1951 Walthamstow have arranged two trial sessions to allow the local runners to familiarise themselves with the recently installed outside hare.
1995 Graham Ellis, Wimbledon’s popular general manager retires after 24 years at the track. Catford boss Mike Raper takes over.
1946 Irish supersire Castledown Lad has died at his Irish kennel aged 12. He was best known for a string of brilliant daughters including Hurry Kitty, Shaggy Lass and Trevs Castle. Shaggy Lad was his best son.
1958 Hackney grader Customers Charm is the source of great interest in the press– The young racer was born without a tongue but has adapted by sucking his food down his throat. At the end of the meal, his trainer wipes his mouth with a towel.
2003 Perry Barr introduce new ‘Swaffham style’ traps resulting in a general improvement in racing times of around .30 seconds.
1963 Ballinatona Special, Corsican Reward and Indoor Sport, winning favourites in the respective 1961, 1962 and 1963 Grand Nationals all meet in the Sporting Express Merit Hurdles. The winner was the Barny O’Connor trained Indoor Sport (7-2) with Reward (2-1f) in second and Ballinatona (8-1) back in fourth.
1980 Preston’s sprint track record is broken by two lengths in a sales trial. The new record holder Brookview Pal is taken off the bench unsold when bidding stalled at 2,300 guineas.
1959 British bred Julius Caesar (Northern Champion-Galloping B) wins the $6,000 (roughly £2,000) to winner 20th Juvenile Stakes at Wonderland. The brindle was bred by Jean Chapelle, the aunt of John and David Mullins.
1970 British bred John Silver becomes the highest prize money winner of all time when winning a semi final of the Cesarewitch. His winnings pass the £12,000 mark though he is ultimately beaten in the final.
2005 He Said So and Droopys Maldini, first and second in the Irish Derby Final are retired to stud.
1961 Palms Printer who created history by landing the English Derby and Scurry in the same season will not race again after breaking a hock in a trial at White City. It is exactly one year ago to the day that the 1960 Derby winner Duleek Dandy broke a hock in a trial on the same track while being prepared, like Printer, for the Anglo-Irish International.
1993 James John, who had been sold out of A3 for £1,000 just six weeks earlier, lands the £7,500 Edinburgh Cup for trainer Davy Neil. The brindle, who was available at 100-1 at the start of the event, is also the subject of a £40,000 ante post gamble.
1984 Creamery Cross (Knockrour Slave-Creamery Alice) becomes only the third Edinburgh Cup winner to defend his title. The Alan Briggs trained dog emulates Rushton Mac and Pigalle Wonder in the £7,000 final.
1974 Jack McAllister, one of Northern Ireland’s most successful owners and breeders has died aged 63. Among his champs were Derby winner Dunmore King, Mad Tanist, Hi There and Crazy Parachute.
1995 Harlow decide to scrap their ‘twice monthly’ £1,000 open events for new competitions worth £500 to the winner. The ‘monkey’ is born.
1965 Following a robbery of local bookie Joe Mack, on the driveway of his home in Burghley Road, Wimbledon, a collection of colleagues from seven London tracks offer a £1,000 for information leading to the conviction of his assailant.
1982 The Stranger becomes the first dog to break 29.00 for Cork’s 525 yards when clocking 28.95 in the final of the Irish Laurels.
2010 Hove trainer Colin Barwick relinquishes his licence after a 50 year career in the sport.
1948 Following a request from Wimbledon stewards, the NGRC introduce rule 58a which automatically bars a doubly booked greyhound from appearing in either race.
1966 At Cardiff Arms Park Halfpenny King just failed to add the Welsh Grand National to the English and Scottish titles he had won earlier, finishing 1 1/4 lengths second. Dusty Trail, trained by the youthful Paddy Milligan, wins the Select Stakes at Wembley, the International at Wimbledon, and the Anglo Irish at White City London- more than £2,000 for the month.
1958 Wembey racing manager John Joliffe found himself answering questions about a recent doping incident when the BBC cameras arrived at the track to film the St Leger Final. To make matters worse, favourite Multiforboro finishes last – though he is later found to be lame. The final goes to 4-1 chance Barrys Prince. Owner Noel Purvis is not at the track and Epsom trainer Snowy Parker collects the trophy on his behalf. “The best BBC greyhound broadcast ever” features marathon and hurdle opens plus a match race won by Pigalle Wonder from Just Fame.
1938 Quarter Day wins the Oaks, the highlight of an exceptional year in which she also carries off the Silver Salver, Coronation Stakes and ‘The White City’, an invitation race worth £2,000. She is the biggest prize money winner for trainer Joe Harmon who will have earned over £12,600 for his owners by year end – indexed to inflation, that works out at around £676,000.
1984 The Greyhound Breeders Festival is held at Pickets Lock in North London for the first time.
