1994 Chairman Paddy Milligan informs the NGRC/BGRB that the GTA is no longer prepared to run the annual awards evening. Milligan states that numbers had fallen from 700 to 350 guests (@ £45) and that was expected to fall further with the introduction of Sunday racing in January.
1972 John Coleman departs the Romford kennels at Ockendon for his new appointment at Wembley. Romford recently took on three new trainers: Terry Duggan, Ken Usher and Dave Oswald.
1950 Oxford announce that they will close during the month of December and they lay the blame with the Government. They produce figures showing that for the first month 11 months of the year, they had paid out £21,595 in totalisator tax, £9,459 in bookmaker tax and £4,152 in entertainment duty. Their total receipts for that period was £20,800 (equivalent today of £698K). The directors estimate that had they kept trading in December, they earn the Government £300 in tote tax alone, but after overheads, they would lose £200 per week.
1949 The Committee of Churches present their evidence to the Royal Commission on Betting Lotteries and Gaming. The committee attack all forms of gambling from football pools to the Stock Exchange. They ask that there should be no horse race betting other than that carried out on the course itself, though they retain their strongest words for greyhound racing. They state :”This form of betting was introduced in 1926 without any public demand, and foisted on the community by those who saw in it, the possibility of considerable gain.” They call for all under 18s to be banned from greyhound tracks and the abolition of ‘mobile’ greyhound tracks, which are presently allowed to race eight times per year without licence. The also ask “The opportunity for making gain out of greyhound race betting should be reduced. The proprietor’s deduction from the totalisator for profit and expenses should be brought down below the present percentage and there should be no gain to promoters through the operations of bookmakers.”
1950 Britain’s racing press have an answer to one of the most popular musical acts of the time, The Five Smith Brothers. Greyhound racing has four dog training Smith brothers: Gunner (private- PICTURED), Tom (Clapton), Bill (Dumpton Park) and Jack at Reading.
1994 A High Court judge overturns the NGRC suspension of trainer John McGee until it can hear the case in full. McGee had been banned for seven months following a positive test produced by Rabatino in the Peterborough Derby. However, the decision is rescinded three weeks later, just over a week before the Ockendon based handler is confirmed as champion trainer.
1957 Leading coursing trainer Hartley Hawes of Wicken, Cambridgeshire loses an income tax appeal against earning of £4,216 (£168,000 at today’s rate) he made as a breeder between 1945-48. Hawes claimed the earning should have been considered as a hobby.
1984 Track record selection: Hall Green: 259m Spring Sale (15.70), 474m Rikasso Hiker (28.59), 474mH Lovely Pud (29.38), 606m Glideaway Ted (38.78), 663m Man Soda (41.59), 815m Scurlogue Champ (52.51) Harringay 272m Very Attractive (16.15), 414m Ballybet Sport (24.60), 475m Yankee Express (28.22), 475mH Scarcely Unknown (28.98), 660m Drynham Star (40.14), 83m Miss Kilkenny (51.79). Henlow 318m Ecins Best (19.01), 484m Weston Blaze & Trinas Samurai (29.32), 730m Blue Shirt (45.50), 890m Lissom Lass (57.68).
1961 Bord nag Con announce that they plan to install totalisators at another seven tracks followings its successful introduction at Harolds Cross, Shelbourne, Cork and Limerick in the summer of 1960. The introduction had an immediate positive effect on attendances.
1948 Stan Biss sets a record for prize money won by a trainer in a year – £24,637 which equates to £916,000 index linked. It was a remarkable achievement given that open racing was restricted by the on-going fuel crisis. Meanwhile the sport is about to undergo a trial of new system whereby small non-retained trainers will be allowed to train their own dogs, in certain races. Until now, only stadium employed trainers were allowed runners. The trial, which has not been universally welcomed, will take place in Devon. In Ireland, the ICC have insisted that all racing dogs must have a newly created identity book.
1983 An attempted coup in the Dunmore Puppy Cup is averted when it is discovered that sheets of clear Perspex have been placed in three of the starting traps, including the two market leaders. The race is eventually won by Killowna Gem (Suir Miller-Carters Drain) in 23.81.
1950 GRA are promoting the Tom Arnold Circus which will be staged at the Harringay Arena. It will feature 150 animals including ’20 snow-white Polar dogs’, lions, and a highly trained troupe of bears’. There will be the first Roman chariot race staged in London since the Great Exhibition in
2005 Nick Savva announces that Westmead Hawk will defend his 2005 English Derby title in ’06. He is quoted at 33-1 to complete the double.
1981 Wembley’s Tommy Johnston completes a near 25-1 double when Kris Is Back (All Wit-Faypoint Flyer, Nov 79) wins the British Breeders Championship at White City and the Sporting Life Juvenile at Wimbledon within the space of 11 days.
1927 Edna Best (Jamie-Beaded Nora) fetches top lot at Aldridge’s December 10 sale at 250 guineas (roughly £14,500 at current values). The litter sister to the first English Derby winner Entry Badge, is owned by Major Lynne-Dixon, one of the founders of GRA. As a brood, Edna will throw the 1931 Oaks winner Drizzle.
2008 Ballymac Russo records the fastest 480 metre performance ever in Britain when taking two spots off Blonde Dino’s 27.79 Monmore track record. The Irish record for the equivalent 525 yards is Catunda Harry’s 27.99 at Limerick.
1962 Rocket Ranger (Solar Prince-Inlers Ena, Jan 61), who had caused a major upset when winning the Dagenham Puppy Cup (forerunner to the Romford Puppy Cup) at odds of 100-7, sprang another major surprise in the top juvenile event of the year, the Sporting Express Merit Puppy Championship (forerunner to the Racing Post Juvenile). The Phil Rees trained brindle again started at 100-7 when leading home a field that included Irish Derby winner Shanes Legacy, Irish Puppy Derby winner Kudas Tiger and English Puppy Derby winner Cloudbank. The winner’s time was 29.23 (peat) for Wimbledon’s 500 yards.
1977 Crayford stage their first ever meeting on sand, having ripped up the peat surface. Management state that cost and difficulty obtaining the correct type of peat are reasons for the change.
2009 Tony Morris, the best know track bookie in the industry stands for the last time at Wimbledon. A bookie since he was 14 years old when he followed father Ike onto the hod at Crayford, Tony’s retirement is known to be enforced by a serious illness. – Pic Steve Nash
