1949 Greyhound Express journalist Leo Wilson is glowing in his praise for Australia’s prize money following a recent visit. He notes that the lowest grader contests races worth £80 to the winner “even allowing for the fact that five Australian pounds make up to four English pounds, this is extremely good.” Top grade at London’s White City pays £14 (£605 today). Wilson believes Britain can also learn form Australian security measures whereby the runners in a single race are confined to sections with access restricted to all other runners. The runners are also weighed in a cage, with leads and collars removed. However he is less impressed with the facilities at the Australian tracks, which, by law, cannot be run for profit. He notes there are no comfortable restaurants for diners.
1986 GRA MD Charles Chandler announces that his company will build a smaller stadium on the site of Harringay when the main stadium shuts down. He states: “We are modelling the track on Stamford Bridge – in fact the straights will almost be 10 metres longer than they were at Stamford Bridge. Alongside one side will be a double-decker stand, using the same construction as Hall Green which will hold between 1,500-2000 people all behind glass. There will be a terrace area as well.”
1969 Yellow Printer is the 10-1 ante post favourite for an incredibly open English Derby. Next best at 25-1 are Handsome Sun, Jackpot Painter, March Flash, and Piper Play. Eventual winner Sand Star started out as a 33-1 shot. In the final he will lead home Kilbelin Style (66-1), Ploverfield Dan (200-1). Petrovitch (100), Hard Held (150-1) and Barrack Street (40-1).
1947 One racing paper is openly critical of Slough’s policy of staging at least three minor opens at every meeting. This ‘open kennel’ policy is dismissed as ‘flapping under rules’.
2014 Peter Laurie (then the CEO of RGT, now CEO of Battersea), lands the Racing Post Derby Tipsters Challenge. He finished the contest some £25.64 in profit to a £1 stake, significantly helped by selecting 16-1 Derby winner Salad Dodger.
1970 There is an unusual winner at Southall flapping track. The 18 month old pup was out of Glen Crackers who had been sold, unknowingly in whelp, for 40gns at Hackney sales the previous year.
1953 Leading Irish sire Mad Tanist dies at the Celbridge kennel of Paddy Kelly aged 11. Among his progeny were Ballylanigan Tanist, Rushton Smutty, Sandown Champion, Carmodys Tanist, Quare Customer, and Polonius.
2000 Ten days after being sold for £45,000, Bubbly Rover (formerly) Knockanroe Rover collapses and dies. It is only three days after a career ending ligament injury. Two weeks later Rover becomes a dad with a litter of eight pups.
1986 Jerry Desmond is appointed the new Secretary and Chief Executive of the Irish Coursing Club. Desmond is well known as a coursing slipper in Cork.
1956 Private trainer Paddy McEvoy announces that he is to leave GRA’s Longcross Kennels to become a track trainer at Clapton. Among his first intakes is Celtic Park 525 record holder Dunmore King who enters the Derby betting at 20-1 and soon shortens to 14s.
2014 English Derby ante post favourite Kereight King crashes out in the first round but worse is to follow for trainer Pat Curtin when it is revealed that the dog tested positive for a metabolite of the anabolic steroid Stanozolol in a pre-competition trial.
1960 Two previous winners head the ante post betting for the 1960 Greyhound Derby: 5-2 Mile Bush Pride, 6-1 Pigalle Wonder. Eventual winner Duleek Dandy is a 50-1 chance. He had not been selected in the racing manager’s 36 runners, and had to win one of the eight qualifying races (with four fastest seconds) to make the 48 first round starters.
1933 The first Gold Collar final is run at Catford, worth £1,000 (£83K today) to the winner. S Johnson’s Wild Woolley (Hautley-Wild Witch, Apr 30) is the 1-3 favourite. However after taking a massive bump at the first bend, one bookmaker shouts odds of 50-1 about the Jimmy Rimmer trained brindle. Nobody takes him and the Manchester raider duly wins the 440 yard race by a length in 26.63.
2007 Westmead Hawk contests his first race 11 months after breaking a hock at Hall Green. He is beaten a short head by Funtime Chunky with the comment ‘eased first’. An hour later at Henlow, there is an outstanding performance in the heats of the Paddy Dunne Memorial Puppy Cup by the 23 month old Westmead Lord who wins the fastest heat in 27.92 (-20).
1972 May 20th The Cowfold Stakes over 525 yards at Brighton, brings together a class field, including one of the seven March 69 litter by Newdown Heather and Come On Dolores. Come On Thunder owned and trained by Bert White, was unlucky in the running and finishes down the field to the appropriately names Winning Boy in 28.69. Come On Thunder is a litter brother to the 1971 dual English Derby and St Leger winner, Dolores Rocket and Come On Wonder who stood at stud with some minor success in Australia.
1999 The BGRB announce a £56,000 shortfall in accounts following a ruling by the VAT inspector. The marketing budget is then axed.
