1985 Over 9,000 people, the biggest attendance in 25 years saw Slaneyside Gold win Walthamstow’s Grand Prix Final. However, most present were not there to see John Sherry’s 5-1 winner, they were there to support Scurlogue Champ in a supporting 820m open. They left disappointed when the big black was unable to reel in another local champ in Glenowen Queen.
1946 The Wembley management admit their frustration at being unable to fill a six-runner open with £75 (worth rough £3,260). Entry fee is £5 (£217). The incident will have been noted at Walthamstow who are asking for 12 runners with entry fees of £25 (£1,087) for the Grand Prix. The winner’s prize is £500 (£21,750).
1966 Derby winner Faithful Hope leads the open race prize money tally (£8,175) from Dusty Trail (£4,346). The latter’ total was amassed in just two weeks following victories in the Scotish Derby, Anglo-Irish, Selects Stakes and International.
1994 Stanley, the North East independent track closes following a series of break-ins. Manager Brenda Johnson said: “There have been two or three lately and it is just impossible to insure the place. The owners are totally fed up.”
1983 The first Bramich hare to arrive in Europe is installed at Dunmore.
1976 White City kennel charges are to rise to £8.40 per week (equivalent to £71.15 today).
1963 The English (Lucky Boy Boy), Scottish (We’ll See) and Welsh (Fairy Chum) Derby winners all meet in the Blue Riband, an £85-to-winner event at Wembley. It goes to Bob Burles’ locally trained Fairy Chum who had won the Critchley Memorial at White City just 48 hours earlier.
1949 Owner trainer Frank Davis dominates the £350 Grand Prix Final at Walthamstow. The 18 month old pup (allegedly) Red Wind leads home kennelmate Drumgoon Boy in 29.82 with the first two home both breaking the old 525 yard track record.
1986 Trainer Charlie Lister is cautioned following an evening raid by NGRC stewards. According to the official report, “it appeared that two greyhounds had been removed from the kennel while Lister was absent.” At the time of visit, the stipendiary steward had not been able to gain access to the kennel because Lister’s father was unavailable and his wife did not know where to find the keys to the kennel.
2011 Mildenhall stage the first of 650 GBGB Owners Bonus sweepstakes. The result is a dead heat between Blackrose Pip and Butts Champ
1977 Time finding enquiry of the year must go to Henlow grader Very Unique went to traps with a personal best of 31.35 and returned a 29.65 for the 484m.
1987 Hall Green open their new £150,000 Racers restaurant along the backstraight at York Road. The new facility has seating for 114 diners.
1946 Clapton suspend the release of trap draw information following a leak. Until now, the only people who are allowed trap draws are a select group of journalists. However, the stadium are furious when they discover full advanced cards, with correct trap numbers, on sale outside the stadium for six pence each.
1967 Wimbledon announce profits of £67,513 for the previous year – that would equate to roughly £1.27m today.
1975 Gin & Jass (Kilbeg Kuda-Liberty Bell) is the second highest lot at Shelbourne sales at 800gns. Within the next 12 months the brindle will win the Pall Mall, Crayford Vase, Flying Four and Christmas Cracker. Owner Dave Drinkwater also snapped up the fourth priced Crossleigh Tulip for 750gns and she went on to land the ’76 Welsh Oaks
1975 Raheen Sam, a narrow future winner of the Sovereign Stakes, from favourite Gin and Jazz, is sold at Cork Sales for 420gns.
2011 Reigning Greyhound of the Year Jimmy Lollie is retired after finishing down the field in a supporting open for the Henlow Derby (won by the in-coming Greyhound of the Year Taylors Sky). Except he wasn’t! He will return five months later and contest another nine opens.
1989 Waltham Abbey, who had been KO’d in the previous year’s Grand Prix Final holds off favourite Chicita Banana to land the £7,500 decider for trainer Ernie Gaskin. Having previously won the Wingspare Stayers Final at Hove, the 31kg black is now favourite for Greyhound of the Year.
1976 Doncaster and Long Eaton are the latest independent tracks to apply to run under the NGRC permit scheme. The tracks were taken over by Northern Sports who already own one NGRC track in Ramsgate.
1946 Wembley ban the stadium trainers from handling any dogs owned by bookmakers.
1984 Middlesbrough decide to sand their bends to reduce maintenance costs. It is the last remaining all-grass circuit under NGRC rules.
1966 West Ham grader Cardiff Rose had a busy if uneventful four days. During that time she failed by half a length to reach the final of the Test, finished fifth in an open at Southend and was beaten a short head in a graded race at West Ham. Total distance raced 1,950yds. Total prize money collected, £13.
1986 Just 24 hours after Westmead Call (Whisper Wishes-Westmead Tania) had broken the Henlow 484m track record in the Bedfordshire Derby Final, litter sister Westmead Move broke the Walthamstow 640m clock when landing the Grand Prix decider. Exactly one week later litter brothers Olivers Wish and Westmead Wish finished 1-2 in the Manchester Puppy Cup.
1975 GRA are quick to assure owners and customers that their tracks are safe despite the suspension of their shares on the stock market. The company face difficulties in paying the interest on their loans following the collapse of the property market and devaluation of their assets which include 12 tracks and two golf centres.
1975 Oxford owners set upa campaign to save the stadium which has been sold by Bristol Stadium Ltd to Oxford City Council for £235,000. Staff are quoted as expecting the stadium to close within three months with the council having passed plans for 112 houses on the site. According to a press report: “Oxford opened in 1938 but the track has been under threat of closure since the Bookmakers Greyhounds Service (BAGS) discontinued their agreement with the track in 1972.”
