Ballynennan Moon
Ballynennan Moon was a famous racing greyhound during World War II. He is regarded as being one of the greatest racing greyhounds and was denied the opportunity to win the English Greyhound Derby because of the postponement of the event during the war years.
Racing career
1939 & 1940
He was born just before the start of the war in April 1939 and was owned and trained by leading Irish trainer Billy Quinn. His first significant win in Ireland was the North Kilkenny Stakes and his first twenty races resulted in eight wins.His last race in Ireland was at Shelbourne Park where he broke the 29 second barrier. Leading owner Mrs Jessie Cearns purchased him and put him with trainer Sidney Orton.
1941
His first two races in 1941 ended in a major success when he won the Wembley Summer Cup. He won five more races before suffering from illness and being laid off until 1942.1942
Ballynennan Moon returned after a winter rest and won the Walthamstow Stakes and Wimbledon Spring Cup. The ease in which he won his races endured him to the British wartime public and he became a welcome distraction from the war. In his next 48 races, he was to win on forty occasions and finish second seven times. After finishing first, fourteen times in succession, he seemed certain to beat Mick the Miller's 19 straight wins but, in the fifteenth race, he was beaten a neck by Laughing Lackey.He then went on to record another eight successive wins during a five-month period and became a household name. He won the Wimbledon Spring Cup, the 1,000 Guineas at Park Royal Stadium, the Wembley Summer Cup, the Eclipse at Coventry, the Stewards Cup at Walthamstow Stadium and at the end of the year the International at Wimbledon Stadium at odds of 1/5f. Moon broke track records at Bristol, Coventry and Wandsworth.