1971 September 28 The GRA close Charlton as part of their policy of ‘rationalisation’*. A flapping track, it came under NGRC rules in the mid 30s. The last race, the Farewell Stakes over 600 yards, goes to A Curtis’s Asked Out (w bk d Deneholme Hunter-Hi Cilla, Nov 69). (* The rationalisation scheme was based on the theory of closing tracks where there were nearby alternatives which could then be upgraded. Between 1966 and 1974, London also lost Wandsworth, Park Royal, Stamford Bridge, New Cross, West Ham, Hendon and Clapton)
1985 Tubercurry Lad wins an Irish Derby at the second time of trying. Trained by Charlie Faul, the son of Liberty Lad starts from trap 6 and holds off the determined Manorville Sand by three lengths in 29.14. Completing the field are Cast No Stones, Lispopple Story, Gastrognome and Jackie Come Home. Twelve months earlier, Tubbercurry finished fifth to Dipmac.
1977 Top East Anglian open racer Keslake Devon (Black Banjo-Devon Pilgrim, Sep 75) is stolen from Albert Harwood’s kennel in Norwich. The dog, who was never recovered, had won the East Anglian Derby consolation final a few hours earlier in 28.23 for Yarmouth’s 462 metres – one spot faster that the final winner Westmead Dance (Mels Pupil-Cricket Dance, Apr 75). Dance had become the first greyhound to break the 28.00 earlier in the event with a 27.99 track record.
2004 Nottingham sack their most successful bookmaker Ryan Holmes for being ‘too strong’.
1973 The final of the St Leger at Wembley draws their biggest crowd for over 26 years when more than 7,000 turned up and bet more than £83,600 through the Tote on a 14 race cards. The £2,500 St Leger final goes to Michael Pearce’s Case Money (Booked Out-Jamboree Judy, Jul 71). The 6-4 joint favourite barges his way clear at the first bend and goes on to win the 700 yard classic by 31⁄4 lengths in 39.89. Trained by Ted Parker at Harringay, it is Case Money’s eight win in a row.
1955 The National Greyhound Racing Club have officially decided that the longest race shall be 1,200 yards and the shortest 245 yards, so Catford’s 1,180 yard race, used for the annual F N Sutton Memorial is now the world’s longest followed by Wimbledon’s 1,164 yard and London White City’s 1,025 yard trips.
1979 Knockrour Brandy (Bright Lad-Knockrour Last) is the king of the sprinters. Early in the month, he beat Pat Mullins’ odds on shot Sampsons Pal in the National Sprint Championship at Harringay. Just over a week later he set a new Yarmouth 277m record, 16.72, in the heats of the Pepsi Cola Sprint. Charlie Greenacre’s blue brindle then won the final in another new record, 16.64.
1976 Cork racegoers thought they’d seen a champion when an unraced youngster won his heat of the Smirnoff Gold Collar by 12 lengths in 29.40. His name – Balliniska Band (pictured above).
1988 Midlands independent Chasewater closed down its greyhound operation. It had been closed earlier in the year for substantial storm damage.
1936 Miss M Yate, owner of Fine Jubilee, the English Derby winner, has turned down a £4,000 bid by Mr Davis from Wentworth, Surrey. It proves a wise decision as Fine Jubilee goes on to win many more races.
1984 September 15: After 56 years racing, Leicester hold their last meeting, the track has been sold off for housing development. A big all-grass galloping circuit of 430 metres circumference, with an outside hare, it was the home of the Midland Grand Prix, which attracted the top greyhounds in training. But the best idea they had was to start the racing early, and finish early so people could get home to their local for a drink. The very last race, the Jim Fisher Stakes over 485 metres, has the punters roaring like a Derby crowd, as Mrs B Gask’s brindle bitch Spinning Top (Flip Your Top-Lady Duff, Jan 81) wearing the Trap 3 jacket which was a rarity as they mainly raced 5 dog races, takes the final event by three-quarters of a length in 29.58. The 3-1 chance is trained locally be R Gilbert.
