1984 GRA submits a planning application for a new White City, at Wormwood Scrubs on a site behind the prison. The new stadium will house 4,000 people with private boxes and a restaurant for 200 diners.
1975 Romford are to increase their prize money to a minimum of £20 per winner and £5 for ‘also rans’. Index linked, that works out at £198 and £50. Eight weeks later, when increasing kennel fees to £7 per week, there is a further boost to top heat prize money which will rise to £35 (£347).
1985 John Curran and Keith Morrell are the new promoters at independent Kinsley.
1957 Northern King leads the ante post betting for the Greyhound Derby at 8-1. Second favourite at 12-1 is Puppy Derby winner Ford Spartan. The Sussex bred black meets his litter sister, Puppy Oaks winner Ford Spectre, in his second comeback race of the year, a Wimbledon A1. Spartan duly lands the £20 graded event, but then goes on to take the White City classic two months later.
1989 Owner John Dooley is unable to trace his Blue Riband winner Lulus Hero who was apparently standing at stud in Ireland. Although told by the stud keeper that the dog had covered 14 bitches, there was no record of matings with the ICC. Dooley visited the stud kennel in Cork which had been abandoned. The dog was never recovered.
1967 A suggestion in the Wimbledon weekly news bulletin, that dishonest greyhounds should be run in blinkers, is rejected by veteran trainer Sidney Orton. He reminds bulletin editor Jerry Monk that blinkers were first tried at Wimbledon in 1930 but “they made not the slightest difference” recalls Orton.
2011 Trainer Chris Allsopp has a night to forget. At Monmore, his Ballymac Rumble wins a 480 metre open only to be disqualified for fighting on the run-in. Exactly 60 minutes later, at Shawfield, Westmead Grant finishes second in his Scottish Derby semi but has his card marked for deliberate interference.
1947 Trap two backers had a good afternoon at Charlton when blue jacketed runners won seven of the eight races. But they were out of luck the evening meeting when six of the eight races went to trap five.
1975 Frank Payne, owner of Blackwater Champ (pictured), and father of the dog’s trainer, Peter, decided not to take the advice of Harringay vet when his dog broke a foreleg in three places. The dog, who had been favourite to win the ’74 English Derby Final that included Myrtown and Jimsun, was contesting his first race in six months when he was KO’d at the first bend. The vet acceded to Payne’s wishes and the dog was saved for stud purposes eventually siring the likes of Mulcair Rocket, Satori Style and Black Haven.
1970 Skipping Tim, winner of the 1969 Irish Laurels is beaten on his graded debut at Harringay for trainer Jimmy Singleton. He will later return to Ireland and sire a very useful brood called Skipping Chick.
1963 Greyhound tracks decide to end an annual £100,000 agreement with off-course bookmakers for use of their tote odds which have been deemed as subject to copyright. The bookies announce that they will produce their own forecast and tricast returns based on SPs.
1988 Following newspaper scare stories concerning alleged doping in the Crayford paddock, the stadium install new security cameras. In addition to monitors in the judge’s box, others are placed where they can be viewed by downstairs punters.
1968 El Campo, who is two months time will run Camira Flash to a close third place in the English Derby Final, is top lot at Shelbourne sales at 1,000gns.
2011 Yarmouth entry Ballymac Oliver starts at 300-1 in a 450 metre open at Sittingbourne. He finishes last beaten 12 lengths.
2009 Andrew Peacock, who had been fined £1,000 by the stewards earlier in the year resigns from Wimbledon.
1959 Wimbledon’s security staff disturb a man breaking into trainer George Waterman’s Burhill kennel. He had gained access via a skylight which had previously been considered too small for the purpose. The man evades capture and all Waterman’s dogs are vomited to check whether they have been doped. Nothing untoward is found and the dogs are all passed fit by the stadium vet. Wimbledon re-introduce a £500 reward offer for information leading to a conviction of anyone attempting to dope greyhounds.
