| 1955 UK & Ireland Greyhound Racing Year | |
|---|---|
← 1954 1956 → |
The1955 UK & Ireland Greyhound Racing Year was the 30th year of greyhound racing in the United Kingdom and Ireland.[1]
| Major Winners | |
|---|---|
| Award | Name of Winner |
| 1955 English Greyhound Derby | Rushton Mac[2][3] |
| 1955 Irish Greyhound Derby | Spanish Battleship[4][5] |
| 1955 Scottish Greyhound Derby | Not held[6] |
| 1955 Welsh Greyhound Derby | Rushton Mac[7] |
| Greyhound of the Year | Rushton Mac |
Spanish Battleship became the greatest greyhound in Irish history by securing a third consecutiveIrish Greyhound Derby title. No other greyhound had managed to win more than one Irish Derby previously. Before retiring, he broke the track record atCork during hisLaurels victory and won anotherMcCalmont Cup title. His connections turned down a £15,000 bid from a London syndicate.[5][4][8] Rushton Mac defeated the versatile and hot favourite Barrowside in theEnglish Greyhound Derby final.[2]
Barrowside dominated theGrand National atWhite City, the red fawn dog claimed a five length victory at odds of 1-3 in a track record time of 29.43.[9] TheGold Collar atCatford Stadium was won by Firgrove Slipper, a competition that featured1953 English Greyhound Derby champion Daws Dancer.[10]
The new Derby championRushton Mac won theWelsh Greyhound Derby atCardiff Arms Park, winning the final by nine lengths, flattering because the race turned into chaos as three runners fell. Derby finalists Gulf of Honduras and Coolkill Chieftain finished second and third respectively.[9][10] TheScottish Greyhound Derby was cancelled again, denying Rushton Mac the opportunity to win the Triple Crown. He had won the Scottish event in 1954 to hold all three titles at the same time but had not won all three during the same year.[9][10][11][12]
Rushton Mac completed a successful year by defending hisNorthern Flat andEdinburgh Cup titles. Duet Leader also had a great year winning theLaurels atWimbledon Stadium, thePall Mall Stakes,Select Stakes andGrand Prix atWalthamstow Stadium.[11][12]
Lizette won theOaks, two years after her first triumph and her half brother Gulf of Darien won theCesarewitch.[13]
Wandsworth Stadium hurdle grader, Moyshna Queen starred alongsideFrankie Howerd in a film calledJumping for Joy. The bitch was called Lindy Lou in the film.[9]
In November theGreyhound Racing Association (GRA) applied for a special licence to allow Spanish Battleship to line up against two of England's leading greyhounds, Duet Leader and Hi There, in a triangular match race. The match saw the GRA put up £120, in addition to the three owners adding 125 guineas; Spanish Battleship (Tim O'Connor), Duet Leader (Mrs Frances Chandler) and Hi There (Jack McAllister). Home Straight stood as reserve. The legendary Irish hound Spanish Battleship travelled to England for the first time with White City as his destination but age and the travelling had caught up with him, because home track advantage proved decisive and he trailed in third. Tom Lynch and Tim O'Connor retired him to stud.[7][9][10]
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