1959 Ollys Playboy wins a heat of the Grand National on Saturday night at London White City. He is then drafted in as a replacement for a non-runner in the heats of the TV Trophy at Powderhall. He sets off on Tuesday from Hertfordshire and runs in Scotland on Wednesday night. He is then sent back on the train overnight before going to traps at White City on the Thursday night. The reward for 15 hours of travelling and 73 seconds of racing? He finishes third at Powderhall (first two to qualify) and fourth at White City (first three to qualify).å
1965 The company who recently sold the track at Lythals Lane in Coventry, have decided to invoke their long held licence for the speedway stadium they own in Brandon and turn it into a greyhound track.
1982 The Grand National final at London White City is won by Mr and Mrs Thirlwell’s Face The Mutt (Mutts Silver-Mill Road, Jun 79), trained at Wimbledon by Norah McEllistrim, who the previous year had won the Irish Grand National at Thurles.
1975 Peter Rich, former head man to John Coleman, goes through the card at Ramsgate. His eight winners are returned: 5-1, 9-2, 6-4, 4-1, 2-1, 8-1, 5-2 and finally a 10-1 outsider.
1970 The Wimbledon racing office inform the NGRC that a runner with too many letters in its name slip through their own registration process. The sharp eyed Don staff spotted that Whisky On Draught, a recent arrival in Phil Rees’ kennel breached rule 29 which limited the number of letters and space at 16. The NGRC duly wrote to tell the dog’s owner, Mrs Natalie Savva, to tell her that we must re-name it.
1959 Pigalle Wonder was not in the building when connections collected the 1958 Greyhound of the Year trophy at the Dorchester Hotel. Trainer Jim Syder decided not to risk a late night for the dog who was due to contest Wembley’s Spring Cup Final the following night. It didn’t do any good though, he finished second to old rival Mile Bush Pride. Granthamian, who did make the Sunday night excursion for his Best British Bred Dog award finished in fourth place in the same race.
2010 Wimbledon receive a boost when 215 runners are entered for the Derby, an increase of 69 on the previous year. However the first round gets off to a shocking start when 7-1 ante post favourite Eye Onthe Storm breaks a hock in three places.
1966 The NGRS announce that they will not be extending the contract for the ‘blower service’ which transmits greyhound racing to betting shops in the afternoons. They are unhappy at the take-up of provincial betting shops which contributed only £38,000 of the total of £161,000 which is split by the society’s 57 tracks.
1965 Tell Me Why is sold. No that’s not Tell Me Why.imp, the Australian bred dog who became the most successful sire ever imported into the USA. This is the Irish version who made 75gns at Shelbourne sales.
1947 Mr & Mrs H Sanderson arrange what is described in the racing press as “the most distinguished match since Mick The Miller served Greta Renee” when they decide to put their outstanding open race bitch Robeen Printer to their recently retired track star Duffys Arrival. The Sandersons are two of the industry’s most high profile owners. He is the owner of Coventry Stadium, she runs the Seldsden Park Hotel at Sanderstead in Surrey. The Sandersons paid a record price for a bitch sold at auction when buying the 1944 Irish Laurels winner Robeen Printer for 1,650 guineas (around £59,000 at current values). Unlucky in the Oaks, she was outstanding over longer distances and won the 1945 St Leger. Duffys Arrival is the national 525 yard record holder with a Wembley track record of 29.09. The pups are priceless, and as it would later turn out, virtually worthless.
1959 Clonmel attract the largest ever entry for a stake in Ireland when 180 greyhounds trial for the first round of the Produce Stakes.
1981 Eight weeks after dividing the Coursing Derby, Knockash Rover wins the Bass Stakes at Dunmore in 24.19 for the 435 yards. The runner-up Noble Legion returns to the track later in the year to land the Irish National Sprint.
1950 Following protests from Harringay punters, and the owners of local runner Harringay Gallant, the stewards at the track of the same name, decide that they may have acted unfairly in disqualifying the dog for fighting. They apply for, and are given a reversal of the original decision.
2009 Even money favourite Capel Wilson breaks a hock in the final of the Olympic and is retired from racing. The final goes to second favourite Lorrys Options who sustains a similar injury three races later.
Regency winner LORRYS OPTIONS with trainer Dean Childs and his assistant Mim Emment.
Hove 28.4.09
Pic: STEVE NASH
