1955 GREYHOUND DERBY

This race was run at the White City on Saturday 25th June 1955.

Pos.

Greyhound

Sire

dam

Price

Distances

Time

1

Rushton Mac (2)

Rushton News

Rushton Panda

5/2

3/4 yd

28.97

2

Barrowside (3)

Ballymac Ball

Nifty Bella

1/2 f

4 1/2 yds

29.01

3

Coolkill Chieftain (4)

Celtic Chief

Coolkill Darkie

100/7

1 yd

29.28 

4

Gulf of Honduras (6)

Imperial Dancer

Daring Belle

8/1

1 3/4 yds

29.34 

5

Home Straight (1)

Jeffs Pal

Honey Bear

100/6

3 yds

29.44 

6

Duet Leader (5)

Champion Prince

Derryluskin Lady

10/1

 

29.62 

The Winner was owned by Mr F and Mrs J Johnson

Rushton Mac was trained privately by Frank Johnson

Barrowside was trained by Jack Harvey at Wembley

Coolkill Chieftain was trained by Jack Harvey at Wembley

Gulf of Honduras was trained by Jack Harvey at Wembley

Home Straight was trained by Tom Lightfoot at the White City, London

Duet Leader was trained by Tom (Paddy) Reilly at Walthamstow

Rushton Mac beat Barrowside to claim the £20,000 prize in a time of 28.97.

 

 

 

Tanist

 

 

Tanimon

 

 

 

 

Princess Mona

 

Rushton News

 

 

 

 

 

Turk

 

 

Fly Joan

 

 

 

 

Clarendon Bess

RUSHTON MAC

 

 

 

 

 

 

Dee Rock

 

 

Swinging Light

 

 

 

 

Beaut

 

Rushton Panda

 

 

 

 

 

Rotton Row

 

 

Hazy Rhyl

 

 

 

 

July Record

THE FINAL

Early round results implied this was a two dog race and the betting reflected this. While Rushton Mac was a well backed 5/2 shot, the clear odds on 1/2 favourite was the three dog Barrowside. All seemed well for favourite backers as Barrowside led from the boxes, with Home Straight and Rushton Mac following closely behind. Barrowside went wide at the first providing Rushton with the opportunity on the inside. Down the back straight Rushton maintained a length lead, always challenged by Barrowside, and these went clear of the others led by Home Straight and Coolkill Chieftain. Around the fourth bend Ruston was still in the lead as Barrowside mounted a strong challenge, but Rushton held on by 3/4 length, with the pair some 4 and a half lengths ahead of the fast finishing Coolkill Chieftain.

[The article listed below is reproduced by cortesy of Byrne's Auctioneers, Chester.]

In his heyday Cheshire's Rushton Mac was acclaimed as the best English-bred greyhound ever. Having achieved a trio of victories in the English, Welsh and Scottish Derbies; recorded wins in 14 successive races and posted five track records, the description was beyond doubt.

Now, 50 years later, the magnificent silver trophy presented by the Greyhound Racing Association for Mac's 1955 English Greyhound Derby win is to be sold. Chester fine art and antiques auctioneers Byrne's will offer the trophy together with Mac's trap No. 2 jacket worn for the race; the winner's jacket worn by the dog during the subsequent parade and presentation, a photograph of the trophy presentation; an original race card from the meeting held on June 25 1955 and one of Mac's stud cards. The collection is expected to fetch up to £3,000 when it is sold on the second of a two-day sale on Wednesday and Thursday, December 7 and 8.

Rushton Mac was bred out of Rushton News and Rushton Panda by the late Mr Frank Johnson and his wife Mary at Boothouse Farm, Rushton, in Tarporley, Cheshire, where they ran a greyhound stud and licensed training facility. Mr Johnson’s son, Peter, a retired farmer from Wrenbury, is selling the collection. He said greyhound breeding and racing was the great love of his parents' lives.

"Boothouse was a small farm on the Oulton Park estate and they started greyhound racing with a bitch named Fly Joan soon after they were married in the early 1940s. They were granted a licence to train dogs on their own account in1953 and by then they were travelling to races all over the country," Peter Johnson said.

"My sister, Ann, and I were always being bundled into the back of a van with the dogs and we used to help at the tracks. It was so exciting when we came home as winners. It was very unusual to run English-bred greyhounds because in those days most were bred in Ireland."

Mac's track record was unique. Apart from being a triple Derby winner in 1955, the grandson of Fly Joan, the Johnson's original dog, Mac was awarded Silver Greyhounds in 1954 and 1955 for Best English Bred Greyhound.

A contemporary report of the English Derby run at the famous White City Stadium in London, said that "early round results implied this was a two dog race and the betting reflected this. While Rushton Mac was a well backed 5/2 shot, the clear odds on 1/2 favourite was the three dog Barrowside. All seemed well for favourite backers as Barrowside led from the boxes, with Home Straight and Rushton Mac following closely behind. Barrowside went wide at the first providing Rushton with the opportunity on the inside. Down the back straight Rushton maintained a length lead, always challenged by Barrowside, and these went clear of the others led by Home Straight and Coolkill Chieftain. Around the fourth bend Ruston was still in the lead as Barrowside mounted a strong challenge, but Rushton held on by three-quarters of a length, with the pair some four and a half lengths ahead of the fast finishing Coolkill Chieftain.

