REMEMBER WHEN: SEPTEMBER III

1970 Work is underway at Hall Green track to accommodate six-dog racing from five. More than 300 tons of topsoil has raised the outside of the track 18in higher than the inside rail, and 1,500 square yards of turf have been laid to the banking of the bends.

Clare Orton and Carry On Oregon

1966 Carry On Oregon (Oregon Prince-Gormanstown Wonder) is fourth highest lot at Shelbourne Sales. The 18 month old pup made 450gns. Trained by Clare Orton, the following year, Oregon won the Laurels, Scurry, Chelsea Cup, Atlanta and Select Stakes.

1987 Sylvia Houlker won the Breeders Produce Stakes at Harringay with Able Sam (Special Account-Disco Stardust). The brindle beat Westmead Change by two lengths in 28.56 in the final. Interestingly, the final was contested by three pairs of littermates. The six runners were all sired by Nick Savva based stud dogs: Special Account, Westmead Milos and Glenroe Hiker.

1986 Terry Corden (pictured) is fuming at the attitude of Nottingham management. The Derby track owner and Sheffield director was incensed when Nottingham decided to put on a greyhound sale four days prior to one at Sheffield. Corden threatened to refuse all entries from Nottingham trainers in opens at the other two tracks.

1972 Navan punters are treated to a top class display when Leslie McNair’s Itsachampion (Monalee Champion-Cranog Bet) destroys the opposition in the Irish Cesarewitch Final. The nervous black beat Gaultier Fox by three lengths in 33.48. Completing the field were Drumna Linden, Twitters, Dessies Chick and Salubrious Lady.

1977 September 8: J P Smith’s black dog Try It Blackie (Russian Gun-Gurteen Daisy) has died at Hook Kennels, Northaw. Whelped in May 71, he dies in the prime of his retirement and will be remembered as one of the best hurdlers of his time. Trained by Frank Melville at Harringay, he raced 129 times – 116 being open races – and he won 51 times, with 28 second places at 11 different tracks, setting up 7 track records in the process.

1990 Local trainer Dave Jennison (below) carried off independent racing’s biggest ever race, the 1990 Kinsley Greyhound Derby, with Cass Lass. A 5-1 chance in the betting, Lass led at the first bend and went on to win by six and a half lengths. The £20,000 cheque was presented by Star editor Floyd Amphlett and Lass went on to make her name for the late Trevor Cobbold under her official name Slaneyside Holly.

1974 Pat Mullins lands the forecast in the Ipswich Derby. Bealkilla Diver (Sallys Yarn-Bealkilla Queen, Feb 72) beat Breakaway Town in 27.73 and the trophy was presented by members of Bobby Robson’s table topping Ipswich Town Squad.

1934 After breaking a hock in a match race at Manchester White City, Wild Woolley is retired to stud. The Jan 30 brindle (Hautley-Wild Witch) won the 1932 English Derby and ran in the 1933 and 1934 finals, thus equalling Mick The Miller’s record of three consecutive Derby Final appearances. He also won two other classics, the Laurels and the Gold Collar, as well as the Northern Flat Championship.

1976 Irish pragmatism surfaced when the hare broke down after two sales trials at Shelbourne Park. The whole shooting match were transferred to Harolds Cross for the last 18 trials before returning to Shelbourne for the auction.

1936 September 11: The St Leger trophy is stolen from a glass-fronted case at Wembley in front of security guards and members of the public. Nobody sees a thing, so on the final night of September 14, C C Keen, whose Ataxy, trained by Lesley Reynolds wins the final, is present with a deputy trophy by Mrs A J Elvin, wife of the managing director of Wembley. It is the first trophy presented to Burletta, who won the event in 1928.

2002 Charlie Lister lands his sixth East Anglian Derby when one of the best fields assembled in years go to traps for the £12,000 decider. The race goes to Larkhill Bullet, a dog who Lister had nursed through a series of injuries. The first two races of his career were the heats and final of the Northern Sprint which he won. The Yarmouth final was only the eighth race of his career. He eventually reached the 2003 Derby Final but broke down again and was retired. Lister also handled Blue Gooner who finished runner-up in the event for the second year in a row. Gooner was contesting his 102nd race!

LARKHILL BULLET: East Anglian Derby winner and connections – pic Steve Nash