The Rochester Coup
1978 In April 1978 Jim Pocknell owner of ‘Viola Coaches’ of Forest Hill, London. Thought that a greyhound race called the ‘Long and Short Trip Stakes’ would tie in nicely with his firm’s image of long and short coach trips. So he put up £200 sponsorship, and the race was advertised in the NGRC Calendar but failed to fill.
Kevin Barry the racing manager at Rochester, re advertised the races for May 27 1978, for 12 greyhounds and 2 reserves @ £10, with two heats over 277 metres, with the first three going forward to the final over 901 metres, on the same night.
The winner would pick up £150 plus Trophy worth £20, second to receive £50. Unbeknown to Jim Pocknell and Kevin Barry, one of the biggest betting coups this century was about to unfold. At the time of closing, the race was under-subscribed with only three outside entries, the other nine were to be local trained Rochester runners.
Owner/trainer Jack Purvis entered two greyhounds he had bought from Ireland Leysdown Pleasure (Ramdeen Stuart – Rathsaker Ruby, Jun 75) and Leysdown Fun, also a fawn dog by Lively Band out of Lispopple Girl.
Both had winning form in Ireland over sprint distances, under their old racing names. In January of the same year, Pleasure, previously called Rathsaker Stuart, had won a 300 yard race at Newbridge within 10 spots of the track record. Whilst Leysdown Fun, previously called Band Major, had won a 360 sales trial at Shelbourne Park in the fastest of the session.
But with moderate to poor trial times at Rye House (484 metres) and Ipswich (437 metres) their true capabilities were hidden from the vast majority of the general public at Rochester on that May evening. Purvis was himself an interesting character.
Originally a bookie, he had been told he could not continue in that occupation and be granted a trainer’s licence. He gave up his betting shop in Leysdown in Kent and was contracted to Rochester for a period. He later moved onto Maidstone and was making his first excursion black to his old track on that May evening.
Leysdown Pleasure drifted from 8-1 to 33-1 in his heat, and flew home three and a half lengths clear of the well backed odds 8-11 shot Top Fancy.
The winner clocked a time of 17.41 for the 277 metres, and Leysdown Fun was also an all the way winner by three and three quarters lengths in a time of 17.61.
The track record at the time was 17.05. In the final over 901 metres later in the programme, Leysdown Fun was withdrawn lame. The race went to 2-1 chance Andona, trained by Tony Dennis. She beat favourite No Darkie by three lengths. There was a further 15 length gap to the fourth dog with Leysdown Pleasure finishing tailed off last.
No one at the track suspected anything wrong, even Rochester’s starting price reporter Mervyn Harrison who said: “There was no money for Leysdown Pleasure in the first heat, bar the odd pound and his price drifted from 8s to 33s.
And in the second heat Leysdown Fun was about fours throughout the betting, and again there was no big money at the course for him.”
When news broke of the coup the following Monday, it was estimated that between £300,000 and £400,000 had been won off course in systematically placed doubles and trebles, with the two dogs at Rochester and others at Romford and Walthamstow.
Jack Purvis was apparently amazed at what had happened.
He said: “I only had a £10 win double on my two, and was flabbergasted to see Leysdown Pleasure go off at 33s. 4-1 about Leysdown Fun seemed about the right price.”
BOLA advised their members not to pay pending inquiries into the matter. But this is where the coup takes a twist. Although Corals “lost” £25,000, Victoria/Sporting Club £25,000 and Ladbrokes £50,000, it seems that somebody among the big four bookies know something.
Brian Ingamells, a bookmaker with a chain of shops in the Leicester area (and a former sponsor of the Midlands Grand Prix at Leicester) noted that a number of bets were struck in his shops by “a manager from one of the big four”.
He said “I think it snow-balled around the country, once someone in the know revealed that Leysdown Pleasure and Fun were very good sprinters back in Ireland.
Ingamells also claimed that one of the Rochester bookies deliberately pushed out the price of Leysdown Pleasure to 33s. The NGRC held their own inquiry, and the result was published in the calendar of 21st June 1978.
