2002 The press described John Mullins’ Sheriff Bow Wow (8-1) as “the worst Grand Prix winner ever” when he landed the final having not won a qualifier. They were almost forced to eat their words when the 12-1 chance was then only beaten a length and a quarter in the St.Leger Final. John duly moves to within 90 points of Linda Jones at the top of the trainer’s championship. John’s brother David is also in the top ten.
1990 Yarmouth unveil their new purpose built £20,000 racing paddock
2013 IGB Chief Executive Adrian Neilan is grilled by Dail’s Public Accounts Committee over alleged overspend by the Board, most specifically on failing to take into account the considerable cost of landfill when the site was purchased for the new Limerick Stadium.
1977 Derby finalist Westmead Myra is sold to Australia after finishing second in the English Oaks.
1999 The Trainers Assistance Fund hold their second committee meeting and announce their disappointment that almost £120,000 has gone unclaimed. The biggest recipient thus far is June McCombe who claimed just over £4,200 towards improvements to her hurdle gallop. The new grants include £1,600 to Micky Douglass for fencing and £1,250 to Stan Kennett for transport cages – in the week that he is sacked by Crayford.
2004 Jim Reynolds’ Grand National winner Four Handed narrowly fails to land the double when beaten a neck by fellow British raider Joe Bananas.
1973 Former White City based runner Carrig Shane completes a nine-timer in the final of the Pall Mall at Harringay. Now owned and trained by Salford based John Lancashire, the former specialist sprinter – winner of the Silver Salver – had already won the Bass Cup for his new handler. Although Shane’s effort was well received, Harringay punters were less charitable over the 13 length win of local grader Miss Bossy Boots on the same card. The 20-1 chance found over a second on her previous outing and was booed as she crossed the winning line.
1950 The High Court appeal by Frank Davis and brother Sidney over their convictions the previous year for running ‘ringers’ in major races was dismissed. The pair had been charged with ‘conspiracy to defraud promoters of greyhound races’ and the original court case lasted nine days. The Davis brothers denied a series of deceptions involving three separate pairs of dogs of which by far the most high profile was Derby favourite Red Wind, later proved to be the older and more experienced Irish open racer Waggles. Frank Davis was given a two year sentence and his brother was gaoled for eighteen months. A third brother was acquitted.
1977 The winner of Dunmore’s Tory Snowball Trophy wins £300 and a three month old pup sired by Snowball.
2013 Trainer Seamus Cahill tells RPGTV viewers that his dogs will play no part in the GTA’s pre-Christmas planned ‘protest resting’ of greyhounds.
1966 Wimbledon have 810 first round acceptances for their Produce Stakes. Only 60 runners will be allowed into the first round.
2000 Friday November 24 saw 54 opens staged on the same night.
1955 London shipping magnate, Noel Purvis, has purchased from Alice Norris of Danesrath, Kilkenny, litter brothers Northern King and Champion, for a four figure sum. Both dogs have featured in prominent opens in Ireland, and will now be trained by Jack Harvey at Wembley.
1959 Derby winner Pigalle Wonder, technically now a company ‘Pigalle Wonder Ltd’ is heavily booked since retiring to stud with a fee of 150 guineas (Equiv. £4,250)
2011 Mill Bling Bling makes himself a viable challenger for the Greyhound of the Year title when landing the Betfred Eclilpse at Nottingham. It is his third ‘Cat 1’ of the year having already won the All England and Steel City Cup.
1952 Wimbledon grader Magic Bimbo, 50-1 ante post, is outpointed in the final of the Irish Cup at Clounnana by long odds-on favourite Ardeoula Chief.
1994 Belle Vue’s Jimmy Gibson lands a 5-1 touch when his Coalbrook Star lands the Sean Graham 700 final at Dunmore.
1998 Rapid Journey lands the Melbourne Cup to become the highest prize money winner in the history of Australian racing. His cash total is $460,940 (equivalent to around $790K – £425K today).
2013 With Farloe Tango winning the St. Leger, Charlie Lister is 10-11f to land the Trainers Championship in six weeks time. Eventual winner Mark Wallis is fourth in the betting at 20-1.
1951 Rushton Smutty fails to win his 12th consecutive open race when beaten in the final of the Pall Mall by Westbourne.
1953 White City grader Michael Angelo has been sold to the owners of the Barcelona track and is sent to contest the World Greyhound Championship in Naples.
2002 The BGRB announce that a ‘minimum standards’ level for all racing kennels will be operating within six months. This follows the NGRC’s decision, less than a week earlier, that the Catford management had no case to answer following the death in track kennels, of heat exhaustion, by local grader Football Focus. However, the track were fined £500 for failing to endorse the identity book of a disqualified greyhound.
