1947 February 11 Sir Guy Bower Dept Secretary of the Government, closes down all greyhound tracks to conserve fuel, but on the 21st at Stratford Temple Mills they hold a meeting in daylight, without using any electricity. The hare is powered by two men on a tandem, with two relief pedallers on standby. Government officials are present and satisfied that the entire meeting is run without the use of electricity.
2006 A group of animal rights protestors cause a Crayford race to be made void when throwing cuddly toys and tennis balls onto the track. No greyhounds were injured.
1982 A $100,000 bid for Hollywood’s 770 yard champion Unruly is turned down but he goes on to become the ‘Captain of the All American’ team – effectively Greyhound of the Year. Interestingly, the dog is often remembered for his bad luck in major finals. For example, he went into the final of the Floridian at odds of 1-9f having won his previous 17 races over course and distance, but was still turned over
1934 February 16 Armadale hold their first meeting at the Volunteer Grounds, North Street, a tight little track with sprints over 225 yards and four-bends over 380 yards. On February 16, 1939, they hold the last meeting there, switching to another site opened on February 20. T D Hefferman was involved with both tracks.
2007 10 trainers submit an open letter to the greyhound industry in which they are hugely critical of the BGRB’s reduction of the prize money grant.
1993 The British Greyhound Racing Fund is formed at a meeting at NGRC headquarters though it is then titled the BGR ‘Trust’.
1951 February 16 at Altcar, The Waterloo Cup is won by Sir R Burbridge’s Peters Poet (Chittering Choice-Fashion Model, Sep’49) who became the first third season winner since De Rock in 1928. Trained by Harry Hoad, Peters Poet was a 200-1 shot in the long odds list, but starting at 6-4 for the final, he ran out a close run course to take the £1,000 plus trophy from Viscountess Selby’s Lily of Laguna (Lord Lieutenant-La Linia, Feb’48).
1979 The 1998 tote and attendance figures reveal an 8% drop in attendances. The NGRC blame televised football, fuel shortages and inclement weather. The average attendance at an NGRC meeting is now only 1,059. There were 45 tracks operating by year end following the closures of Watford, Preston and Halifax and the re-opening of Coventry and Oxford. White City remains the top earner with an average meeting tote turnover of £55,677, some £5,000 more than closest rival Walthamstow.
1981 Scottish independent Ashfield announce that the 1981 Ashfield Derby will be worth £5,000 to the winner; £2,000 more than the Scottish Derby Final at Shawfield.
1998 Datatote launch a new greyhound service into Russia.
1964 Nine members of a litter by Low Pressure out of Gliding Star are all due to appear at Crayford on the same night. Six of them are in one race, and three in another.
2007 BGRB chief executive John Petrie announces his departure. He will become the chief executive of the Aegis Trust, an organisation set up to investigate genocide and crimes against humanity.
1995 Trainer Jan Little is sacked by Sunderland just a few days after one of her runners landed a major gamble. Barefoot Robin was backed from 4-1 to even money and won by 10 length
1970 February 26 Lady Mackeson’s Rodney Magnet (bk b How Cool-Ebony Magnet, Jun 68) triumphs in the Waterloo Cup after running eight courses, of which two are undecided. The 4-7 favourite beats Streak Away (5-4) in an average course. The puppy is trained by Charlie Frood at Kirklinton, Carlisle. Frood turned out the 1966 winner Just Better, now standing at stud at the kennels.
