+ The sport sees the retirement of its most successful ever trainer Charlie Lister OBE. Four times Champion Trainer, the Roll of Honour of dozens of victories includes seven English Derbys, seven Scottish Derbys, five Laurels, three St.Legers and of course, the event he ‘owns’, the 12 East Anglian Derbys. Assistant trainer Chris Akers is to take over the kennel. Full list of honours
+ Just 10 days after Kanturk Repeat’s surprise fight in the Champion Stakes, kennelmate Donation bought smiles back to the Dimmock Kennel with a battling display to take the MSCM Lowther Stakes at Nottingham.
+ An eventful Three Steps To Victory competition sees 2017 runner-up Swift Hansel in the tightest of photo finishes. In a field reduced to five runners after Roxholme Ray goes lame in a semi final re-run, Anna Thompson is convinced that her star stayers had been beaten in his sixth Cat One final before the judge announces the head verdict.
+ Former Keeper of the Greyhuond Stud Book, Charles Blanning, produces the definitive history of coursing, with a huge chunk the origins of track racing, in the spectacular new book, ‘The Greyhound And The Hare’.
+ GBGB boss Mark Bird unveils the first 20 Greyhound Ambassadors at a meeting in London. They include trainers Mark Wallis and Anna Thompson, journalists Jim Cremin and Jonathan Hobbs, photographer Steve Nash, owners, trainers, kennelstaff and vet Polly Smith. Perhaps the most high profile name on the list though is committed greyhound owner and Chairman of the Labour Party, Ian Lavery MP.
+ In his first column on this website, popular TV pundit and bookmaker Gary Wiltshire reveals the depths of an 18 month depression after being wrongly accused of initiating a betting coup
+ Droopys Trapeze is retired to stud and will stand alongside Leamaneigh Turbo at Ron Grey’s team at Kennel Farm Kennels in the North East.
+ City Of London Police announce that they have discontinued with their 21 month investigation of GBGB and that no further action will be taken.
+ With defending champ Roxholme Hat slightly short of his best, assistant trainer Mark Keightley tells Star readers that he was rather ‘lay than play’ his 5-2f in the Scurry Final. It proves good advice with the decider going to Romford raider Troy Bella.
+ Former Towcester boss Kevin Ackerman gives his only interview following the demise of the Northampton racecourse to this site. He blames the bookmaker control of the industry for greyhound racing’s failure to obtain a fair deal for its produce.
+ Former BGRB Chief Exec Geoffrey Thomas dies suddenly aged 60. His life is recalled in this fine obituary in the Guardian newspaper
+ 15 workmen from Albany Track Works Ltd complete the biggest racing circuit overall they have ever attempted at Romford. The work took five days and used £900K worth of plant. After removing the old surface and clay base, and replacing all the drainage, they laid 500 tons of millstone and 960 tons of fresh sand before fitting new hare rails and inside fencing. The man behind the project Jason Begg said: “The track will run slightly differently. At every other track, we have had to build up the camber at the bends. At Romford we have had to take some away. Over time it had been pushed higher and higher, way past the optimum. The dogs should benefit with it being a little lower.”
