Classic pedigree: The Gold Collar was one of the original six classics with the English Derby, Scurry Gold Cup, St.Leger, Laurels and Cesarewitch. Four dogs achieved the Collar/Derby double though the last was Trevs Perfection in 1947.
Training feats: The Collar was the first classic won by a female trainer – Fine Jubilee trained by Mrs M Yate. The event provided George Curtis his first classic winner in 1975 with Abbey Glade. Ex-Leyton Orient and Crystal Palace footballer Barry Silkman won the 1987 Gold Collar with Half Awake just six months after taking out a trainers licence.
Best ever: Catford regulars reckoned the 1976 Collar final was one of the best ever seen. It featured Derby winner Mutts Silver up against Leger winner Westmead Champ. Champ (4-7f) reached the final unbeaten. Mutts, beaten just once, was a 2-1 chance, 10-1 bar two. Surprisingly, Pam Heasman’s Champ led, was soon challenged by Phil Rees’ Derby winner. They raced neck and neck for a circuit with the Derby winner taking a marginal lead, but Champ rallied and eventually pulled away to win by nearly four lengths in 35.02 for the 555m.
Jinxed?: The Collar is not the luckiest of races.
Paul Wheeler, the owner trainer of 1984 Collar winner Wheelers Tory, and wife Vi suffered a power cut at their home. They lit a paraffin heater in their bedroom and died overnight of carbon dioxide poisoning.
Joe Cleaver, owned of the 1938 winner Junior Classic along with his wife, son and daughter in-law, and two members of staff are found murdered at their home in Brockenhurst. Two men, including a former employee are convicted of murder and convicted to life imprisonment. A third man gets 22 years for manslaughter.
Go fourth: Rathkenny Lassie contested three Gold Collar finals 1983-85 and finished forth in each of them.
Prize money: The Collar was first held at Catford in 1933 and was won by Manchester White City’s Wild Woolley who also won a Laurels and one of the three English Derby finals he contested. The winner’s prize was £1,000 – roughly equivalent to £64,000 today.
Controversy 1: The Catford stewards are vindicated in their decision not to disqualify Decoy Cheetah in the first round of the 1994 Gold Collar. Amid jeers from the crowd who felt she had fought, racing manager Phil Donaldson and steward Irene McNally decided there was no case to answer. Pam Cobbold’s bitch progressed to the final where she ran second to Pearls Girl. She went on to win a number of open race finals and completed her career unblemished.
Controversy 2: Police are called to quell a crowd disturbance following the announcement of the 1996 Gold Collar result. Stewards call Homeside Knight the short head winner in a three runner photo finish with Away Duke a short head second and El Tenor a similar distance back in third. Unfortunately, the Macfinish failed, and the trouble started. . .
Adaptable: The Collar Gold Collar is one of the most versatile big events. Although it has only been staged at three tracks: Catford (1933-2003), Belle Vue 2004 (2009) and Crayford (2015/16), it was primarily considered to be a ‘May’ event, before switching to September in 1973. Since then it has also been staged in August, and November with the 1940 wartime final staged in June. It has been run over 400yds, 440yds, 570yds and 610yds, 465m, 540m, 555m, 590m and 647m. A September final over ‘a short six bends’ 540m is pretty much a return to its original concept.
Local heroes: Six local runners won the Collar at Catford 70 years. In 1958 Catford had a rare chance of having six local runners in the Gold Collar Final when their sextet are evenly drawn in the two semis. Things don’t go quite to plan when all six fail to qualify.
Versatile: Super Orange, who had spent the early part of the year contesting hurdle opens, returned to the flat to win the 1962 Gold Collar for trainer Pam Heasman and owner Tommy Jones. The litter brother of the 1961 Grand National winner Ballinatona Special, won the 440 yard final by four and a half lengths.
1964 Three nights after landing the 1964 Gold Collar final by a short head at 33-1, Mighty Wind runs in a graded hurdle event at Wimbledon and is well beaten into third place.
Home grown: Stylish Lad (Greenane Wonder-Stylish Biddy, Oct 64), bred and reared in a Reading back garden, lands the 1967 Gold Collar for owner and breeder Les Stiles. The brindle and white held off favourite Monalee Champion in the Catford 570 yard decider.
Cameo Lawrence, bred and reared in a South London back garden is an 8-1 winner of the 1970 Gold Collar. He is the third winner in four years for local trainer Jack Smith following Stylish Lad (’67) and Surprising Fella (’69).
Henry Kibble’s home bred Donnas Dixie won the 1982 Gold Collar Final. The following day, dam Bright Parade won her brood bitch class at the Breeders Festival at Harringay.
Other Brit winners include .Shevchenko, Sports Promoter, Gay Flash, Pearls Girl, Trevs Perfections and Westmeads: Champ, Power, Move and Surprise.
Buy it: 1956 Gold Collar winner Ponsford and Scurry winner Belingas Customer were both entered in in Aldridges Sale by owner Noel Purvis. Ponsford made 330 guineas, Belingas was not sold.
The 1985 heroine Alans Rose was bought at Walthamstow sales when making 4,300 guineas.
Collar runners-up Rosehip Trish and Spectre Jockey, were originally sold for 820 guineas at Cork Sales and 1,250gns at Limerick Sales respectively.
Nick it: The Gold Collar trophy, a gold collar mounted on the silver head of a greyhound, was stolen from the Catford racing office in 1965. Thieves broke into an office through a window.
