WESTMEAD HAWK enjoys a well earned drink with Nick Savva as the Sky interviews go on in the background STEVE NASH 3.6.06
1946 Brood bitch Gainswell Cut produces a litter of 14 pups, just seven months after producing a litter of 13 pups and 13 months after whelping her first litter of 7 pups.
1971 GRA have fulfilled their promise of making the English Derby Final worth a record £10,000 (equiv to £156K) to the winner by increasing their contribution to the prize money fund to £4,345.30. However, by increasing entrance fees they are actually reducing their 1970 contribution. The entry fee remains at £50 (index linked – £780), final acceptance fee is £25 (£390) and a late entry fee is £125 (£1,950).
2011 Peterborough staged a graded Derby worth £2,500 to the winner. It goes to Diamond Cnoc, by nine and a half lengths. The winner is jointly owned by the event sponsor Duncan Begley and comes during a period when the dog wins eight from nine races.
1960 For the first time, only 36 of the 48 runners for the Derby have been chosen by White City racing manager Percy Brown. The remaining 12 first round runners must finish first or second in six trialstakes to be offered one of the remaining dozen places. Connections of Clonalvy Pride, who were dumbstruck when their dog was not chosen by Brown are vindicated when their dog wins in a brilliant 28.86. Four weeks later he finishes in last place in the final. The last heat goes to Hack Up Friend in 29.20. There is a photo finish for the last qualifying place and the print reveals that Duleek Dandy has prevailed by a short head. You can guess the rest.
1987 Owner Bob Morton was at Wimbledon to see his Flashy Sir contest the Derby consolation which was declared void. He headed off to Hove, watched another of his runners, Westmead Move, destroy the field in the Brighton Belle Final before dashing back to Wimbledon – where Flashy Sir was beaten in the re-run.
1949 Local Interprize becomes the first dog to win two Gold Collars. The Stan Biss trained son of Ruby Border, also won the ’48 Cesarewitch and Scurry.
1969 In their Derby semi final issue Greyhound Express advertises a three month old litter for sale by Newdown Heather out of Come On Dolores. Two years later, one of the litter will be contesting the Derby Final – Dolores Rocket.
1973 GRA’s first ever contract trainer Peter Collett resigns from his position at Slough “by mutual consent”. A week prior to his departure and “totally unconnected to it”, Collett had four graded runners at the track. They all won and were returned 10-1, 12-1 twice and 16-1.
1991 American promoters cause controversy when failing to vote CC Big One (Winner Great Race, RU Grady Sprint, finalist in the World Classic) onto their All American Team – but including him among the eight runners for the internationally selected All-World Team.
2009 SKY viewers are left bemused when the Belle Vue judge announces the wrong result of a sprint open. All leading bookies pay out on both results and GRA pay winner’s prize money to both sets of connections.
1987 New sponsors Wembley Fair announce that this year’s final will carry a winner’s prize of £12,500 (index linked to £37K at current values).
1970 Clonmoney Hope wins the £300 Slaney Cup at Enniscorthy on the 14th of the month. Twelve days later the dog makes 1,000gns as top lot at Shebourne Sales. The Slaney Cup runner-up Monalee Storm is second on the sales list at 700gns.
1951 Bookies report one of the biggest ever ante post books on the Greyhound Derby with several having a higher turnover than on the horse equivalent, On bookie alone, Bob Guinness, has almost £20,000 already in the book.
1993 Stainforth report a triple dead heat just two months after a similar result at Mildenhall.
1959 The owners of Merry May announce that their ex-Hove racer has finally succumbed to old age. Reckoned to have been the country’s oldest greyhound she was 17 years and one month old.
1971 The remains of a bitch who escaped from Douglas Tucker’s kennel at Winterbourne is found with her legs tied together on a railway line. Police are pursuing enquiries based on a theory that the bitch had been killing chickens and their breeder had taken his revenge.
2011 The BGRF announce that following a surprise upturn in greyhound betting starting in late 2010, they expect to have an extra £2m in their coffers during the current year.
1961 One of the greatest sires of all time, Champion Prince dies at owner Dan Maher’s kennel in Tipperary, a month short of his 12th birthday. Bred by Joe Fitzpatrick of Templemore, Maher bought the dog (and his amazing sister Vandado) for £100 after a trial at Thurles. He went on to break 30.00 nine times. Among his progeny were English Derby winners Pigalle Wonder and The Grand Canal, Irish Derby winner Sir Frederick, and Waterloo Cup winner Old Kentucky Minstrel – plus Prince Of Bermuda, Duet Leader, Northern King etc. Prince is buried under an apple tree in Maher’s back garden.
1991 Wimbledon stewards refuse to allow trainer Barry Silkman to parade his Derby runner while wearing jeans and a T-shirt. Various contributions were hastily made – including a pair of trousers! – before Silkman took to the track and duly led off a 5-1 winner.
1987 The proposed sale of GRA to property investment company Priest Marrion for £53m is scuppered in the final stages. The decision of Harringay Council leader Bernie Grant to appeal the decision to allow Sainsbury’s to build a £10m supermarket on the site of the greyhound track, led to the purchasers dropping out.
1970 Rochester become the first track in the south of England to introduced a ‘dispersed kennel’ system. In addition to the track boarded dogs, they will also grade runners from selected private trainers.
1949 Belle Vue announce that the Northern Flat winner prize money will be increased to £600 (£22K at current values).
1993 Popular Irish handler Pa Fitzgerald is due to grade in his first graded runners at Oxford but changes his mind about being attached to the track.
