1988 Double English Derby finalist Stouke Whisper has joined Boston (USA) based Dan Ryan.
1979 Local trainer Peter Payne wins the Essex Vase with Black Haven, a son of two of the kennel’s former open race stars Blackwater Champ and Ahaveen Hunter.
1952 Wembley racegoers are treated to a unique lap of honour by a Derby winner. Endless Gossip is joined on his home track by sire Priceless Border and dam Narrogar Ann, who is currently in whelp with another litter by Border.
1937 Greyhound Express report that constructional work on the extensions to Wimbledon’s club is going ahead at a great pace and before long, Charles Ferrari, the club secretary, will be able to uncloak one of the finest and most up-to-date clubs in the greyhound world.’
1951 Ballylanigan Tanist failed by three quarters of a length to complete the English, Welsh and Scottish Derby treble achieved only once previously by British bred Trevs Perfection. Ironically, it was a British bred dog Rushton Smutty who held off Ballylanigcan in both heats and final at Carntyne.
1947 On appeal, Mr F B McGreavey is granted planning permission for a new track at Rayleigh. His original application to Benfleet Urban District Council had been rejected. McGreavey, who is a civil engineer estimates the cost of the project at £100,000 – index linked to £4.2m. McGreavey made his fortune erecting thousands of Morrison and Anderson Shelters.
1991 American track Dubuque are to return to racing on sand after two years experimenting with an artificial surface, Equitrack. The experiment cost around £75,000.
1988 Hall Green trainer Alisa Goode, who took over the contract from her mother Pat, decides to give up the sport. She is replaced by Geoff De Mulder who is contracted to the track for the third time.
1960 Wembley racing manager Captain R H Joliffe (graders weren’t born with Christian names prior to 1980) decides to experiment with new races distances of 520 yards and 600 yards. He believes that starting races closer to a bend will reduce baulking. The plan is eventually dropped.
1989 Owner Tony Fisher is given permission to try a new style Safe-T racing jacket which he claims is less restrictive than the current options available
1946 Five bitches reach the final of Shelbourne Park’s prestigious McAlinden Gold Cup. It is won by the only dog in the field, Lemon Flash. Owned by Tom Lennon from Kilkenny, Flash had been withdrawn from the Shelbourne Sales two days previously but was withdrawn when bidding closed at 1,050gns.
1967 East Anglian owner trainer Jack Lambert buys Rathinch Valley, already qualified for Shelbourne’s McAlinden Gold Cup for 700 guineas at Shelbourne sales and then gets £500 back when the dog wins the final.
2007 Gary Matthews is appointed racing manager at Wimbledon following the departure of Derek Hope.
1971 A ground breaking month for racecourse promoters as the Betting Gaming & Lotteries Amendment Act comes into force. From now on, tracks are free to race throughout the year excluding Christmas Day, Good Friday, and all Sundays. Until now, race dates were determined by local authorities. Furthermore, all tracks under the same licensing authority had to race on identical nights. However – despite the furore, most tracks do not alter their fixtures. Walthamstow’s Charles Chandler jnr states that the track will continue to race twice a week and adds: “We will hold an additional meeting on Bank Holliday Monday, but we have no plans for the rest of the year and will wait and see how things develop.”
1970 GRA hold eight-dog trials at New Cross, however owners and the press were refused entry to the stadium to witness them.
1995 The Ladbroke owned Valley Grehound Park in Texas is not expected to re-open when its season ends in September. It is expected to have lost $3m since the start of the year.
1957 Mr A Sharp recovers most of his 325gns sales purchase price on his debut for the Dundalk 500 yard record holder Pointers Prince. Running as a reserve in the heats of the Scurry Gold Cup, Prince lands a gamble of £300-£15 placed by his owner.
2010 Hovex Brandy avoids a race wrecking attempt in the heats of the Corn Cuchulainn at Harolds Cross. A sack was thrown onto the track after the dog had passed. He went on to win by eight lengths and after studying the video, the stewards determined that no other dogs had been affected and thus allowed the result to stand.
1967 The opening of betting shops, from which no betting tax is deducted (track punters pay 2.5%) sees attendances continue to fall. Figures for the first six months of the year show a 10% decline.
1998 No More Dogs might have lived up to his name in a Hove open when he was disqualified for fighting.
