1965 Vivid Fire, a bitch who was so badly injured in a kennel fight that her owners were advised to put her to sleep, returns to win the Northern Oaks. The Percy Stag trained bitch had 54 stitches sewn into a shoulder wound.
1973 Former Walthamstow open racer Rita’s Choice breaks the Harolds Cross and Shelbourne Park 750 yard track records in the space of a few days. Both clocks are in finals of major stakes, the Corn Cuchalainn and Irish TV Trophy respectively. In England he broke the 700 yard clock at Southend.
2011 For the second time in three years, the same owner/trainer combination take the two major stakes at the William Hill Festival. Blonde Fletch (7-4) favourite lands the Grand Prix and kennel mate Blonde Snapper (5-2) comes good in the Classic to give owner Mark Currell and trainer Mark Wallis a £40,000 double. The pair were emulating the Ponder/Collett double of 2008 when Lensons Express and Joker collected £65,000 for a night’s work.
2018 Countryside Properties send out flyer to Kirkmanshulme Lane residents indicating that they plan to build 243 dwellings on the site of Belle Vue greyhound track. Promoter Clive Feltham responds: “We were expecting at some time a planning application from the freeholder to ascertain value .As it is a pension fund it must be seen to maximise value from its portfolio . The question is if it will be successful. Our lease can only be determined if they have a full development planning permission. Unlike Hall Green this is for affordable housing so value will be a lot less and with us paying 8% yield could be significant.”
1947 Greyhound Owner highlights an unpalatable trade in foster mothers. Following the huge demand in pups, unscrupulous owners are mating their, often moderate, bitches every season and leasing them out to breeders of top class broods to assist in the rearing of big litters. There is no comment passed on what happens to the foster dam’s potential litter and many of the bitches are being sent vast distances on railway journeys.
2018 Maireads Ivy won one of the most bizarre races of the year in the Kent Cesarewitch Final. Two withdrawals meant only four went to traps. On the second circuit, Mays Monalee went lame, Cooladerry Lid gave up chasing and Ivy got home by 23 lengths from Sunfire Penny. Meanwhile over at Hove, a heat of the Coral Ladies Trophy is made void when the stewards observe leader Swift Nadia being distracted by a fox at the third bend.
2009 The GTA are unhappy over new kennel inspection forms introduced by the Greyhound Regulatory Board. The trainers are unhappy that the new forms require a far more extensive, and costly veterinary check, and that they were not consulted until after the form was issued.
1974 The £10,000 Irish Derby Final at Shelbourne Park includes Lively Band, who won the English consolation final, in trap 1, and Myrtown, who finished second to Jimsun in the English Derby final, in trap 6, Lively Band wins the race in fine style by 2½ lengths from Windjammer, trap 3 with Myrtown, involved in first bend crowding, finishing third.
2011 Stipendiary steward Duncan Gibson is unveiled as the GBGB’s new manager of welfare and integrity services replacing Peter Laurie.
1987 Independent Bolton scrap minor open races soon after introducing them. GM Bill Williams is furious after one of the first is won by more than 12 lengths with the other five runners failing to record grading time.
2013 Trainer Kelly Findlay has her licence withdrawn after she went missing from her kennel.
1937 Brave Don is believed to be the first greyhound sent over to Britain from Ireland by air. According to White City trainer L Reynolds, “the dog did not show the slightest concern during the flight from Dublin to Croydon.” He adds: “In the past the long tedious journey by boat and train often puts the dogs right back in their training and necessitated several weeks rest before they could be prepared for racing in England. When brought over by air, it is almost possible, but for registration formalities and the necessary trials, to run the dogs on the same day.”
2018 As the media rights battle rages, Henlow and Central Park increase their fixtures to five and six meetings per week respectively.
1986 Wimbledon’s old track lighting is being sent to Lifford, to replace the lights previously passed on with the closure of West Ham.
2018 Welfarist Clarissa Baldwin is critical of tracks racing in temperatures approaching 34 degrees centigrade. GBGB boss Mark Bird issues a warning to tracks and several cancel trial and race meetings. Ladbroke Coral Head of Stadia Ian Smyth cancels Crayford cards but not Romford, on the basis of the different travelling arrangements for trainers at the two tracks. He also states that the decision whether to race or not will be entirely at the direction of the veterinary surgeon on duty.
1946 Having won his semi final by 16 lengths, unbeaten Brighter Days (1-3f) wins the Western Two Year Old Produce Stakes Final at Eastville by a mere 14 lengths. The rest of the field were returned at 6-1, 7-1, 50-1, 50-1, 50-1.
2011 Perry Barr is booming! General manager Martin Fennings said: “The number of people who like to go trackside have shown growth of 30% over the year and our trackside party packages which include race sponsorship are also proving very popular. One Saturday in July we had a crowd of just less than 1000 and took almost £20,000 on the tote which is like the good old days. Our marketing team are working extremely hard, sending out offers, door knocking, etc, trying to get new people to experience a night at Perry Barr and the effort is paying off.
1965 American promoters are experimenting with a new plastic spray-on racing surface called “the circuit”. It is waterproof and in winter, ice “can be simply broken up and swept away.” How good is it? “as though racing on velvet or a Persian rug.”
1971 The Essex Vase final includes Derby winner Dolores Rocket. At even money, she wins by 10½ lengths in a never-to-be-beaten track record of 36.06.
2018 Solicitor Peter Cadman takes on the roles of chairman of the Greyhound Regulatory Board from the departed Robert Griffiths. Meanwhile John Coleman is elected as the practitioner director after winning 62% of votes in which only 23.5% of owners bothered to participate.
