Did you see the Derby at White City ? What was the first one you saw ?

june 05,aged 23, sat in the b365call centre taking calls off customers when i put myself on hold to watch one of the heats,

kinda watching the leaders and all of a sudden something came from nowhere, way off the pace to win a heat.  Made a note of the dog and on me next break went into the small canteen that was there and had a score on at 40/1 and called me dad.

Jokingly said...Dad, iv seen this years debry winner haha... tr4 in the such and such watch this dog..............Westmead Hawk.

Been hooked every since on this race.

salad dodger

knew it was you puke!

seaside, i was 17yrs old in 1975 and me and my pal whos family bred and raced greyhounds decided to get the train to london for the

  derby final. on the train we were asked by some transport police asking where we were going and what for ??  when we explained

   about the final we were happily allowed on our way. i will never forget the buzz in the betting ring and the derby " roar ".

   ps, no i never backed the winner!!! ....... tartan khan 25/1.    happy days.   

      http://www.greyhoundderby.com/1975-greyhound_derby.htm

From 1976 until the last one. Never forget the buzz of Final night and so many memories.  Sorry, but would rather it had gone to Wembley than Wimbledon..

I travelled down to London in 1983 to watch I'm Slippy run in the final at White City, my mate and I had bet it ante-post, never seen such a big stadium before and the track was all grass, the thing that really amazed me though was the run in, it looked about 50yds. from the final bend, but I'm Slippy held on by a sh.hd. it made it a wonderful experience. went back the next year when Whisper Wishes won haven't missed a derby since, already been to all the first and second rounds. cheers.

dolores rocket 1971 white city premier class. wimbledon 4th division

1951 Ballylanigan Tanist. Remember it like it was yesterday. I was hooked on Greyhound racing from that day. The Wimbledon Derby's will never be like those at White City. The atmosphere was electric. Thousands of punters and Hundreds of Bookmakers lining both straights. Fantastic.

your right there even a graded card at white city was a very good night out there

saw dolores rocket win the blue ribband at wembley backed her for the derby straight after hoping she didnt go in season happy days

The great Pigalle Wonder in 1958.

Just a few names I remember from the 'Final' nights I attended at White City - Game Ball, Debbycot Lad, Hurry On Bran, Indian Joe, Llacca Champion, Welsh Cobbler in the marathon, Upton Rocket in the sprint, and of course, for the benefit of Slippy Blue, the stunning run of Haymaker Mack in the consolation..Happy Memories....

Pigalle Wonder

Photo(s) Courtesy www.thedogs.co.uk

County Kilkenny-bred Pigalle Wonder (by Champion Prince out of Prairie Peg) was whelped in March 1956. In conformation he was a near perfect specimen of the breed, and if he hadn’t been a racing dog he would have been outstanding in the show ring. Named Prairie Champion by his breeder Tom Murphy, he put up a brilliant performance in the McCalmont Cup at Kilkenny, followed by a blistering trial at Harold’s Cross. He was then bought by Mr Al Burnett, who owned the Pigalle Club in London, and his name was changed to Pigalle Wonder.

Pigalle Wonder was blessed with blinding speed from the traps and the courage of a lion. Immensely adaptable, he set track records at seven different tracks. Trained for the 1958 Derby by Jim Syder Jnr. at Wembley, Pigalle Wonder clocked 28.44 seconds in his semi-final, a record that stood for ten years. He won the final by three lengths, with Northern Lad second. A neck behind in third was Mile Bush Pride, who in 1959 was to win the English, Scottish and Welsh Derbys. In the 525 yard Pall Mall at Harringay, Pigalle Wonder again set a record time of 29.03 seconds which also lasted for ten years. His record clocking of 28.78 seconds over Wembley’s 525 yard course stood for almost twenty years, unbeaten until the distance was changed to metres.

A wonderful dog both to look at and to watch in action, Pigalle Wonder passed on his attributes to his offspring at stud. Sold for the then huge sum of £3500, he stood in County Wicklow and became renowned as a sire of bitches. One example is his daughter Martin’s Pigalle, granddam of 1978 English Derby winner Lacca Champion. Among the many good male dogs he sired were Irish Derby winners Wonder Valley and Russian Gun.

Same as the bairn, I'm Slippy in 1983. We all done our brains on Game Ball but it was one of my best ever memories of greyhound racing at wonderful White City.

HaymakerMack broke the track record in the consolation final that night with a time that was never to be bettered. I'm Slippy made all to win from trap 4 in the final, the same box as Slippy Blue had !

Here is the 1983 final in all its glory, should bring back memories for the bairn and a few others no doubt.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pH0EV1R7jLg

Good man Aladdin 

all that grass...first thing i thought of was the old flap at swansea.

forest fach

thanks for that SLIPPY, ive only just realised how unlucky debbycot lad was. !!   

that was  good slippy blue looking at white  city again and the great harry carpenter the tote odds board

ithought the same mdm, the massive crowd, the radiant toteboard, loads of bookies, all added to make a great atmosphere....not to be

recreated im afraid.

Good to see a grass track again.

Khan 75  never missed a round or race till the final Derby ,Hard to believe what the greyhound world has Come to

The Derby at Whitecity was a spectacle to behold ,We are now left with a race being run in broad daylight  so a few ****s

piling money into roulette machines can watch it YOU CANNOT MAKE IT UP

was like a grand lawn Sparrow

dont you remember the track in winter?

