1987 Two former racing office assistants are to become journalists. Bruce Millington, formerly in the Catford and Hackney racing offices is to join a new paper, the London Daily News. Meanwhile Terry Norman, who worked in the Wembley and Romford racing offices is to join the Sporting Life.
1963 With 32 trialstakes cancelled due to bad weather, the ICC put back the Clonmel Coursing Festival by two weeks and into the same slot, bar one day, as the Waterloo Cup.
1933 The newly published Book of Greyhound Edward C Ash lists the countries where greyhound racing takes place. They include France, Australia, the USA, Peru, and Spain. There have been failed projects in Austria, South Africa, and Egypt. There is hoped that new tracks could soon be open in Malta and Gibraltar. There are currently 52 tracks operating under the rules of the NGRC. The survivors are Belle Vue, Brough Park (Newcastle), Hove, Monmore and Sheffield (where there were two tracks). There were also, on different sites, tracks at Perry Barr and Doncaster.
2008 Racing is suspended at Mildenhall following the departure of promoter Carl Harris.
1974 Con Stevens retires from Wimbledon following a 46 year career in which he rose to the role of chairman before becoming deputy chairman to John Cearns.
1989 Champion trainer John McGee announces that Derby winner Hit The Lid has been removed from his kennel following a row with owner Fred Smith.
1969 At Rayleigh, Mr M Howard’s Inexperience, belying her name, sets a new track record for the 960 yards with a 17 1/4 length victory in 57.37. The near four year old is trained by Janet Tite.
1951 Red Wind, the most famous ‘ringer’ of all time is sold for 610 guineas at Aldridge’s sale to Mr Arthur Roberts of Torquay (approx £17,270 at today’s values). The biggest crowd ever seen the famous auction rooms saw the disposal of the remaining stock belonging to owner Fred Davis who had been imprisoned for fraud the previous July. Both Red Wind, who was believed to be a former Irish puppy called Waggles (Baytown Tulip-Buntys Bridie, Jun 47) a fact forever disputed by Davis, and Rindiffin D, whose identity was also deemed false by the court, were both sold ‘without pedigree’. All of Davis’s runners were disqualified by the NGRC. They included Western Post, winner of Irish and Scottish Derbys, and already at stud, who was led from the bench unsold. During a brilliant career Red Wind sets 525 yard track records at White City (28.57) and Walthamstow plus a new course record for 500 yards at Southend. He was ante post Derby favourite at the time of his suspension. The small fawn is sold with a knocked-up toe however his new owner declines to reveal his plans for the dog. Despite the apparent closure of the incident, the racing papers receive a large number of demands for the NGRC to reverse its decision and allow Red Wind to race under rules again, if necessary as Waggles.
1992 Figures released by the NGRC show that the percentage of British bred greyhounds registered the previous year fell from 43% to 26%.
1950 Wembley have what is believed to be the only Australian greyhound in the British Isles, Princess Roslyn (Minda-Sum Revenge, Dec 47). It is rare to see ‘greyhounds from the Dominions’ noted the racing press, though trainer Probert had several Australian bred greyhounds in his kennels in the early 1930s. Unfortunately ‘Princess’, who has ‘no English or Irish bloodlines within five generations’ proves too slow to grade.
1964 Bookmakers Stenning produce their Derby ante post list and it is headed by Lucky Wonder at 12-1. The telephone betting company actually quote 280 greyhounds, all the way out to four 1,000-1 shots, for the 48 runner event. Unfortunately, eventual winner Hack Up Chieftain is not one of them.
1979 British greyhound racing is under new control following the winding up of the BGRF. The NGRC will remain in place with a new structure that includes a board of stewards and six track promoters. The winding up of the BGRF was opposed by the owners representative. There will be no owners, trainers or breeders in the new board.
1949 Connections of Wandsworth grader Flying Navigator produce figures showing that their dog won £420 in 1947 and £440 in 1948, all in graded races and kennel sweepstakes. The combined figure at today’s values would be around £31,992.
1989 Walthamstow announce that their £16,355,089 tote turnover for 1988 equates to £105,000 per meeting. (Adjusted for inflation to 2018, they would be figures of £43.8m and £281K respectively) Within three weeks, they announce the single biggest tote turnover for a meeting with £173,000 being turned over for the night of the Pepsi Cola Marathon.
1949 An outbreak of enteritis is ravaging the racing strength at Walthamstow. Three dogs have already died, many others are on the danger list.
1975 Tote returns for 1974 show a near 10% increase on the previous year. Unfortunately, most of the rise can be attributed to roaring inflation – attendances were marginally down.
1949 Having missed much of 1948 due to injury, the great bitch Sheevaun is not selected among the six runners for the 11th International. However an injury to Irish Laurels winner Double Shadow sees the Paddy Power trained bitch drafted into the £250 one-off. The fawn, who had become the first bitch ever to break 29.00 for White City’s 525 yards, took full advantage to win the Wimbledon 500 yard feature by 11 lengths in 28.84 for the 500 yards.
1951 Derby winner Ballymac Ball (pictured with the English Derby trophy and trainer Stan Martin) wins the 17th International at Wimbledon. The Stan Martin trained brindle, one of the handler’s three runners in the £250 invitation, beat Loyal Accomplice in 28.98 for the 500 yards. Ball became only the second dog to have won the event twice, the other was Rock Callan (1941/2). The first ever winner of the event was Mick The Miller.