It said “Evidence submitted from the Rochester stewards and the local stipendiary steward that there was no breach of the rules of racing.”
Kevin Barry, reflecting on the initial poor response to the event said later: “… had there been more interest from outside it is doubtful that I would have selected Jack’s dogs because of their poor trial form.”
Following the coup, the NGRC introduced new rules prohibiting the sprint/ marathon format being staged again without the longer distance being run first. Although no rules had been broken. BOLA eventually advised their numbers not to pay out and only a few independents did.
Rumours circulated that a well known private trainer had been closely involved in the coup. For a time, there was a series of ‘gluings’ of betting shop doors of the major chains, said to be in connection with the coup, though nobody was every caught.
The only major gains from the most betting coup of the last 30 years were for the annals of greyhound folklore.
1976 May 25th The English Derby gets under way with 26 qualifying trials at London White City, where a crowd of over 2,000 see some top class performances at the free admission, no betting meeting. Tipperary trainer Ger McKenna had the two fastest qualifiers with Shamrock Point 29.20, antepost price 16-1, and Ballybeg Prim 29.38 (10-1). Other fancied runners for the big event, Mister Little 30.29 (20-1), Manderlay King 30.81 (50-1) who all won their heats in much slower times.
1994 The Government announce plans to allow betting on a Sunday.
1991 NGRC stewards fine Monmore £2,000 when it is revealed that local grader Ultan Silver ran twice on the same night. In her first outing, she accident-ally ran in place of Sharp Rosey and won an M8 graded race. An hour and three quarters later she re-appeared under her own name in an M5 and finished fourth.
1973 Wembley owners have a request for increased prize money refused. In a letter to the management, the owners group point out that prize money for top heat has remained unchanged at £25 since 1952 yet kennel bills have increased during the same period from £1.50 per week to £6 per week.
1959 Former Arsenal and Scotland footballer Alex Forbes has entered his two greyhounds Mocklershill Hero and Mocklershill Prince in the Produce Stakes at Clonmel. Prince reaches the final, but finishes fourth to Toast The Champ. The race is broadcast live by Radio Eirrann in Ireland.
1975 The 39th Golden Crest at Bristol sees two alterations to the event, firstly the change from 500 yards to the new metric distance of 470 metres. And the winners prize which had remained at £555 since 1965, is raised to £1,000. Winner of the final on the Mr & Mrs R Grant’s Daemonic Gambol (Dont Gambol – Dusk Gambol Mar 72). He goes unbeaten through all four rounds of the competition at odds on: 40-85f, 1-3f, 2-5f and 1-3f in the final. The Paddy McEvoy trained runner wins in 28.74.
MR PICKWICK
1997 Mr Pickwick sets a new Irish national record when recording 28.25 for 525 yards at Waterford.
1977 May 7 George Curtis’s eccentric stayer Bonzo (Silver Record – Clane Fint) wins the Regency at Brighton. The 10-11f beats Fly By Night by a head in 44.70 for the 670 metres.
1993 GRA announce they will end their self imposed exile from tendering for BAGS racing.
1972 May 20th The Cowfold Stakes over 525 yards at Brighton, brings together a class field, including one of the seven March 69 litter by Newdown Heather and Come On Dolores. Come On Thunder owned and trained by Bert White, was unlucky in the running and finishes down the field to the appropriately names Winning Boy in 28.69. Come On Thunder is a litter brother to the 1971 dual English Derby and St Leger winner, Dolores Rocket and Come On Wonder who stood at stud with some minor success in Australia.
1967 May 11 The Lifford 575 yard track record of 32.85 is shattered by nearly 40 spots when Duel (Pigalle Wonder-Shandaroba, Sep 65) flies round in 32.46.
1993 Local trainers Michael Enright, Sean Bourke and Matt O’Donnell are banned from Clonmel for “attempting to interfere with the running of the track”.
1985 Top lot at the Wimbledon sales Mollifrend Rule is disqualified for fighting two weeks later. Owner Ken Peckham gets his 4,000 guineas refunded.
