1960 Derby winner Duleek Dandy is beaten in the Birmingham Cup Final at Perry Barr by local runner Jungle Man. In the consolation final, Low Pressure breaks the 525 yard track record when recording 29.42.
1958 Perry Barr re-introduce hurdle racing for the first time since pre-war. The winner’s prize is £40.
2012 Sheffield boss John Gilburn threatens to reduce the number of open races at the track following a recent decline in entries.
1968 A press report notes that Arizona tracks are offering free health care insurance to their owners and trainers, including £5,000 life insurance.
1958 Catford’s annual anniversary meeting remains one of the highlights of the year with nine opens over eight different distances from 230-970yds including two hurdles. The record crowd for the meeting was achieved four years earlier when 16,000 crammed into the South East London stadium.
2012 Ricky Holloway wins a landslide vote for the position as chairman of the Greyhound Trainers Association. He beats John Simpson by 181-61 votes. 250 votes were cast from the potential 394 voters. Holloway’s plans include a ‘group diesel deal’ from a leading oil company and a bulk feed deal from a pet food supplier. There will be a new sponsor in place for the Trainers Championship.
1997 Bord nag Con think they have landed the site for their new track at Bishopstown (Curraheen Park), though a High Court judge orders that the bidding process should begin again as they face a battle with the Irish football association (FAI).
2013 The first ever dead heat occurs in the Select Stakes at Nottingham where Daddy Knowsbest (8-1) and Holdem Spy (3-1jf) cross the line in 29.67.
1984 Brighton handlers are 1-2 in the Trainers Championship table with George Curtis leading Derek Knight. Charlie Coyle is in third place.
2007 GRA announce that Belle Vue has received its first BAGS contract.
1939 For the first time the Irish Derby is run at Limerick and the £225 first prize goes to J J Doran’s Marching Thro Georgia (rf d Church Parade-Stonepark, May 37). The even money favourite wins by a neck in 30.05 for the 525 yard race.
2014 Deans Childs moves kennel from Ockendon into the range vacated by recently retired Alison Ingram.
2001 Madness frontman Suggs sees his pup Nutty Boy beaten in a puppy final at Walthamstow but still agrees to present the trophy to the winning connections of Borna Return.
2012 The ‘Happy 50th Wedding Anniversary Ger and Jose McKenna 550’ at Shelbourne Park is won by Airforce Captain – trained by son Owen.
1993 With only eight weeks prior to the event, Hall Green offer to stage the Breeders Produce Stakes after it is scrapped by Wembley – due to a Madonna concert.
2013 Flying first round winner Exocet is withdrawn lame from the second round of the Sussex Cup only to appear five days later in a trial at Shelbourne Park.
1968 Forestry Red, a male greyhound, and prolific grader winner at Ramsgate, weighs in at less than 49lbs – 21.9kg.
2014 Two years and five months after leaving his ten year role as Assistant Trainer to Mark Wallis, Patrick Janssens is granted a training licence. He has room for 14 greyhounds at his base in Hockwold near Thetford. Whatever happened to him?
2014 Ballymac Eske (pictured) is retired to stud after a fabulous racing career. The Barrie Draper trained runner landed 24 of his 31 British races. He made a huge inpact two years earlier landing the Puppy Classic and Olympic, followed the following year by the Juvenile and Scottish Derby before switching to six bends to take the Three Steps To Victory. His track recorded included: Monmore 480 (27.48), Nottingham 500 (29.21), and Sheffield 660 (38.61). By Burnpark Champ, he is out of Ballymac Penske, who also threw stud dogs Vulturi and Ballymac Best. Like Vulturi, Eske would go to to produce a number of very good stayers including Stardom, Roxholme Kristof, Aayamza Royale, Bockos Brandy and Savana Winner. However Ballymac Best (a son of Ballymac Maeve) would throw more early paced dogs. Pic Steve Nash
