History
The first venue of the English Greyhound Derby was at White City Stadium, which had been built for the 1908 London Olympics. Greyhound racing had only recently started to take place there, with the first greyhound race only taking place a couple of weeks prior to the first Derby being run. Entry Badge won the first race to be held, winning a £1000 prize for the dog's trainer, Joe Harmon. Two years later, racing greyhound Mick the Miller became the first dog to win multiple Derbys.
In 1973, Spillers dog food sponsored the race for the first time, the same year that Patricia's Hope became the second dog to win the Derby on more than one occasion, and would ultimately be one of only two dogs to achieve that at White City Stadium. Spillers continued to sponsor the race, increasing the prize money to £35,000 by 1980. The Daily Mirror took over sponsorship of the race in 1983, and in 1984 the race was held at White City for the last time before it closed, with Whisper Wishes becoming the final dog to win the Derby at its original location.
The Derby was moved to Wimbledon Stadium for the 1985, and has remained there ever since. The Daily Mirror continued to be the sole sponsor the race until 1990, when Sporting Life became co-sponsor. In 1998, bookmakers William Hill became the sole sponsor, and in 2006 bookmakers Blue Square took over. William Hill renewed their involvement with greyhounds and the Wimbledon Stadium with a deal for 2010, and remain sponsors of the race as of the 2012 race. As of 2012 it is considered the most prestigious greyhound race in the world.
There are concerns over the future of the English Greyhound Derby at Wimbledon Stadium, as part-owners Galliard Homes have instructed architects to work on plans to build over 800 homes on the site. This would result in the Derby being located outside London for the first time, as Wimbledon is the last greyhound stadium in the capital.
Charlie Lister OBE holds the record as the most successful trainer at the Derby, having won it on six occasions. No greyhound has won the race on more than two occasions, with four dogs tied for most successful: Mick the Miller, Patricias Hope, Rapid Ranger and Westmead Hawk.
Read more about this topic: English Greyhound Derby
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