• Burgess Doc lands an exciting Springbok Final as lead Nomansland Flyer makes a terrible rick at the last hurdle. Interestingly, all six finalists came from the top eight in the qualifying times. Doc was the third fastest. The quickest, Droopys Cruiser finished fifth in the decider. It was a bad night for trainer Ricky Holloway whose Turnhouse Jet (1-4) was beaten in attempting his 14th consecutive victory.

• The GBGB’s new Code of Practice, introduced alongside the new kennel standards requirement is endorsed by the leading welfare group, The Greyhound Forum.

• In his regular column, Rab McNair reveals that he and wife Liz were badly hit by illness following their recent holiday in Tenerife. In the same week, the BBC reports that an outbreak of Covid-19 has been detected on the island.

• With the Star Sports Greyhound Derby due to start in five weeks (!!), Irish Derby winner Lenson Bocko is among those trialling over the Derby course.

• Doncaster, Poole and Yarmouth have the oldest kennel strengths in the country according to a survey on this website.

• Peter Harnden is given another three years as the GBGB’s practitioner director.

• March 12 – GBGB offers advice to tracks as Government considers its options for sport following the Coronavirus outbreak. Irish racing goes ‘behind closed doors’ with immediate effect

• Goldies Hoddle’s achievement in landing the Coral Golden Sprint is acknowledged by his human namesake on Twitter with the acknowledgement that ‘pace wasn’t really my thing’.

• March 16 ARC announce that all their horse and greyhound meetings are to be staged behind closed doors from the following day and that the Greyhound Derby has been cancelled due to Coronavirus. Within days they also announce the inevitable, that on-course bookies will not be allowed.

• The Editors Chair column often featured interesting or funny videos. Here is one of the best.

• March 18 GBGB announce that all racing is to go behind closed doors with immediate effect. Open racing will be suspended from the following Saturday – which will allow for the finals of the Ladbrokes Puppy Derby and Steel City Cup, but the first round of the Coral Regency, already drawn, will not go ahead. The Board also decide that open racers will be allowed to contest ‘invitation’ graded events.

• With horse racing suspended due to Covid-19, SIS announce it is to expand its weekly schedule by 54 races to 532 races. Henlow is to switch to an eight meeting schedule.

• Perhaps the most bizarre story covered in Editors Chair was a Daily Mail claim that former high ranking Nazi Rudolph Hess trained dogs on the Welsh flapping tracks while a prisoner of war.

• On the day that open racing is suspended, Newinn Jacko lands the Ladbrokes Puppy Derby for Ernie Gaskin

• ‘Stayer’ Headford Ranger runs the race of his career to go unbeaten through the RPGTV Steel City Cup at Sheffield. Sadly, it will also be the last race that he ever contests.

• Ballydoyle Luna (later renamed Bo Shine Bullet) becomes the first 2019 whelp to win a race in Ireland when she clocks 28.65 at Waterford. Also featured on the Irish Performance of the Week is a young and unexposed, Southwood Jet.

March 23 – GBGB announce that all greyhound racing in Britain is suspended

March 24 GBGB announce the introduction of a welfare package of 50p per greyhound per day for all greyhounds in licensed kennels to commence April 1.

March 24 – Henlow are the first track to announce that they will be paying £5 per greyhound per week for all dogs on their racing strength. Others soon follow.

Racing is suspended in Britain (and in Ireland from March 24). The Racing Post stops before the end of the month and puts it staff on furlough. But the Star decides to continue publishing . It kicks off with a feature on the extraordinary journey of Belgian born trainer Patrick Janssens.

There is also a well received profile on the life of popular Hove trainer Seamus Cahill.

That is followed by the serialised on-line publication of the book SAVVA, archived stories, quizzes and kennel reports throughout the remainder of lock down.

GBGB release A Greyhound’s Day at the Racetrack