2010 Platinumlancelot, the reigning Hurdler of the Year breaks a wrist in an open at Sittingbourne and is retired. At one stage in his career, the Jason Foster trained dog won 12 consecutive races. A week later, Foster is in front of the stewards for two belated positive samples –one from his retired star. He is fined £1,000 with costs of £1,500.
1986 Poole trainer B Christie was severely reprimanded by the NGRC for withdrawing four runners from a graded card because he felt the track was unfit for racing. The meeting was then abandoned after two races.
1975 Lively Band is voted Ireland’s Greyhound of the Year for 1974 having raced just 10 times in that country. However his eight wins included victories in the Irish Derby and St Leger.
2011 Razldazl Joe is sold to the Bubbly Club for £40,000 and renamed Bubbly Razldazl. A winner first time out for his new owners, he reaches the Scottish Derby final in his sixth and final race before an injury enforced retirement.
1987 Oldham racing manager Kath McLachlan is robbed of around £800 in takings and all her grading cards when thieves open the boot of her car while she was waiting at traffic lights.
1959 A £10,000 ante post gamble (index linked to £223K at today’s values) on Citizen Rajah in the Waterloo Cup goes astray in the first round when the Irish dog is beaten by unfancied pup Mutual Friend. However the 40-1 chance then goes on to win the event.
2011 High Earner becomes Australia’s leading prize money winner at around $349,000.
1975 Wimbledon are having a freakishly bad month with hurdlers. Two die on the same card, from a blood clot caused in a collision, another by a heart attack. A week later, a novice hurdler fell at the third fence and broke his neck.
1996 Vintage Prince is retired to stud following a seven month battle against injury.
1935 After three victories in eight days and including a track record, the first Greyhound Express Silver Collar was presented to A J Dearman’s Cameronian (bk d Decadence-Red Robin, Jan 31). This monthly award is presented to the best performance put up by any greyhound in the country on the track or coursing field.
1959 Two months after the death of five dogs at Derby Stadium after ingesting mouse poison, another dog dies after re-trialling back.
1975 Figures released by the NGRC reveal that the average attendance at greyhound tracks rose by an average of just two customers per meeting in 1974. Some 6,083,334 people attended 5,429 meetings, an average of 1,120 people per meeting. It was the first rise in attendance in seven years.
1987 With SIS coverage about to be launched in Britain thus giving betting shops live action for the first time, the BGRB meet Treasury ministers to plead the case for a levy, or the scrapping of on-course betting tax.
1962 Figures reveal that in the first six months following the opening of betting shops, greyhound attendances at Britain’s 64 NGRC tracks were down by around 800,000. For the whole year of 1961, the total attendances totalled 14,464,858.
1947 Greyhound Owner goes on sale for the first time. It is only available on subscription – 8 shillings for three months.
1959 New legislation will make it impossible for trainers to feed meat unfit for human consumption unless it has been steralised.