Straw track in the winter

tartan khan and derick law

sorry for the southern bias but......if we had white city, wathamstow and hackney now, with greyhound racing acknowledged and attended as a sport and not a form of animal abuse with the facilities of betfair.....jesus we would get a few quid.....

71 Dolores rocket she was the real deal
Kennelling was buzzing over cheap side for free food
My pin up dog MRYTOWN so unlucky
Shamrock point the best looking dog ever
Ger McKenna dogs where like picures
Could not take my eyes off them he was the daddy

lauries panther
cant remember when
marvellous night

MRYTOWN  the Middle Pace

Myrtown wonder what they named him after ? there is not a place called that

Patricias Hope 1972

Thanks lads brought tears to my eyes the mention of some of the dogs.

I would go to the heats and try and find one to have a punt in one of the later rounds.

Had a nice few shillings coming if Harry ON Bran had won he ended up coming second to Indian Joe aggggggggggg
One was always interested in the dogs Ger McKenna would  bring over
No one turned out dogs like he did, they were a thing of beauty, I bet like me you would go and have a look at them just under the big tote board before they came on the track.
So sad those days are gone
How much was it to get in ? Shillings if I remember right what value it was a joy and a pleusure.

I saw Ford Spartan win in 1951 he went on to win the laurels at Wimbledon.
The first dog I owned was by his sire Polonius.

1978 - Lacca C

1978 - Lacca Champion

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l-s0r3It4fU

Sorry Ford Spartan 1957.

1977 - Balliniska Band

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R65GsJ6WnMQ

i remember mid 70s my Dad tellling me if Flip Your Top won the Derby , we'd go up Peticoat Lane in East London and buy me a brand new bike. No win - No bike

Was a massive punt on JOE derby week seaside ,Band was unreal Slip

sparrow  • June 11, 2015 2:06 PM BST 


The great Pigalle Wonder in 1958.

Before my time, but I think that was when Greyhound Racing was at his peak, particularly
his clashes with Mile Bush Pride

Chittering Clapton my first 1965...although I was quite young
I remember I had backed Faithful Hope AP but he was knocked out, but came back to win it in 1966.

You have a very fair point case.
Like Glasgow mine was also Tartan Khan in 1975 and he paid for pot trip home too.
For me the unluckiest loser ever was Debbycot Lad.  Slippy Blue was a fine winner and proved a great sire but the Lad was slaughtered twice in the race and had won in another stride.
The best I've ever seen is difficult to say but Taylor's Sky was something else.  There are very, very few who break the t.r. in semi and final, and he was very unlucky the next year too.
noflapleft - do you remember the applause the trackside gave Shamrock Point as Ger led him up to receive his Consolation Derby prize?  The crowd knew he had been hard done by and broke out spontaneously

Strange thing Regarding Lively Band who Blatantly Fought Shamrock ,He went on to sire nearly 500 pups ,he was an absolute
machine but seems strange he was so popular at stud after fighting

Shanless Slippy 1996 was my first live derby, Wimbledon was packed all the way round great atmosphere...

not as good as Hawks 2 tho

Hawk's 2nd win was a special night, was some atmosphere - didn't enjoy his 1st win much

Case like it was yesterday the consolation was usually harder to win than final
Had £200 treble Grundy in irish Derby shamrock point and MRYTOWN 
It would  never happen at Wimbledon
When you read some of the names people are putting up
All great dogs glory days
At the city if a rag got to the final was a shock never chance of winning people called tartan Khan a rag  but turn out to be good dog
A good friend of my dads own ballybeg prim a fast greyhound double gutted when got ko in quarters he was my lift
Mutts silver chin him in 76 a/p money down the sink
Good days

khan very good dog Won leger that year and broke clock in final

Yes case never got the credit won Derby and St leger winner should have
Own by a proper dog man

Casemoney

There was talk that Indian Joe might not run in the final because of an injury that's one of the reasons I never saved on it

If I remember right was backed from 7/2 into 13/8 in the week.

I shook the hand of the owner anyway after the race as I was standing on the steps.

know i ve asked before but does anyone know of a vid
showing lauries panthers white city win
?

Don't think there is one t.r.

think your right  loyal

seaside indian went 9-2 in the week because they thought it wouldnt run.was favourite on the night his victory bought 2 new cars however he never ran again

There was a new machine doing its trials at the time, for muscle injuries.  Very few people had it.  A local trainer offered it to the Indian Joe connections who treated him all week with it and had him just fit enough to run.  Great generosity from within the greyhound fraternity helped him to win his Derby.

indian joe was treated at magneto pulse in wellingborough first time i had heard of this treatment.

funny although these machines are no longer sold i still see them in many kennels and stables

I knew they were working on Indian Joe all week, I never knew he never run again thanks for that.

Lauries Panther if I remember right it was a blackish dog with a touch of white about it, anyone know if I am remembering right ?

Yeah - big black and white dog seaside.  He was the last, and one of only a select few, who did the White City Derby, Wimbledon Laurels double.

BBC2 - Magnetopulse kennels still sold as PORTA-MAG , Magnetic Field Therapy Unit .

just going from their old internet site paulo