Clonmel Greyhound Stadium


Clonmel Greyhound Stadium is a greyhound racing track located in Clonmel, County Tipperary, Ireland.
Racing takes place every Friday and Saturday evening and the facilities include a grandstand restaurant, fast food facilities, a number of bars, totalisator betting and seating.
Race distances are 300, 525, 550, 575, 790 and 1,015 yards and the feature competition at the track is the National Produce Stakes.

Competitions

current and former

Opening

The first race held at Clonmel took place on 20 March 1931. The track is situated on the Old Waterford Road just off Davis Road and is also the headquarters of the Irish Coursing Club. The ICC moved into the town of Clonmel in 1921 and the secretary Tom Morris became the first managing director of the greyhound racecourse. In 1931 the Horse Show Society agreed with the Greyhound Racing Club of Clonmel to lease the grounds for £250 per year. The Racing Manager was Tim Rice and the circuit was 480 yards in circumference running the standard main distance of 525 yards.
The Oaks was held here in 1932 and the Clonmel public were lucky to see the magnificent bitch Queen of the Suir win the race. The following year the track was selected to host both the Oaks and St Leger. The running of the Irish St Leger was the one and only time at the track and resulted in a victory for the legendary Brilliant Bob. The May 1931 whelp was introduced to track racing in 1933 and after finishing runner-up in the Easter Cup won the St Leger over 550 yards in 31.53.
The premier racing event to be held at Clonmel would be the National Sapling Stakes. The first running was in 1939 and was claimed by Sporting Fancy. A year later in 1940 Tanist became the first greyhound to break 30 seconds at Clonmel recording 29.85 over 525 yards. The track renamed the National Sapling Stakes to the National Puppy Cup before it became the National Breeders Produce Stakes in 1947.

Post War

The next milestone came in 1946 when in the second round of the National Puppy Cup a greyhound called Quare Times clocked an amazing 29.75sec to set a new track record. In 1947 the ICC moved into new headquarters so that they could administer the sport in addition to housing 'The Sporting Press' a newspaper owned by the ICC. The struggling racecourse known as Powerstown Park had also been acquired by the ICC which used the venue for coursing inside the horse racing circuit. They retained some horse racing meetings maintaining the Park as a going concern.
The track would come under the control of the Bord na gCon in 1960 that purchased the track from the Morris family. There were no major developments over the next couple of decades except for the introduction of a new event called the Munster Cup and the 1979 retirement of Christy Mulcahy the Racing Manager. One event that was not welcome was the regular flooding of the track from the nearby River Suir.
In 1986 the track was closed to allow a complete renovation with the re-opening in spring 1987, the track underwent major changes as well going all-sand and introducing the controversial Australian Noel Bramwich hare. The track improvements changed the expected times recorded and Balalika set a new track record of 28.68 over 525 yards on a circumference of 593 yards.
The lease for Clonmel was bought out by the Clonmel Leisure Group from the Bord na gCon in 1991 but the track closed down in 1998 following an ongoing dispute over the lease and freehold agreements between the Clonmel Leisure Group and the Clonmel Agricultural Show.

Recent history

In 2000 it was hoped that a new track could be constructed at Powerstown Park. Meetings were held between the Irish Coursing Club, the Irish Greyhound Board, the Tipperary County Council, Government Minister Noel Davern, and Clonmel's Mayor, Tom Ambrose but the problems continued and a solution was not found. Eventually it was agreed that the greyhound track section of the showgrounds would be sold to the Davis Road Greyhound Racing Company.
Before re-opening in 2003 the stadium was upgraded and modernised signalling a new start with Red Mills becoming sponsors of the National Produce Stakes and Barry Coleman becoming Racing Manager. The former Racing Manager Gus Ryan retired in 2009 after 42 years in racing.
In 2012 Clonmel earned contributions from the Irish Greyhound Board and received a €1 million investment allowing the owners to knock down the old stand and rebuild a new modern grandstand.