Leicester
1979 Puppy Derby winner Purdys Pursuit (Aghawadda Flash-Exchange Dolly) was killed in a sprint open at Rye House. Eric Pateman’s bitch was KO’d at the first bend and broke her neck.
1987 Barry Silkman ex Leyton Orient footballer who quit the game last year, and turned to training greyhounds, has won his first classic race after holding a trainers licence for only six months. He wins the Gold Collar at Catford with Half Awake (Sand Man-Fenians Minnie Jan 85) half owned by Silkman and Towfeg Al Aali. The 4-1 joint third favourite flew the traps and was soon clear to win the 555 metre final by 11⁄2 lengths in 34.90. They pick up the John Humphreys sponsored prize of £5,000. This is Towfeg Al Aali’s second classic victory, having won the English Derby in June with Signal Spark trained by Gary Baggs.
1970 Champion sprinter, Dont Gambol, trained by Paddy McEvoy at Wimbledon, wins the Thames Silver Salver over 300 yards at Southend. It closely followed his 400 yard Scurry Gold Cup at Clapton a few weeks earlier. Currently almost unbeatable, he flies the traps to surge ahead of his rivals and has four lengths to spare over nearest challenger, Little Glen, in a fast 16.56.
1975 Ireland gave England a fair drubbing in the Anglo-Irish competition. In the Shelbourne leg, Ireland’s Winsam beat team mates Shamrock Point and Shifting Shadow in 28.94. In the return leg at White City, Winsam was unavailable, but his replacement Cindys Speck beat Shamrock Sailor in 29.91.
1935 Good Redress (Red Robin-Melksham Elaine, Apr 33), owned by Mrs R H Dent and trained by A Jones at London White City, nearly breaks his own track record when winning the final of the Edinburgh Cup at Powderhall. After taking a bad bump at the first, the 11-10 favourite goes on to record 28.62, just 6 spots outside the record he set in the semi-finals.
1986 Swindon are the latest track to go computerised with their Tote, equipment will be supplied by Datatote, based in Swindon.
1974 A row broke out for the three-country International at White City when American owner Aaron Kulchinsky withdrew his two runners at kennelling. He objected to the inclusion of the wide running reserve Two PM being placed in trap one following the withdrawal of Myrtown. The dogs had been taken back to Northaw Kennels, but returned to White City following the intervention of American official Ed Keelan. The race was won by Carrowkeal Ref (England) with Waverly Supreme (Ireland) second.
1975 The F N Sutton Memorial Stakes over 1050 metres at Catford, worth £150 and a trophy to the winner, is run as a seven-dog race. With trap 5 vacant, R G Batchelor’s Tell You What (bd b Black Top-Silver Vals, Jul 73) from T6 sets a new track record of 68.02 when she beats Westmead Cloud, the 6-4 favourite from T8, and Tough Jackie from trap 7. Tell You What’s starting price is returned at 18-1. However, as the National Sporting League’s Chart Forecast has no provision for this starting price, Rule 2 states take the next higher price, 20-1, so the chart forecast for off-course backers is £5.09.
1980 Bolton owners and trainers go on strike at the introduction of new sweepstakes with low prize money. They are joined by the local layers. The strike is successful and the races are eventually scrapped.
PREMARKET – FOR ALL YOU KENNEL SUPPLIES
1973: Top Irish trainer Dickie Myles has died in Dublin. While a trainer at the old Coventry track, he won the 1957 St Leger with Duke Of Alva. Another prolific winner he trained was Bedehurst, who contested the 1971/72 English and Irish Derbys.
1971 Irish Derby winner Sole Aim (Monalee Champion-Yurituni) is retired to stud after finishing lame in the Laurels. Owned by Frances Chandler at Walthamstow, Sole Aim had won the previous year’s Laurels. He goes on to become a top stud dog with offspring including the brilliant Knockrour Slave.
Sole Aim with Dave Geggus