2007 Charles Blanning retires as only the eight keeper of the Greyhound Stud Book in its 125 year history. Hugely respected for his diligence and sense of humour, Blanning was responsible for a complete overhaul of the content of the book and the computerisation of the registration system. Charles’ proudest boast was that in 19 years in charge, he had never increased the registration fees.
1957 World War II flying ace Laddie Lucas is the new managing director of GRA. The 41 year old MP for Brentford and Chiswick takes over from Sir Frances Gentle who will remain as chairman. In addition to his wartime service where he was awarded the DFC, DSO and Bar, Lucas headed the British Walker Cup and International gold teams.
2007 Crayford trainer John Davidson dies following a long battle with lung cancer. A non-smoker, he is thought to have contracted the condition while working with asbestos as a roofer.
1990 Swindon racing manager Stuart Netting grades the race of his career when the field is separated by sh, sh, sh, sh, 3/4.
1960 Owner Paddy Dunphy from Castlecomer rejects a bid of £2,500 (£69K today) for The Grand Prince, who is withdrawn lame from the Irish Produce Stakes
1979 Irish Laurels winner Ashleigh Honour is the latest import to join Assie stud keeper Barrie Ward. Already in the kennel are Shamrock Point, Chars For Akii, Leaders Champion, Agry and Weston Pete.
1937 West Ham are extolling the value of their recently opened veterinary hospital at the track. They cite the case of hurdler Hollystone Herald who broke a leg in a hurdle race. The track state ‘Hollystone Herald was on the operating table and having expert attention within five minutes of having the fall.”
1999 Wimbledon announce the lowest number of Derby entries since the runner restriction was scrapped – 152. That total includes 11 Irish runners headed by 4-1 ante post favourite Chart King. Another Irish entry, Race One is forced by the NGRC to change name to Race First – to avoid confusion.
1947 Romford’s security guard has selected a “huge brute” new guard dog from Battersea Dogs Home. He is described as “85% Alsation, much of the rest, Wolf Hound, and remaining gap in his pedigree. . . .possibly elephant” He is named Peter The Great.
1990 The NGRC abandon their track injuries survey after some tracks refused to take part.
2013 Aussie superstar Miata is retired from racing having won 42 of her 50 starts and roughly $700,000 (£450,000) in prize money.
1928 Saturday May 19 Wimbledon opens for racing. The new stadium was rescued by builder W J Cearns, when an original consortium ran out of money. The Band of the Welsh Guards performed at the opening ceremony. The first race, over 440 yards was won by Ballindura, trained by Harry Leader, one of six local trainers, though Biss and Appleton run a joint kennel.
The trainer’s list also includes P McEllstrum (note the spelling). It was a seven race card, the third and last races being four-runner hurdle events, the fourth was a 650 yard race with £60 (roughly £4,480 at current rates) plus a cup for the winner. The fifth race was a £50-per-side match over between locally trained Brisbane and White City’s Toftwood Millsack.
There was also a 550 yard race. The racing manager is American Otto R Wohlauf who actually arrived at the track to install the hare rail. He eventually returned to the USA and ran kennels for another 30 years. Back in 1926, he had bought for $300 and exported a British bred dog called Strophanthus Indian, which he renamed Damon Runyon.
The dog was hugely successful in the USA setting an American record for 400 yards and winning an estimated £3,500 in prize money.
** The original opening ceremony was planned for the Wednesday evening. A newspaper report stated: “The most elaborate preparations had been made for the track’s christening.
On the Monday before the planned opening, newspapermen were entertained to lunch by the directors and afterwards afterwards watched actress Tallulah Bankhead, then at the height of her West End fame, break a bottle of champagne over the hare and christen it “Gracie”.
Meanwhile, there remained much clearing up to be done before the track could be opened. The turnstiles had to be erected, tractors, tools and other builders’ equipment removed.
The special shift of workers had been organised for the Tuesday night to do these chores, but throughout the afternoon torrential rain fell. It kept on falling throughout the night, and although the workmen carried on, their efforts were badly impeded.
By Wednesday morning they were still hard at it, though the downpour had made a bog of the track and the ground outside. Finally, heavy rain began again and a hastily convened directors meeting. it was decided that the opening would have to be put back until the following Saturday. But how to let the anticipated crowd of 40,000 Londoners know at this late hour? The stadium’s press representative Fred Stowe answered that problem. Commandeering all available telephones, he and his assistants contacted the evening newspapers and press agencies, and also had all advertisement copy changed. Thousands of handbills were printed for distribution at railway stations, bus and tram stops. This prompt piece of organisation saved enthusiasts from a wasted journey and the work went ahead for Saturday’s opening. This was a grand affair with the band of the Welsh Guards parading the track with Gracie the hare leading them at a sedate 3mph.”
