2001 Martin Wiley takes over father Ernie’s Romford contract. Ernie decides to step down following the death of wife Jean the previous month.
1982 Derby promoter Terry Corden takes over the running of Owlerton after buying out lease holder Jon Carter. Sheffield racing manager Terry Meynell, who had been in dispute with the Owners Owners Association chooses to leave. Meanwhile the track expect to appoint two new trainers following the impending closure of Leeds, Peter Beaumont and Brian Thompson plus Leicester trainer Charlie Lister. They will join the existing handlers Harry Crapper, lan Wrigglesworht, Jim Hookway, Joe Kelly and owners trainers Betty Salvin and Trevor Draper.
1971 In the 21st running of the Cearns Memorial, Sole Aim, who went on to win the Irish Derby, beat Dolores Rocket, who went on to win the English Derby. Finishing third was Cobbler, litter brother to Sole Aim, who finished fifth in the English Derby later that year.
2012 Milldean Panther is beaten for the first time in his career in the semi finals of the Gold Cup at Shelbourne Park. It is his 13th race.
1947 Trials to see if it would be possible to stage racing without a hare were attempted at Crayford. The furthest that any dog raced at top speed was around 70 yards.
2003 Hopeful Moment becomes the third bitch to land the Arc at Walthamstow; a result that had seemed almost impossible to imagine just six months earlier. As a pup, Ernie Gaskin’s bitch had shown great promise before smashing into the inside rail at Walthamstow. She had part of her foot amputated and was sold as a brood bitch. The promised cheque never arrived and after several months on the retired list, Gaskin decided to give her a trial and the rest, as they say. . .
2013 Coventry are to join the Racing Post Greyhound TV schedule with meetings on Wednesdays and Sunday, in addition to their Thursday, Friday and Saturday meetings. The track receive 150 entries for their first televised open race meeting. Meanwhile the Brandon track introduce two new distances of 450m and 859m.
1960 A man jumped onto the track at Walthamstow and caused a void race but before security could arrive another punter jumped onto the track and attacked him. Both men were arrested. The race was re-run and the order of finish was identical to the placings in the original race, prior to the fisticuffs.
1937 Irish Oaks and dual English Oaks winner Queen Of The Suir, now seven years old, is recaptured after running wild for two months. Under the care of Stanley Biss, he finds she has a badly cut jaw and two teeth knocked out, but otherwise is all right. She is sent to Paddy Byrne in Ireland to resume breeding.
2018 Bull Run Button wins the Racing Post Juvenile for Barrie Draper at home course Sheffield. The race has proven something of a speciality for the kennel having won it previously with I’m Okay, Eden Star, Ballymac Eske and Ballymac Ramsey.
2001 Hove stage one of the best Trainers Championship meetings ever. The highlight is the 515 metre clash between Droopys Vieri and Rapid Ranger (7-4jf).
The ’00 Derby winner, making his first appearance before attempting to defend his crown, leads to the third bend but is eventually beaten by Vieri in 29.99. Vieri’s brother Droopys Honcho lands division 2 of the stake from Toblermorey Boy. The night though belongs to Charlie Lister who finishes with 54 points from Paul Young with 41. Lister’s winners include Parliament Act, True Honcho and Derbay Pride.
1947 A former track employee, now a sergeant in the RAF, is found guilty of doping two dogs with Luminol at Ramsgate stadium. He is fined £10 and claims, “I am very sorry, I was not doing this for myself, but for someone else.”
1937 The management at Cardiff Arms Park buy the lease of Cardiff White City for £8,000. It is believed that they do not intend to reopen White City, as they feel that Cardiff has not the scope for two tracks.
2015 English Derby betting: 12 Laughil Blake, 25-1 Bearatipp, Newinn Yolo, 3-1 Droopys Nidge, Lenson Sanchez, 40-1 Rafas Wee Jet, Sidarian Blaze, Farloe Blitz. Of the top 20 in the betting, only Farloe Blitz would make the final. Laughil Blake is injured in his next race and doesn’t travel.
