Brendan – the class act

I am emailing regarding your Brendan Matthews interview how much I enjoyed it and how it brought back so many memories for me.

My father and I bought a dog in a Willie Dunlop sales at Westhoughton. He was a giant black dog called Newry Official out of Lady Tico. He was bought in 1997 for £300. This dog was a flying machine, 10 spots off sprint and 10 spots off a six bend clock.

As a young 16 year old I was amazed how such a good dog would be sold in a sales that I decided i would contact the previous owner in the IGB book. Which was one and only Brendan Matthews.

I didn’t know who he was and thought he probably wont speak. With this in mind, I rang and took a chance. I to this day remember that first phone call with his wife answering and said of course he will speak with you.

Well he listened to how well the dog was doing and he told me about himself and were he lived and even gave me a tip for Waterloo Cup at the time which duly won.

One thing I remember him saying was he had the litter brother to my own superstar bargain and “he is 10 lengths faster than what you have in kennel” he said. He offered it us for £1,000 at the time it was a lot of money for a 16 year old. But that fact made him such a good dog that it sounded a great chance.

Fate is a funny thing and trying to raise the grand, my dad said we will let fate decide if we get the dog. He studied horses as well as the dogs and decided to back a horse. If it won, we would get the dog.

He picked a 14/1 and put 50 fine English pounds on and then went for a pint while I sat at home watching the race hoping to God this horse wins. Two furlongs out, last of seven, not a chance. Then the horse sprouted wings shot through and got up on line. I couldn’t wait to ring my dad I was so excited. Only for five minutes later, the horse got disqualified for battering everything whilst going past. He was placed last.

For years my dad carried round that betting slip for years as he was unable to collect as it wasn’t first past post at the bookies where he placed it.

I often wonder what that litter brother would of been like. I have never had another dog like that and never will for that I’m grateful to him.

Adam Slinger

Kevin’s collection

Following a recent discussion about greyhound memorabilia, my thanks to Kevin Deighton for the for the attached photo showing some of his racecard collection.

In his words ” Stainforth 760,old Craven Park 536, New Craven Park 256, Boulevard 50, Sheffield 117,other tracks 213 still some to add

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Missing Trophy

Following the closure of Oxford, no one appeared to know what happened to the two challenge trophies – The Cesarewitch and The Trafalgar Cup. I made some fruitless enquiries and Hobbsy did a nice article asking that very question.

Some time later The Trafalgar Cup was apparently left in a black plastic sack one early morning outside Paddy Curtin’s kennels. His lad found it and Paddy took it off to Monmore, where I believe the event was resuscitated. But what happened to the the sport’s largest (in size) trophy,The Cesarewitch ?

My particular affinity with it is that by tradition, all through dog racing’s big years, it was West Ham’s showpiece race and which produced some fantastic winners on the most challenging, galloping track.I worked there from 1964 until 1970.

Upon close perusal of the engraving on the trophy can be seen the suite of offices at the front of the grandstand, with the windows to the  racing office  clearly evident. More great memories for me and of course these were the years that I would often see Moore, Hurst, Peters & co., in action for the Hammers on a Saturday afternoon !

Bob Rowe

Memories of a veteran

In 1947 I worked as a 14 year old for Stan Biss at Claverhambury Farm kennels.

I took Rimmels Black to Shelbourne Park for the first Anglo Irish International won by Dante The Great trained by Bob Burls at Wembley.

I can never find any reports of this event anywhere?

I was head lad for Archie Whitcher and after that head lad for Jimmy Jowett when we won the Scurry Gold Cup with rolling Mike before Stan Gudgin became his head lad. I was married, and greyhound racing and married life did not mix so I left Jimmy Jowett in 1955-6.

Can you tell me why in Wimbledon race cards from 1930s two of the dogs are trained by both Stan Biss and A Appleton? How could two trainers both train the same dog?

PS – I am now 87 and been married to that girl I left Jimmy Jowetts’ for, for 68 years.

Michael Gibson

Absolutely thrilled to hear that your love of the sport is intact Michael, and that you have made the leap from Greyhound Express to the digital age. It never ceases to amaze me how kennels would were up for such tremendous open race journeys given the travel difficulties of the time of the 1930s/40s.

As far as the dual kennels are concerned, I had heard of it happening. Apparently when Wimbledon first opened, some of the kennels didn’t have enough dogs to be offered a contract so a second trainer would supply the same kennel. It was never clear though whether the dogs were actually kenneled on the same premises.

Most importantly though, it is quite clear that you were an even better judge of women than you were of greyhounds!!

Ed