Mac was retired and put to stud in late 1956 or early 1957 having won more than £8,500 in prize money. Mr and Mrs Johnson retired in the early Sixties and the trophy and archive has remained in the family since. By the important London silversmith Garrard & Company, it weighs a whopping 64½ ounces and comes complete with turned wooden socle and fitted mahogany case.

GD1955.JPG (67154 bytes)stud book rm.JPG (84223 bytes)

trophy rm.JPG (62100 bytes)photo rm.JPG (64426 bytes)

Pictures courtesy of Byrne's Auctioneers, Chester.

Semi-Finals Saturday 18th June 1955
Trap Dog Distance Time SP   Trap Dog Distance Time SP
3 RUSHTON MAC 1 3/4 yds 29.14 11/8 f   1 BARROWSIDE 5 3/4 yds 28.86 4/11 f
1 COOLKILL CHIEFTAIN 3/4 yd 29.24 11/4   2 HOME STRAIGHT 1 1/4 yds 29.20 33/1
5 GULF OF HONDURAS 1 yd 29.28 9/2   4 DUET LEADER   29.28 8/1
6 SNOW TRAILS 4 yds 29.34 8/1   5 MATCHLOCK      
4 WULAR CHOICE Sh Hd 29.58 40/1   3 SMOKEY CHAMPION   29.34 100/8
2 YON CASSIUS   29.59 6/1   6 CHANCE ME PADDY   29.50 50/1

 

 

Second Round Heats Thursday 16th June 1955
Trap Dog Distance Time SP   Trap Dog Distance Time SP
Heat 1   Heat 2
1 DUET LEADER 2 1/4 yds 28.96 4/1   4 BARROWSIDE 6 1/4 yds 28.73 2/5 f
2 MATCHLOCK 1 yd 29.10 11/4   3 GULF OF HONDURAS 5 yds 29.12 100/6
3 HOME STRAIGHT   29.17 33/1   2 CHANCE ME PADDY Sh Hd 29.42 10/1
            1 ALTA TANIST   29.43 11/2
Heat 3   Heat 4
1 CATCHMAN 1/2 yd 29.45 Disq   5 RUSHTON MAC 1 1/4 yds 29.34 11/10 f
4 COOLKILL CHIEFTAIN 1 yd 29.48 Void   3 SNOW TRAILS 3 yds 29.42 10/3
2 SMOKEY CHAMPION 2 3/4 yds 29.53 Void   6 YON CASSIUS   29.61 6/1
5 WULAR CHOICE   29.69 Void            
  PAUL'S FUN Lame                
  HI THERE Lame                

 

First Round Heats Saturday 11th June 1955
Trap Dog Distance Time SP   Trap Dog Distance Time SP
Heat 1   Heat 2
5 HI THERE   29.28     6 GULF OF HONDURAS 3/4 yd 29.28 7/2
2 IMPERIAL AIRWAYS         5 WULAR CHIKOR 1/4 yd 29.32 9/1
6 DUET LEADER   29.34 4/1   1 HOME STRAIGHT   29.34 7/1
3 WILD FOWLER         4 CUSTOMER'S SON      
4 MARCHAL MUSIC         2 FIERY BILL      
1 BRINDLE SEAL   30.42 40/1   3 CONFEY BALL      
Heat 3   Heat 4
5 YON CASSIUS Neck 29.09 7/1   4 SNOW TRAILS 7 yds 29.31 11/4
4 CATCHMAN   29.10     2 FLY RUBY   29.73  
1 IMPERIAL FAWN         1 PAUL'S FUN      
3 COOLKILL CHIEF         5 GARDEN GLAMOUR      
2 MANGANSTOWN MAJOR         3 COACH REJECT      
6 THE GRAND CHAMPAGNE         6 BALLYLENNON LADDIE      
Heat 5   Heat 6
2 MATCHLOCK 1 1/4 yds 29.20     4 RUSHTON MAC 3/4 yd 29.09 8/11 f
4 CHANCE ME PADDY 1 3/4 yds 29.28 33/1   5 SMOKEY CHAMPION   29.13 100/8
5 ALTA TANIST   29.38 9/1   6 GULF OF DARIEN      
1 VERY USEFUL         1 FITZ'S MARQUIS   29.21 6/1
6 TITLE ROLE         3 ARDSKEAGH VILLE   29.33 50/1
3 CLONEARL LADDIE   29.74 66/1   2 WHIDDY SURPRISE      
Heat 7   Heat 8
2 BARROWSIDE 3 1/4 yds 28.82 2/5 f   1 STEP INSIDE   28.91  
6 AGHACOMMON REX   29.02     2 FLEET ADMIRAL      
3 RUSHTON SPOT         3 COOLKILL CHIEFTAIN   29.35 5/4 jf
1 PANCHO VILLA         4 SPRING SWING      
5 CLEVER COUNT   29.44 50/1   6 MOYOLA FLASH   29.87 40/1
4 BLUE SAND         5 THE LUNATIC      

WELSH GREYHOUND DERBY (Cardiff White City)

Winner Sire Dam Time
Rushton Mac Rushton News Rushton Panda 29.40

IRISH GREYHOUND DERBY (Harolds Cross)

Dog Sire Dam Time
Spanish Battleship Spanish Chestnut Ballyseedy Memory 29.53
Crostys Bell The Grand Champion Crosty Lady  

For further information email johnwslusar@gmail.com