1948 After hearing concerns from the NGRC over the identity of some imported greyhounds, the ICC agree to consider a scheme to tattoo all greyhounds.
2012 Dromana Becky is five and a half years old when she sets a new marathon track record at Coventry.
1969 Brough Park stage their first greyhound sale – it turns over almost £9,000 (equivalent to £157,000 today)
1976 A separate pavilion offering litters of puppies for sale is a new feature of the Breeders Festival at Harringay – 15 were sold.
2012 Terry Atkins quits Oxford to join Swindon leaving his former track short of runners. They opt to increase open race win prize money from £150 to £200.
1975 New tote deductions come into operation from the first of the month. The Government will allow a maximum of a 2.5% increase in deductions from tote forecast pools. That means the maximum possible deduction is 19% which includes the 4% repayable to the Exchequer. Only two tracks will take their maximum 15% – Sheffield and Perry Barr. Most tracks will only increace their take by 1.5%. However Greyhound Totalisator Holdings, the owner of Crayford, Gosforth, Brough Park, Leeds, Wolverhampton and Willenhall decide to reduce their deductions from 12.5% to to 11%. Most tracks continue to only reduce 10% from their win and place pools.
2012 Following a GTA extra ordinary general meeting at Coventry, a statement is released stating “It was agreed, again unanimously, that if the GBGB do not allow GTA representation on its various committees, it amounts to effective disenfranchisement, in which case the chair, Ricky Holloway, was instructed to call for as many owners and trainers as possible to give their dogs a national week of resting at an appropriate time.”
1983 Long Spell is standing at stud with Terry Dartnall at a fee of £250. Breeders are offered the incentive of a £5,000 pay out for the first winner of a classic sired by the dog. The brindle is soon exported to the USA and the cash goes unclaimed.
2011 Trainer Lorainne Sams is unveiled as the GBGB’s new stipendiary steward for the South East.
2011 A man appears before Swindon magistrates accused on impersonating a veterinary surgeon at the local track. The true name of the vet practising as Shaun Kehoe was revealed to be South African, Peter Keniry.
1946 Wimbledon adopt a similar policy to GRA in refusing admission to anyone under the age of eighteen. A change of law in Northern Ireland now also forbids under 18s from attending greyhound tracks.
1976 Clashing Daisy wins the Irish Oaks at Harolds Cross. Trainer Eddie Spain also bred the daughter of Clashing after her dam Chief Legacy was given away twice and eventually abandoned in Spain’s kennel.
1936 Ataxy (Inler-Gosha Bead), track record holder for White City’s 550 yards but beaten in a string of finals, finally makes full use of his ability to win the St. Leger at Wembley. Trained by Lesley Reynolds, at that stage a White City handler, the brindle was opposed in the betting by owner C C Keen’s other runner Shove Halfpenny, but beat that opponent by three lengths in a track record that would remain intact for the next decade – 40.39 for the 700 yards.
1950 Yarmouth racing manager Ernie Wedon reports healthy entries for the East Anglian Derby from owners having their holidays in the district. One runner, in a supporting open is White Nigger. The dog had been registered as dead by owner Frank Davis during his trial over the famous Waggles/Red Wind ringer case. The track continue to advertise for their regular Monday night opens, entry fee £5 (today’s equiv £187.50), winners collect £30 (£1,071). Opens are staged over 300 and 500 yards flat and 500 yards hurdles.
2014 Hair samples from two greyhounds trained by disgraced trainer Chris Mosdall are found to contain Cyclizine, a drug used in travel sickness tablets. The former Wimbeldon trainer was caught in a TV sting operation boasting of ‘stopping’ dogs.
1950 Greyhound Owner reports: “Greyhounds leaving Joe Sargent’s training ground in Essex for trials at either Crayford, Rochester, Ramsgate, or even Brighton, take a boat trip by steam ferry across the Thames to Gravesend. It is a shorter cut than via London for Sargent hangs out at Horndon-on-the-hill, an old Roman hamlet two miles from Tilbury.”
2000 Global internet company Gobarkingmad announce they have signed up eight tracks for their service which is to begin in the new year. They are: Harlow, Henlow, Hull, Kinsley, Mildenhall, Rye House, Sittingbourne and Stainforth.
1977 Homely Girl (Kudas Honour-Our House) becomes the fifth consecutive female to win Wembley’s prestigious puppy event, the Trafalgar Cup. Her dam is currently running graded at Walthamstow having conceived the litter at only 14 months old.
2014 Following a spell working at Southwell for ARC, Nathan Corden returns to the family business at Nottingham.
1950 Honey Gale, one of the greatest broods in many years dies aged eight. Among her progeny were the brilliant bitch Sheevaun and future stud dog Slaney Record.
1976 Four years after Westmead County broke a hock when well clear in the St.Leger final, Nick and Natalie Savva have a chance to claim the race when sending out Drynham Star in the ’76 final. They will be thwarted again – this time by the Pam Heasman trained Westmead Champ – bred by the Savvas but sold as a young racer. The two sons of Westmead County cross the line within half a length of each other. (The finally get there two years on with Westmead Power – another son of Westmead County).
1993 Catford trainer Peter Rich, previously 20 years at Ramsgate, is to join the training strength at Romford.
