1983 Wembley stewards withdraw Joe Cobbold’s Decoy Moon from an open race after noticing white hairs on the tip of his tail which were not recorded in his identity book. A subsequent check revealed that it was the correct dog and the markings were amended.
2008 Clive Feltham is appointed chairman of the Racecourse Promoters Association following the resignation of Charles Chandler.
1951 The NGRC warn off Mr & Mrs Appleyard of Morley, Leeds under rule 33 (which relates to the marking up of dogs). Their greyhounds are all disqualified, including former White City track record breaker Magic Bohemian who is currently a successful stud dog. However, the club are forced into a humiliating climb down when they realise that they have banned the dogs of the wrong Mrs Appleyard. They are forced to issue a full apology to the unrelated Mrs Marjorie Appleyard of Stanmore in Middlesex.
1992 Basildon council grant planning permission for a new track in the Burnt Mills area of the town.
1963 Glasgow University announce a breakthrough in detecting drugs in greyhounds. Under new testing procedures they can return results within an hour. The pioneering work has been partially sponsored by Shawfield who have given three yearly grants of £1,000 to the university.
1981 Nottingham has new owners with local trainers Emil,Kovac and Dave Conway taking on the lease.
1993 Armed men force staff to open the Shawfield strong-room and make off with roughly £8,000 in cash.
1953 Harringay and White City bookies arrange a meeting with the track managements to express their annoyance at the recent appointment of ‘human tote machines’ who wonder among punters selling tote tickets.
1996 Paul Young is unveiled as Walthamstow’s newest trainer.
1965 Pam Heasman responds to a request from the 7th Support Brigade of the US 7th Army by supplying their new regimental mascot – a four month old British bred fawn greyhound puppy. He is given the name S’port and will be based in Germany.
2011 Kinsley are the biggest recipient of the recently re-introduced capital grants to tracks. The Yorkshire stadium are given a little over £41,000 towards tote equipment. Sister tracks Monmore and Crayford get around £64,000. There are no grants to non-BAGS tracks.
1946 The racing press are critical of Britain’s tracks. Months after changing the rules to allow racing managers to seed wide runners in graded races, only Eastville and Wimbledon, both managed by Con Stevens, are seeding runners.
1984 Craig Andrews is refused an NGRC permit licence because his father Trevor is the promoter at independent track Warwick.
1953 Greyhound dealer Victor Ross is fined £4 after two of his unmuzzled dogs attacked a pet Sealyham being walked by its owner.
2002 Racing Post’s Muttley offers some unusually constructive advice when it is suggested that Wimbledon may have to find a new location for the judge’s box during forthcoming track renovation work. ‘Brighton’
1958 Saturday September 6 – the racing press can’t contain their excitement on the busiest open race day on the year – “truly a feast” with “24 open races scheduled including 22 in London!”
1993 Sponsor John Humphreys is on the ball with his ante post betting on the Gold Collar. He makes Ardcollum Hilda, Loch Bo Anchor and Westmead Surprise 5-1 joint ante post favourites. Hilda goes on to land the decider with Anchor in third. Heavyweight world champion Lennox Lewis presents the trophy to winning connections.
1986 In his final year as a trainer, and despite having once handled the greatest stayer of all time in Ballyregan Bob, George Curtis finally wins the St Leger. The £8,000 decider goes to Lone Wolf who holds off the unlucky odds-on favourite Low Sail by three quarters of a length in 39.99 for Wembley’s 655m. Wolf’s kennelmate Winsor Ann finishes third.
1946 Government inspectors are checking stadium kennels to determine if any greyhounds are being fed bread, contrary to rationing regulations. The only feed allowed to be fed to racing greyhounds must be bread or biscuit made from condemned flour or flour made from condemned grain – of which there is still plenty available following bomb damage to ware houses and grain elevators.
1961 Connections announce the retirement of Gorey Airways (Imperial Airways-Geffs Linnett, Jan 58). During his career the Jimmy Jowett trained early paced brindle won two Scurrys, the Midland, Yorkshire and North Of England Puppy Derbys, the 1000 Guineas and National Sprint Championship)
1946 The ICC Calendar Issue a long correction stating that the breeding previously published for the English Laurels runner-up Tan Gent, should in fact have referred to Tangent. The Calendar then gives the correct breeding of the Tangent. Only problem – they were actually right first time. The British press have some sympathy having previously found Gala Flash and Gala Flashy on the same card, and Change Your Luck and Chance Your Luck at the same meeting.
1973 The Wimbledon racing office are expecting a face-off with GRA head office following a recent survey into the seeding of wide runners in open races. The survey came out strongly in favour of seeding. However, staff at the GRA’s latest acquisition steadfastly refuse to allow them.
1993 Rye House promoter Eddie Lesley announce that he has signed a 125 year lease with landlords Lea Valley.
1997 Tom Smith calls off his deal to take over Rye House blaming the condition of the track and equipment. The track remains closed indefinitely.
