Powderhall Stadium


Powderhall Stadium formerly the Powderhall Grounds was a greyhound racing track in Edinburgh, Scotland. It was located on Beaverhall Road, in the Broughton area of north Edinburgh, by the Water of Leith. The track closed in 1995 and the site is now a housing estate.

Origins

The Powderhall Grounds was built in 1869 and gained fame for being the place where Olympian Eric Liddell, portrayed in Chariots of Fire, trained in the 1920s. The stadium was converted for greyhound racing and football one year later, in 1928, when it hosted the original Edinburgh City football team.

Greyhound racing

Pre war">World War II">war history

When opened in 1927 the track had easy bends and long straights and over 10,000 attended the first meeting. The first race, the Leith Stakes was won by Eager Hands in 30.70 over 500 yards. The Greyhound Racing Association acquired Powderhall becoming one of 19 GRA tracks at the time.
The kennels were built on the west side of the stadium replacing an old football ground.
Major success was achieved in 1928 when Boher Ash trained by Tommy Johnston Sr. won the English Greyhound Derby, the first and only time a Scottish trained greyhound would win the sports premier event. The track situated below the 'Puddockie' as it was known locally and a culvert ran under the track to allow the Puddockie to flow. The track circumference was 440 yards and facilities included a grandstand and two covered enclosures. The original hare was an outside 'bogie' and distances were 440, 500 and 700 yards but despite the culvert the track was prone to flooding. Edinburgh hosted four greyhound tracks, Stenhouse Stadium, Marine Gardens and a short lived independent track called Royal Gymnasium. The track introduced its own major event in 1933 and called it the Edinburgh Cup which saw early winners including Jesmond Cutlet, Wattle Bark and Dante II.

Post war">World War II">war history

The venue was selected to host the Stewards Cup on several occasions and also hosted the BBC Television Trophy in 1964. In 1970 the stadium underwent renovation including a new 100 'Silver Hound' seated restaurant with a glass plated front to allow public viewing and bar areas increased to a total of seven. Bill Glennie was General Manager and Bill Mulley was Racing Manager replaced by Stuart Strachan in 1978
A heated blanket was constructed underneath the track to combat the Scottish winter and allow racing to go ahead during particularly cold spells.
The Scottish Grand National and Scottish St Leger both became popular events and in 1982 trainer Graham Mann was moved by the GRA to White City and his replacement was Jane Glass, the Scottish tracks first ever female trainer. Powderhall marked its 60th anniversary with a new £400,000 grandstand and in 1987 the track was handed the Scottish Greyhound Derby by the GRA, the first time the event was run outside of Glasgow.
After hosting the 1988 Scottish Derby the GRA sold the track to local businessman Norrie Rowan for £1.8m, the sale of the track resulted in two problems, the first was the fact that they lost the rights to hold the Scottish Derby because the GRA no longer had any investments in Scotland so the Derby returned to Glasgow. Secondly Norrie Rowan sold the track on to Coral for £2.2 million an instant profit of £400,000. During 1990 Rowan expressed the desire to buy the stadium back.
The locally trained Ravage Again nearly surpassed the Ballyregan Bob world record in 1990; trained by Willie Frew the 29 successive wins sequence came to an end on 26 January 1990.

Closure

Corals sold the stadium to Eddie Ramsay in 1992 for £3 million but his company SGRC was in financial difficulties and he sold it to a Channel Islands company called Charlotte Twenty-One during January 1995 for £3 million. The stadium closed in 1995 and was demolished for housing.

Other Sports

Powderhall was also used for football, being the home ground of Leith Athletic from 1926 to 1928 and Edinburgh City from 1931 to 1934. It later became a venue for motorcycle speedway, with the Edinburgh Monarchs racing there from 1977 until 1995.
The Powderhall Sprint, first held in 1870, was a professional footrace with handicapping of the runners. It continues, since 1999, as the New Year Sprint and is now held at Musselburgh Racecourse.

