WJ & JE Cearns Invitation
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Horse race
| Class | Category 2 |
|---|---|
| Location | Central Park Stadium |
| Inaugurated | 1951 |
| Final run | 2017 |
| Race information | |
| Distance | 500 metres |
| Surface | Sand |
The WJ & JE Cearns Invitation is a greyhound racing competition held annually at Central Park Stadium. It was inaugurated at Wimbledon Stadium in 1951 as the W. J. Cearns Memorial Trophy[1] following the death of W. J. Cearns in 1950.[2]
W. J. Cearns was the founder of Wimbledon Stadium and chairman of West Ham United F.C. The event was held in his honour until 2006 when his grandson Roger Cearns (owner of Central Park) brought the competition to Sittingbourne. It was renamed the WJ & JE Cairns Invitation, with the JE part being named after his father John who was also instrumental in the history of Wimbledon.[3]
| Year | Winner | Breeding | Trainer | Time (sec) | SP | Notes/ref |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1951 | Fancy Hero | Trabolgan Prince – Carriganea Lass | Jack Harvey (Wembley) | 30.23 | 4–5f | [4] |
| 1952 | Ryton Basher [5] | Model Dasher – Ryton Blunder | Stan Martin (Wimbledon) | 28.34 | 4–1 | |
| 1953 | Judy Luck | Trevs Cutter – Queens Wood | Stan Martin (Wimbledon) | 28.48 | 10–1 | |
| 1954 | Forever Cloone | Bellas Prince – Rare Rarity | Dennis Hannafin (Wimbledon) | 28.83 | 13–2 | |
| 1955 | Fitzs Marquis | Tom Paddy Reilly (Walthamstow) | 28.65 | 7–1 | ||
| 1956 | Spark Prince [6] | Fire Prince - Ell For Leather | Paddy Fortune (Wimbledon) | 28.41 | 8–1 | |
| 1957 | Ford Spectre | Polonius – Harrow Glamour | Dennis Hannafin (Wimbledon) | 28.13 | 33–1 | |
| 1958 | Gentle Touch | Magourna Reject – Abbey Jane | Dennis Hannafin (Wimbledon) | 28.44 | 8–1 | |
| 1959 | Greenane Valley | Champion Prince – Prairie Vixen | George Waterman (Wimbledon) | 28.43 | 40–1 | |
| 1960 | Dunstown Champion | Demon King – Geffs Linnett | Paddy McEllistrim (Wimbledon) | 28.02 | 11–2 | |
| 1961 | Oregon Prince | Knock Hill Chieftain – Burleighs Fancy | Phil Rees Sr. (Private) | 28.17 | ||
| 1962 | Little Archie | Flash Jack – Little Jingler | Henry Parsons (Crayford) | 28.31 | ||
| 1963 | Coup Leader | Disabled Leader – Nancys Honeymoon | Clare Orton (Wimbledon) | 28.50 | ||
| 1964 | Cranog Bet | Knock Hill Chieftain – Dont Bet | Phil Rees Sr. (Private) | 28.28 | 4–5f | |
| 1965 | Cranog Bet | Knock Hill Chieftain –Dont Bet | Phil Rees Sr. (Private) | 28.14 | ||
| 1966 | Clopooks Collar | Clare Orton (Wimbledon) | 28.06 | |||
| 1967 | Warfield Flash | Alpine Miller – Anything Goes | Len Drewery (Private) | 27.87 | ||
| 1968 | No Credit | The Grand Prince – Ladys Plume | Nora Gleeson (Wimbledon) | 28.21 | 8–1 | |
| 1969 | Always Present | Printers Prince – Berrings Five | Phil Rees Sr. (Wimbledon) | 28.75 | 5–1 | |
| 1970 | Bell Solo | Sunbow – Clopook Lassie | Paddy McEllistrim (Wimbledon) | 28.10 | 2–1 | |
| 1971 | Sole Aim | Monalee Champion - Yurituni | David Geggus (Walthamstow) | 27.96 | 2–1 | |
| 1972 | Mullas Shore | O'Leary – Cremona Maid | Clare Orton (Wimbledon) | 28.54 | 10–1 | |
| 1973 | Mels Pupil [7] | Monalee King – Ellas Rocket | Frank Baldwin (Perry Barr) | 27.74 | 3–1 | |
| 1974 | Carry on Bimbo | Monalee Champion – Silver Oregon | Paddy Coughlan (Crayford) | 28.45 | 4–1 | |
| 1975 | Sandispec | Spectre II – Cydnys Hope | Clare Orton (Wimbledon) | 40.66 | 1–2f | |
| 1976 | Monalee Customer | Ritas Choice – Monalee Dream | George Curtis (Brighton) | 40.99 | 5–4f | |
| 1977 | Miss Kilkenny | Monalee Champion – Spring Breeze | Bill Bookle (Private) | 40.89 | 6–1 | |
| 1978 | Muskerry Air | Knockhill Champion – MuskerryTreveno | Phil Rees Sr. (Wimbledon) | 40.82 | 1–1f | |
| 1979 | Clountie Comment | Toms Pal – Candid Comment | George Curtis (Brighton) | 41.03 | 16–1 | |
| 1980 | Murrays Champion | Itsachampion – Fur Collar | Paddy McEvoy (Wimbledon) | 41.36 | 5–2 | |
| 1981 | Flower Noel | Yellow Band – High Drama | Linda Mullins (Cambridge) | 40.92 | 10–3 | |
| 1982 | KasamaTrac | Butchers Trac- Lady Kasama | George Curtis (Brighton) | 40.83 | 1–2f | |
