2009 Lenson Joker is described as “the best I have trained” by trainer Tony Collett following the dog’s retirement. The Sittingbourne handler rates the dog’s victory in the 2008 Champion Stakes as the best of his career. The 2008 Greyhound of the Year also won the Sunderland Grand Prix, the Racing Post Festival Stayers and the Cesarewitch. He was runner-up in a second Grand Prix final and the ’07 St. Leger. Less than a week later, the 2008 Sprinter of the Year Boherbradda Mac makes a surprise return from racing following an apparent career ending graclilis injury sustained five months earlier. Harry Williams’ dog goes on to contest another 23 opens, winning 13, including his final outing at Pelaw Grange, some 13 months later.
1994 Canterbury racing manager David Day reports trainer Barry Silkman to the NGRC after alleging Silkman threatened to “punch my head in” if his dog was hurt in a graded race at the track.
1946 Buyers from the recently re-opened French tracks buy an estimated £25,000 worth of young dogs from Ireland.
2013 Sidaz Scotty appears to have made a dramatic return to fitness, five months after falling and hurting his spine in the Gymcrack Final (4-6f). The Dean Childs runner wins his first two sprint opens at Hove before going lame next time out. He is kept off for a further six months but then breaks down for the final time in a race at Monmore.
2010 The 2009 Greyhound of the Year Fear Zafonic is retired after winning his final race, the East Anglian Derby. It was his second win in the event. He also won the Graphite Puppy Derby and Birmingham Cup, and finished second in the English Derby. He won 29 of his 51 races.
1976 Following the purchase of their new tracks, Ladbrokes have “relaunch” nights at Crayford, Leeds, Brough Park and Monmore featuring novelty events including donkey racing. Three of the tracks reported treble attendance while Crayford, who were hit be a severe rain storm still reported a Monday night crowd of 2,357
2009 Oxford trainer Bob Hannan has three greyhounds stolen – almost certainly by travellers. One of the bitches is recovered a few days later “with cuts and bruises, looking as though she has been coursed.”
2013 Droopys Delilah joins Chris Allsopp after making top lot of 2,300gns at Hall Green Sales. The bitch goes on to win an A1 and a 480m open at Monmore before switching to six bends.
1958 Irish Laurels winner Brook Prancer is snapped up by Midland businessman Harry Tasker for £2,000.
2000 According to Racing Post’s Muttley, to qualify for a special offer, Belle Vue racegoers are obliged to say “woof” as they hand over their admission cash.
1966 Dusty Trail wins over £2,000 (equivalent today to £34K) in the space of a fortnight following wins in the Scottish Derby, Anglo-Irish, Select Stakes and the International.
1982 The three Brits in the Anglo-Irish team agreed to share their prize money ahead of the race at Shelbourne Park. It was duly won by Wembley raider Duke Of Hazard with connections passing £1,166 to the owners of both Copper Beeches and Go Winston.
1991 Irish Laurels winner Terrydrum Tico is sold to John Copplestone for a reputed £15,000.
2006 Nine weeks after the Seaham story hit the newspapers – where a local builder had destroyed pet animals with a static bolt pistol – the NGRC warn off trainer Sid Fenwick, his daughter Gillian Young and her husband, Graeme, who was the assistant racing manager at Pelaw Grange. Fenwick has trained two of the greyhounds identified in the story.
1994 The Catford stewards are vindicated in their decision not to disqualify Decoy Cheetah in the first round of the Gold Collar. Amid jeers from the crowd who felt she had fought, racing manager Phil Donaldson and steward Irene McNally decided there was no case to answer. Pam Cobbold’s bitch progressed to the final where she ran second to Pearls Girl.
1971 Yarmouth’s 25th East Anglian Derby presentation is made by former boxer Henry Cooper.
1946 Exeter independent Marsh Barton joins the NGRC
2009 Cabra Boss, who hit a wall during the heats of the Laurels, dies in the van on the way back to Liz McNair’s kennel.
1984 Wembley, Ipswich, Yarmouth, Reading and Hackney all suffer from attempted race wreckers in the space of a fortnight.