Track records

Current
YardsGreyhoundTimeDateNotes
300Calling Spice15.811 February 2011
525Clares Rocket27.871 May 2016
550Cabra Buck29.6024 January 2013
575Compass Smash31.035 October 2008
750Kiltrea Kev41.1029 August 2010
790Volcano43.667 February 2015
1015Ferdia Bound57.7810 October 2010

Former
1937 track record holder Monarch Of All was sold for a record price at the time of 350 guineas at the Harold's Cross Stadium sales.
YardsGreyhoundTimeDateNotes
300 Quiet Spring16.5014 May 1970
300 Im Game16.54*27 April 1987
300 Greenpark Fox=16.3401.1989
300 Greenpark Fox16.12 01.02.1989
300 Marshals Music16.25*7 August 2003
300 Derwent Storm16.2118 January 2004
300 Droopys Hughes16.155 February 2004
300 Run for Alice16.081 May 2005
300 Rising Fire16.0416 July 2006
300 Rising Fire16.0124 August 2006
300 Unique Option15.9512 November 2006
300 Toms Zorro15.9414 January 2007
300 Four Dubs15.941 April 2007
300 Rising Fire15.8922 April 2007
300 Rising Fire15.8529 April 2007
330Brilliant Tulip18.301950
500 Odd Venture28.2518 May 1961
525 Tanist29.851940
525 Quare Times29.751946
525 Barna Derg29.651950
525 The Grand Fire29.4025 April 1957
525 The Potman29.34Sep 1979
525 Balalika28.68*8 April 1987
525 Arran Court Duke28.38 13 April 1989
525 Vintage Prince28.55*29 May 1995
525 College Prime28.606 April 2003
525 Velvet Cash28.5417 March 2004
525 Charity Jack28.365 March 2006
525 St Louis Spirit28.33 05.04.2009 Produce Stakes first round
525 Ardera Power28.29 12.04.2009 Produce Stakes second round
525 Shaneboy Lee28.24 12.04.2009 Produce Stakes second round
525 Colorful Champ28.2325 October 2009
525 Amazing Dude=28.2331 May 2015
550 Flighty Rover31.30 1950
550 Mad Mac30.50*15 June 1987
550 Fiddlers Wish30.0431 January 1989
550 Meet Me Halfway29.80 01.08.1989
550 Man of Lamancha30.02* 04.02.2003
550 Toms Little Jo29.883 June 2004
550 Swahili Eile29.8516 February 2007
550 Off the Fags29.816 July 2007
550 Leahs Boss29.818 October 2008
550 Mardocs Heinze29.6312 October 2008
550 Mahogany Rumble29.6312 July 2009
550 Carib King29.6326 July 2009
550 Movealong Tony29.6217 July 2011
575 Silver Shout31.2327 April 2003
575 Charity Jack31.1524 October 2003
575 Lucky Lindsey31.0523 August 2007
700Lady Bon40.4018 May 1961
730 Manx Sky41.52*9 November 1987
730 Crohane Lucy41.161 February 1989
730 Benedine Rose41.161 February 1989
730Mid Clare Lass40.883 February 1990
750 Just George41.281988
750 Top Award41.9017 April 2003
750 Brave Legend41.8224 August 2006
750 Musical Beauty41.4929 October 2006
750 Dromana Blue41.4715 November 2007
750 Flying Winner41.2622 November 2007
790 Able Queen45.0617 July 2003
790 Smooth Slippy44.7322 August 2004
790 Lady Norma44.7222 August 2004
790 Five Gold Bars44.5023 March 2008
790 Thatll Do Jack44.4125 January 2011
790 Freedom Marconi44.14 14 August 2011
790 Kerryroad Baba44.2414 August 2011
790 Usual Story44.0626 August 2012
790 Razldazl Marilyn44.00 17 January 2013
1000 Tokio Lady58.991988
1015 Original Charm58.1527 July 2003
1025 Cute Way59.3430 January 1989
1025Fairy Surprise59.267 November 1991
500 HKnockdrina Ranger29.952 May 1957
525 HFair King31.001950
525 HJerrys Wonder30.9011 May 1963
525 HUnguarded Moment=30.9016 May 1963
525 HMars Mist30.121988
550 HQuarter Cross32.551950