitch, West Ham (Oct 17, 600y, £600) :
  
  | Pos | Name of Greyhound | Trainer | SP | Time | Trap |
  | - | - | - | - | - | - |
  | 1st | Shaggy Swank | Tom Lightfoot | 5-1 | 34.03 | 2 |
  | 2nd | Magourna Reject | Noreen Collin | 8-11f | 34.23 | 6 |
  | 3rd | Mansion Bell | J.W.Bell | 11-2 | 34.43 | 5 |
  | 4th | Outcast Surprise | | 20-1 | 34.69 | 3 |
  | 5th | Mellow Mystery | Bert Heyes | 11-2 | 34.81 | 4 |
  | 6th | Smart Prince | | 10-1 | 35.35 | 1 |
  
  ## Totalisator returns
  
  Extended content :
  
  The totalisator returns declared to the licensing authorities for the year 1952 are listed below. Tracks that did not have a totalisator in operation are not listed.
  
  Stadium
  
  Turnover £
  
  London (White City)4,955,981
  
  London (Harringay)3,352,649
  
  London (Wembley)2,918,149
  
  London (Wimbledon)2,752,199
  
  London (Walthamstow)2,543,822
  
  London (Wandsworth)1,836,266
  
  London (Stamford Bridge)1,750,349
  
  London (Clapton)1,741,183
  
  London (Park Royal)1,717,716
  
  Manchester (Belle Vue)1,717,283
  
  London (West Ham)1,675,649
  
  London (Catford)1,603,783
  
  London (Hackney)1,280,383
  
  London (New Cross)1,259,516
  
  London (Hendon)1,073,466
  
  Manchester (White City)973,583
  
  Brighton & Hove908,716
  
  London (Charlton)870,316
  
  Glasgow (Shawfield)861,266
  
  Romford857,950
  
  Edinburgh (Powderhall)811,050
  
  Newcastle (Brough Park)790,050
  
  Birmingham (Perry Barr, old)753,116
  
  Birmingham (Hall Green)752,100
  
  Crayford & Bexleyheath722,900
  
  Manchester (Salford)720,283
  
  London (Dagenham)703,200
  
  Cardiff (Arms Park)659,033
  
  Newcastle (Gosforth)633,350
  
  Sheffield (Owlerton)629,333
  
  Glasgow (White City)615,366
  
  Wolverhampton (Monmore)602,633
  
  Bristol (Eastville)563,466
  
  Gateshead548,183
  
  Coventry (Lythalls Lane)530,016
  
  Southend-on-Sea529,033
  
  Bradford (Greenfield)528,000
  
  Stadium
  
  Turnover £
  
  Southampton522,383
  
  Liverpool (Seaforth)492,766
  
  Glasgow (Albion)476,300
  
  Leeds (Elland Road)475,433
  
  Glasgow (Carntyne)467,565
  
  Slough465,800
  
  Sheffield (Darnall)442,166
  
  Willenhall434,366
  
  Ramsgate (Dumpton Park)412,967
  
  Blackpool (St Anne's)397,733
  
  Liverpool (White City)397,417
  
  Birmingham (Kings Heath)386,650
  
  Bolton372,733
  
  South Shields362,667
  
  Middlesbrough362,067
  
  Leicester (Blackbird Rd)357,483
  
  Reading (Oxford Road)353,983
  
  Liverpool (Stanley)346,283
  
  Ashington (Co Durham)330,967
  
  Chester320,033
  
  Rochester & Chatham319,850
  
  Bradford (City)298,483
  
  Gloucester & Cheltenham294,533
  
  Derby291,783
  
  Hull (Old Craven Park)289,467
  
  Plymouth283,600
  
  Portsmouth269,683
  
  Preston256,900
  
  Aberdeen248,000
  
  Nottingham (White City)247,733
  
  Blackburn245,483
  
  West Hartlepool229,717
  
  Sheffield (Hyde Park)228,317
  
  Newport223,650
  
  Exeter (County Ground)218,783
  
  Stanley (Co Durham)214,217
  
  Glasgow (Firhill)213,267
  
  Stadium
  
  Turnover £
  
  Warrington204,950
  
  Oxford194,783
  
  Stoke-on-Trent (Cobridge)183,583
  
  Keighley181,300
  
  Sunderland179,717
  
  Yarmouth179,233
  
  Stoke-on-Trent (Hanley)176,000
  
  Norwich (City)168,067
  
  Norwich (Boundary Park)165,683
  
  Bristol (Knowle)165,433
  
  Luton161,600
  
  Cradley Heath149,150
  
  Houghton-le-Spring148,467
  
  Rochdale126,300
  
  London (Southall)126,117
  
  St Helens125,217
  
  Ipswich122,167
  
  Wallyford (East Lothian)110,617
  
  Peterborough109,283
  
  London (Harlington Corner)100,217
  
  Stockport (Hazel Grove)95,200
  
  Stockton-on-Tees (Belle Vue)93,033
  
  Rayleigh (Essex)89,867
  
  Easington (Co Durham)85,333
  
  Wigan (Poolstock)71,350
  
  Long Eaton69,167
  
  Wakefield60,600
  
  Wigan (Woodhouse)60,050
  
  Spennymoor (Co Durham)57,683
  
  Doncaster (Spotbrough)55,517
  
  Durham City48,233
  
  Northampton41,117
  
  Workington38,883
  
  Aycliffe (Co Durham)10,833
  
  Irvine (Townhead)6,650 :
  
  