1960 Hymer Black’s connections were determined that their young dog should not lack experience over hurdles before giving his racing debut. After schooling and 20 official trials he was entered in a Wandsworth hurdle open – and finished fifth!
2000 Hazel Dickson hands in her notice at Wimbledon. Her Windsor kennel is to be converted to a stable for polo ponies.
1992 March 10 in his budget speech, Tory Chancellor Norman Lamont announces a reduction in betting duty to be returned to Government and then surprisingly announces: “I hope that voluntary arrangements can be found to direct some of the money to the greyhound racing industry.” With those few words, Lamont opens the door to the formation of the BGRF and the complete re-structuring of bookmaker contributions to greyhound racing.
1951 J Hough-Chadwick of Duntisbourne Lee, near Cirecencester is unveiled as Britain’s most successful breeder for 1950. British bred dogs won around 29% of the 1,226 opens staged during the year with Hough-Chadwick’s ‘O’Leer’ prefix being the most successful. Second on the table was Mrs D Ash, whose ‘Denver’ runners were reared at Denver Lodge near Waltham Abbey (later the home of Pam Heasman). Mr D Marsh, formerly of Cheshire but now based at Ewhurst in Surrey finished third on the table with his ‘Behattan’ runners.
1993 Faced with the imminent opening of Stainforth, Hull lose five trainers to the Yorkshire venue: Dave Barton, Tommy Earls, Johnny Seagrave, John King and Kay Thompson. BS spokesman Dennis Pope reveals that the Craven Road track has only 80 available dogs for two meetings per week. The track offer a loyalty bonus which pays the difference between the prize money and kennel bill of every dog.
1951 Smart Figaro was 100-30 when winning a 565 graded event at Willenhall on Friday night. Less than 24 hour later he came in as a reserve in a race at sister track Wolverhampton and won again. On Monday night it was back to Willenhall to complete a four-day hat-trick and he raced again, on the Thursday but could finish no better than second.
1971 Rayleigh promoter Tom Stanley announces that he is to take over the flapping track at Cambridge and make it the fifth ex-flap to join the ‘associate membership’ scheme. The first was Rayleigh in 1965, followed by Wakefiled, Swindon and Cradley Heath. Bletchley, who recently spent £5,000 on a new racing paddock and vets room plan to join at Easter.
1983 A new publication, Greyhound Star goes on sale for the first time. Created by four journalists/Henlow regulars, the new paper is fortnightly and costs 50 pence for 16 pages. The first front page reveals that car company Lada are in discussions to promote the Greyhound Derby. (In the second issue Lada have changed their minding stating “It costs us £60K to sponsor live snooker on TV for which we get 23 hours coverage. The Derby would cost us £40K for which we would get 15 minutes of TV coverage). Other features in the new paper include a column written by GRA vet Bruce Prole. There is even an astrology column – honestly!
1992 American magazine Greyhound Update produces its annual ‘All-World’ teams to nominate the eight best sprinters, middle distance and marathon runners. Unsurprisingly, and predictably from a country that nominates its leading baseball competition as ‘the world series’, 21 of the 24 runners are American. The three non-Yanks are Austalian sprinter Highly blessed, and British based Dempseys Whisper (middle distance) and marathoner Bobs Regan.
1985 The Star’s John Kent reported the tale of a well known and successful coursing husband and wife team who were rightly proud of their meticulous planning and routine. On a coursing day, they are up early to prepare the ‘coursing bag’. ID cards – check. Red and white collar – check. Embrocation – check. Tea – check and ‘a drop of encouragement; should the dog reach the latter stages – check. They recently set off on a 70 mile trip, driving carefully and duly made plans for the dog to relieve himself halfway through the journey. It was only as they opened the van door that they realised the flaw in the plan – they had forgotten the dog!