Competitions

Scottish Greyhound Derby

Edinburgh Cup

Scottish Grand National

The Scottish Grand National was a competition held over hurdles from 1954 until the stadium closed.
YearWinnerBreedingTrainerTimeSP
1954Ruddy CautionBahs Choice – Pure MotivePaddy McEvoy 28.957-2
1955Prince LawrenceDangerous Prince - Knights RomanceJoe Pickering 29.245-1
1957Fodda ChampionChampion Prince - Wimble LadyJimmy Jowett 29.041-3f
1958Fodda ChampionChampion Prince - Wimble LadyJimmy Jowett 28.74
1959Rialto CrownImperial Dancer – Quare PrincessTom Lightfoot 29.7210-1
1960Dawn DancerPrince of Bermuda – Peaceful DancerCyril Beaumont 29.18 4-9f
1961Rorys PleasureMan of Pleasure – Banri OrdhaJoe Pickering 28.86
1962Barrel KissaneChampion Prince - YoblstrapBarney O'Connor 29.11
1963AscotCarrickaroche Champion – Ash LookCharlie Smoothy 29.32
1964Banba's SonChampions Son – Darkies DelightClare Orton 29.42
1965Bolshoi PrinceThe Grand Prince – Bolshoi ArtisteNorman Oliver 29.26
1966Halfpenny KingCrazy Parachute - The Baw WeeJohn Shevlin 29.15
1967Cross ChampThe Grand Prince - AnabananaAlf Eggleston 29.22
1969Tonys FriendTontine – Maggie From CorkRandy Singleton 29.68 4-7f
1970Derry PalmO'Leary – Fannie CaesarPhil Rees Sr. 29.178-1
1974Weston PeteMonalee Champion – New KashmirColin West 29.292-1
1975Shamrock BlackiePatricias Hope – Shanlyre BlackieTommy Foster 29.60 2-1jf
1977Greenane TyroMonalee Champion – Fit Me InRandy Singleton 29.29 4-9f
1979Scintillas RockYanka Boy – Scintillas MiniFrank Melville Harringay)29.474-1
1980Drakeland JimCurrans Pad – Arctic AnnTommy Foster 29.216-4f
19811981 BobcolWestpark Mint – Black KattyNorah McEllistrim 29.354-5f
1982Face The MuttMutts Silver – Millroad CastReece 28.991-3f
1983Face The LadsLuminous Lad – Mill Road SilverNorah McEllistrim 29.00 9-2
1984Lovely PudI'm Lovely – Lucky UnaG Rodgerson 28.776-1
1985Brendas LuckBlack Coat – Brendas DreamRon Bicknell 28.995-1
1986Moneypoint SamLiberty Lad – Queens HotelBob Young 28.7710-1
1987Cavan TownSail On II – Leafy GladeMel Cumner 28.68 TR 8-13f
1988Kilcuala PrinceDipmac – Hack Up HostessKeane 29.283-1
1989Skyline PrinceShesign Rocket – Apache LauraLinda Mullins 28.657-2
1990Gizmo PashaWhisper Wishes – If And WhenLinda Mullins 28.691-2f
1991Deerpark JimOran Jack – Saol Fada SallyLinda Mullins 28.796-1
1992Kildare SlippyI'm Slippy – Kildare ElmPaddy Hancox 28.091-4f
1993Last Years ManMurlens Slippy – Junior MissTommy Foster 28.714-1
1994Heavenly DreamWhisper Wishes – Sail On JennyLinda Mullins 28.4615-8jf

TR, 1954-1994, 1971-1973

Scottish St Leger

The Scottish St Leger was a competition held from 1959 until the stadium closed.
YearWinnerBreedingTrainerTimeSP
1959Greenane AirlinesImperial Airways – Take AstraJim Irving 39.94
1960My FarewellDemon King – Flirting GirlJack Tallantire 41.16
1961Desert RamblerChampion Prince – Imperial PegJoe Booth 40.27
1962Ballymurn PrinceSolar Prince – July FlowerAustin Hiscock 40.55
1963StrelkaWar Dance – Imperial AstraJim Irving 40.47
1964Lucky Hi ThereHi There - Olives BonnyJimmy Jowett 39.28
1965Feakles WishFeakles Luck – Oxgrove DinkieG W Carrigill 40.95
1966Caledonian PegPrairie Flash – Caledonian PennyG W Carrigill 40.63
1967Negro HarpistOregon Prince - Imperial AstraJim Irving 40.42
1968Forward KingCrazy Parachute – Supreme WitchTed Brennan 39.9411-10f
1969Greenane GemPrairie Flash – Sheila At LastBessie Lewis 40.289-4
1970Peace Blue BoyTric Trac – Peace RoseStan Mitchell 40.6010-1
1971Knock OffAristos – Last PotHarry Bamford 39.914-5f
1972Ramdeen StuartSallys Story – Any StreakNorman Oliver 40.191-2f
1973MoylishaSilver Hope – Last PotHarry Bamford 40.408-1
1974Prince WongSupreme Fun – Irene WongJanet Tite 40.87 4-1
1975Suffer OnCobbler – No TourRita Hayward 40.64 9-4
1976Cooladine GameRed Game – Flashy MinniePeter Harding 40.846-1
1977Paradise SpectreSpectre – Paradise WonderPat Mullins 40.20 1-3f
1978 CornerBlessington Boy – Kilnagleary GiftJohn Gibbons 40.244-7f
1979LuqueItsachampion – Strawberry PearlPete Beaumont 40.495-1
1980NavigatorSuper Jim – Pilgrims BlowPete Beaumont 40.6920-1
1981Rath HeroBrother Orchid – Lady of LoveGordon Bailey 40.7020-1
1984Willow LassYellow Band – Brindle BettyStewart Loan 40.4110-1
1985My TootsieTough Decision – Jeffs LoveStewart Loan 40.545-1
1986Shandon TigerGambling Fever – Shandon KittenBryce Wilson 40.584-9f
1987Clifton HillArdralla Victory - QueensburyStewart Loan 41.6520-1
1990Flicka DubhBallylarkin Star – Idle KateDave Hopper 41.4412-1
1991Time For OneGreen Gorse - ElevensesMichael Power 40.3311-4f
1992Princeton BlueShanagarry Duke – Princeton HouseDave Conway 40.397-2
1993Greenwell KitLavally Oak – Cahills GateJohn Flaherty 39.95 TR 4-6f
1994Droopys EvelynGame Ball – Moral SupportHarry Williams 39.906-1

TR, 1954-1994, 1982-1983

Track records

Pre Metric record

Post Metric records

+ track alterations