2006 The Gorvernment announces that it will not impose an independent watchdog for the greyhound industry in the impending Animal Welfare Bill. However, it spelled out a series of reforms that it expects of the industry.
1958 Wimbledon boss Con Stevens applies to the NGRC for a change in the rules to allow racing managers to disqualify ungenuine dogs as well as fighters.
1998 The Swedish Government sign a deal to allow legalised betting on greyhound racing. A spokesman for Svenska Hundkappumingssporten Centralforbord estimates that the number of greyhounds will increase from 650 to between 1,500-2,000.
1970 Powderhall grader Rednagh Prince has dead-heated in three of his last four races.
1998 Milton Keynes trainer Colin Gross came up with the most original excuse for his dog testing positive. He had been sampled while urinating against a tree used by other dogs. The stewards considered the matter for four nanoseconds before fining him £750.
1943 Wartime cutbacks see the Golden Crest winner’s prize reduced to £100 (approx £4,500 at today’s rate) from £555 (£24,900). Staged over the Bristol Eastville track’s 500 yards, the decider goes to Mr R Hogben’s, Wimbledon based Wireless Delight bd d (Wireless Rally-Erin Green, Apr 41) who clocks 29.01 for trainer Sidney Orton.
1956 Irish Laurels winner Rather Grand wins his first open race in England for John Moffatt, the managing director of Crayford Stadiums Ltd. Trained by Parsons (who trains every dog at Crayford) he wins a Walthamstow 500 yard open by seven lengths.
1986 The Sean Graham 700 Final at Dunmore is won by P O’Brien and Dr B Hachett’s Low Sail (Sail On II-Low And Behold, May 84). The 7-10 favourite finishes strongly and wins by five lengths in 39.60. But for the bad weather and gale force winds, he would have broken the track record of 39.13. Earlier in the year he was runner-up in the English St Leger.
1969 The London based Greyhound Stud Book announce their fourth consecutive rise in litters, up to 824. Interestingly, the number of litters born in Britain almost certainly hasn’t increased. The rise is attributed to British breeders opting to register their litters as British bred following a rise in registration fees in the Irish Stud. For many years, many British breeders had not bothered to transfer their broods into the GSB.
1994 2006 Ernie Gaskin junior quits Walthamstow – again. The Essex handler had been attached to the track twice but had handed over the reins to father Ernie senior on the previous occasion before heading off to work in the USA. This time he intends to concentrate on open race runners alone.
1977 Division 4 leaders Watford announce plans to get rid of greyhound racing from Vicarage Road after chairman Elton John announces plans to improve facilities.
2008 Peterborough announce that they have been through a tough trading period and plan to reduce their weekly racing schedule to three meetings by dropping Tuesdays from January. Hove announce that they will close their lower grandstand for three meetings per week for the foreseeable period.
1970 Oxford racegoers witnessed the return to graded racing of two former stars in graded racing. They were the Jim Morgan trained former British Bred Greyhound of the Year Hiver Whitenose, who recently whelped a litter, and kennelmate, former Oaks winner, Perth Pat.
1999 Pop group Madness attend a Walthamstow charity meeting and buy a six month old pup for £2,500. Nutty Boy ultimately goes on to win A1 at the track.
1952 Wimbledon introduce a new tote pool that never caught on. Punters were invited to pick the ‘second’ in each race, as a replacement for the ‘place’ pool.
2008 Yarmouth bookmakers return two graded races at 188% and 195%.