| 1983 | Decoy Lassie | Westown Adam – Tibbys Girl | Joe Cobbold (Ipswich) | 40.84 | 4–6f | |
| 1984 | Pagan Sand | Sand Man – The Grand Inn | Ted Dickson (Slough) | 40.92 | 7–2 | |
| 1985 | Crown Mars | Inny Mist – I'm Trendy | Philip Rees Jr. (Wimbledon) | 41.22 | 20–1 | |
| 1986 | Shining Bright | Lax Law – Bright Fur | Gary Baggs (Ramsgate) | 41.46 | 4–1 | |
| 1987 | Ohteevee | For Real – Patricia May | Ted Dickson (Wembley) | 40.51 | 5–1 | |
| 1988 | Bankers Benefit | Easy And Slow – Society Girl | Adam Jackson (Wembley) | 40.65 | 2–1 | |
| 1989 | Millgrove Girl | Lodge Prince – Under The Stone | Albert Hill (Private) | 40.74 | 1–5f | |
| 1990 | Trans Mercedes | Oran Jack - Shelley | Maldwyn Thomas (Reading) | 40.46 | 10–11f | |
| 1991 | Sail Over | Ballygarvan What – Touch The Sail | Sam Sykes (Wimbledon) | 40.97 | 4–5f | |
| 1992 | Lets All Boogie | Carters Lad – Princess Alucard | John Coleman (Walthamstow) | 40.57 | 1–3f | |
| 1993 | Heavenly Lady | Manorville Sand – Black Sancisco | Linda Mullins (Walthamstow) | 40.68 | 4–5f | |
| 1994 | Heavenly Lady[8] | Manorville Sand – Black Sancisco | Linda Mullins (Walthamstow) | 40.46 | 11–8jf | |
| 1997 | Wandering One | Leaders Best – Passing Whim | Derek Knight (Hove) | 40.97 | 7–4cf | |
| 1998 | Awbeg Sally | Low Sail – Ardbeg Ruby | Bill Masters (Hove) | 40.55 | 1–1f | |
| 1999 | Palace Issue | Deerpark Jim – Clear Issue | Linda Mullins (Walthamstow) | 40.87 | 1–4f | |
| 2000 | Palace Issue | Deerpark Jim – Clear Issue | Linda Mullins (Walthamstow) | 40.89 | 4–5f | |
| 2001 | Palace Issue | Deerpark Jim – Clear Issue | John Mullins (Walthamstow) | 41.36 | 8–11f | |
| 2002 | Form of Magic | Iceni Regent – Clodeen Magic | Brian Clemenson (Hove) | 40.97 | 1–10f | |
| 2003 | Dunbarton Cross | Toms The Best – Dunbarton Legend | Wayne Wrighting (Hove) | 40.87 | 6–4f | |
| 2004 | Special Trick | Spiral Nikita – Castlerea Delia | Linda Jones (Walthamstow) | 40.82 | 5–4 | Track record |
| 2005 | Dods Delight | Larkhill Jo – Rockmount Hazel | John Walsh (Wimbledon) | 41.96 | 16–1 | |
| 2006 | Battle Ground | Top Honcho – Lovely Sharon | Alan Stevens (Oxford) | 30.73 | 3–1 | |
| 2007 | Lenson Express | Top Honcho – Gold Seacrest | Tony Collett (Sittingbourne) | 30.31 | 7–4f | Track record |
| 2008 | Rocky Rocket | Droopys Scholes – Kincraig Lauren | George Andreas (Sittingbourne) | 30.59 | 6–1 | |
| 2009 | Corrig Vieri | Droopys Vieri – Corrig Rebel | Mark Wallis (Harlow) | 30.29 | 4–6f | |
| 2010 | Dilemmas Tom | Toms The Best – Westmead Oak | Spencer Mavrias (Sittingbourne) | 30.38 | 7–2 | |
| 2011 | Salacres Polizzi | Collision – Fabulous Airport | Peter Harnden (Nottingham) | 30.36 | 11–2 | |
| 2012 | Westmead Maldini | Droopys Maldini – Mega Delight | Nick Savva (Private) | 30.27 | 11–10f | |
| 2013 | Ballymac Luke | Royal Impact – Coolavanny Key | Richard Clarke (Henlow) | 30.47 | 7–4f | |
| 2014 | Droopys Norris [9] | Droopys Scolari – Droopys Lotto | Dean Childs (Hove) | 29.76 | 2–1jf | |
| 2017 | Brinkleys King [10] | Blonde Snapper - Grayslands Swan | Seamus Cahill (Hove) | 31.01 | 9–4 |
Venues and distances
- 1951–1974: Wimbledon, 500 yards
- 1975–2005: Wimbledon, 660 metres
- 2015–2016: not held
- Since 2006: Sittingbourne/Central Park, 500 metres
References
- ↑ Genders, Roy (1990). NGRC book of Greyhound Racing, page 43. Pelham Books Ltd. ISBN 0-7207-1804-X.
- ↑ ""Saturday's Results." Times [London, England] 20 Feb. 1950". The Times.
- ↑ "The family legacy spanning right back to when it all began". Racing Post.
- ↑ "Fancy hero fancied to Score Again". Evening News (London). 6 April 1951. Retrieved 27 May 2025 – via British Newspaper Archive.
- ↑ "Remember When - April 1952". Greyhound Star. 7 April 2018.
- ↑ "Remember When April 1956". Greyhound Star. 20 April 2016.
- ↑ "Remember When March 1973". Greyhound Star. 29 March 2017.
- ↑ Fry, Paul (1995). The Official NGRC Greyhound Racing Yearbook. Ringpress Books. p. 17. ISBN 186054-010-4.
- ↑ "Result". Greyhound Board of Great Britain.[dead link]
- ↑ "2017 Result". Greyhound Board of Great Britain. Archived from the original on 2018-01-20. Retrieved 2017-07-08.