1972 Bertie Hatton, breeder of the “Monolee” prefix dies at his home in Enniscorthy.
1968 Romford celebrate one of its finest meetings when the host the final of the Sportsview TV Trophy, live on the BBC. The final itself boasts the three top marathon stars in training,plus the best best stayer. The betting is headed by Brough Park’s Shady Begonia (2-1) but the race is led by a dog who will go on to win the St Leger later in the year, Forward King (11-4). The Sheffield runner took up a commanding dead, but approaching the last two bends, he was a spent force. The favourite took up the running only to be pursued on the run-in by Wembley’s Hi There Snow (9-2). The latter drew closer with every stride failing by just a short head over the 880 yard course. Poor Mick was three quarters of a length back in third. The highly rated Miss Taft finished lame. The seven supporting opens on the eight race card included four 650yd opens on the flat, a 650 hurdle, another 880 yard race, with the last race on the card staged over 1,030 yards.
2018 Six months after producing a litter of pups, Ballinakil Clare returns racing. On a night when Ireland’s fastest youngsters are contesting the Kirby Memorial, she goes quicker than all of them with a 28.33 run for 525 yards.
1972 April 10, Champion greyhound of 1971 Dolores Rocket runs her last race at Wembley in a heat of the Spring Cup, an event she won in 1971, but is beaten into fifth place by Merry Colonel trained at Walthamstow by Ted Durkin. It is her first race since she was injured in the Cesarewitch final at West Ham in October 1971. Bert White, her owner and trainer, says: “She was very stiff in the hind muscle in the morning and I think it is time to retire her.”
1982 A survey of major race winners from 1970 to 1981 in Greyhound Owner reveals that Monalee Champion was bar far the most successful sire with 37 wins, some 21 more than closest rivals Spectre and Newdown Heather. Ka Boom with four winners was the top brood.
1982 The Grand National final at London White City is won by Mr and Mrs Thirlwell’s Face The Mutt (Mutts Silver-Mill Road, Jun 79), trained at Wimbledon by Norah McEllistrim, who the previous year had won the Irish Grand National at Thurles.
2012 Ladbrokes open their book for their Blue Riband at Hall Green. Jaytee Pedro is 3-1 favourite but the event will be won by his kennelmate Young Sid, available at 10s.
1956 Following a lack of interest, the NGRC decide to cancel the class for racing greyhounds at Crufts.
1931 Major events in April. Spring Cup Final (Wembley), National Open Hurdles (Clapton), Spring Cup (West Ham), Greyhound Guineas (Perry Barr), Gold Cup (Wembley), Gold Cup – hurdles (Wimbledon).
2007 In protest of the recent reduction in BGRB prize money grants, trainer John Coleman offers to give away six greyhounds currently on the Stow graded strength. He says: “It is no longer possible for me to incur the costs incurred by owning and training them.”
1955 Among the buyers at Aldridge Sales in Colonel Piere Volmerange who is buying greyhounds for the recently opened track in Algiers.
1992 Frozen Problem breaks the Dunmore 410 yard track record in 22.06.
1968 Ballygill Rover is sold for a record price at Hackney Sales, 1,600gns, and he isn’t event present. The following day the dog’s new owners travel to Harolds Cross where the dog wins in 29.54 in a heat of the Callanan Cup. He is made a 20-1 chance for the English Derby.
2004 Figures release by the BGRB show that attendances were down 4.6 per cent in 2003. For the first time ever, they were lower, per meeting average, than Ireland. However prize money was up 9% on the year and 77% on the decade. There was also a record number of BAGS meetings, 1595 – some 26 per cent of the total.
One final interesting note – there were 6,004 meetings in 2003 – one more than in 1965. However, the 2003 figure was achieved by 31 tracks staging 10 and 12 race cards compared to 58 tracks proving eight-race programmes.
1947 Glasgow Corporation Highways and Planning Department have proposed that the tracks Albion and White City tracks be merged with one of the sites dues for housing. It argues that the district does not need more than one stadium. A decision will be made when the Corporation is due to renew the track’s licences.
1974 From today, any kennel with two brood bitches must register with the local council under new legislation, the Breeding of Dogs Act (1973).
1993 Stainforth open for business but soon experience problems when they are unable to attract enough trainers for their permit fixtures.
2008 ‘Talking Dogs’ the popular news column is to appear on the IGB’s website. The Michael Fortune edited copy was a popular feature in Irelands Greyhound Weekly prior to the board slashing its financial support leaving the paper to close.
1956 Gulf Of Darien, winner of the Cesarewitch and beaten favourite in the 1995 St Leger final, begins a new career over hurdles at Wembley. But he is well beaten and is not accepted by White City racing manager Percy Brown for a place in the Grand National first round. He soon returns to the flat and goes on to finish third in the 1956 Derby Final.
2014 Oxford City Council’s Executive Board reject a planning application for housing from Galliard Homes and slap a conservation order on the site.
1949 Taunton announce that they have received a full entry of 64 runners for the inaugural running of the American Derby. There are two English entries, Oaks winner Night Breeze and Baytown Whitethorn.
1995 Although he has over 350 dogs on the racing strength, Swaffham promoter Tom Smith introduces the occasional three-runner race to “add a bit of variety to the card.”
2009 Kilkenny trainer Billy Hanlon, together with two friends, landed the €430,000 Pick-7 jackpot at Shelbourne Park. Incredibly, Hanlon had two runners on the night, and were both among his winning selections, including the all-important seventh leg.
1963 Greyhound tracks decide to end an annual £100,000 agreement with off-course bookmakers for use of their tote odds which have been deemed as subject to copyright. The bookies announce that they will produce their own forecast and tricast returns based on SPs.
1975 All kennels is an open race final at Rochester will receive 100lbs of dog meat from the sponsors who are meat wholesalers.
1937 Mrs Fuller, the breeder of dogs with the ‘Jays’ prefix received a surprise present, two boxes of peppermint creams. Attached was a message ‘With Blissful Jay’s compliments’. Blissful Jay had won his last four in a row at Catford.
1996 In the same month that British racing managers vote to introduce middle seeding, Irish stewards vote to scrap seeding altogether. They argue that seeding is regularly abused. Among those who support the move is leading breeder Ger ‘Airmount’ Kiely who argues that seeding has “created false champions and weakened the breed.”
1985 A special race meeting at Harringay to highlight opposition to the closure of the track is well supported – but it takes place on the day that the company announces the closure of Slough. Also to go is the famous kennel complex at Northaw near Potters Barr. Among the Harringay trainers still in residence are Ray Peacock and Mick Puzey.
1975 Frank Payne, owner of Blackwater Champ, and father of the dog’s trainer, Peter, decided not to take the advice of Harringay vet when his dog broke a foreleg in three places. The dog, who had been favourite to win the ’74 English Derby Final that included Myrtown and Jimsun, was contesting his first race in six months when he was KO’d at the first bend. The vet acceded to Payne’s wishes and the dog was saved for stud purposes eventually siring the likes of Mulcair Rocket, Satori Style and Black Haven.
1964 The Smith brothers have the first three in the betting in a heat of the Catford Cup. The winner is the outsider of the treble, Hillside Buck (5-1), trained by Brighton based Gunner. Brother Jack’s locally trained Stylish Biddy (6-4f) finishes third with track mate Feale Pleasure (2-1), trained by Tom, trailing the field.
1955 The shareholders of the company which owns Hackney and Hendon dog tracks have been advised by the company secretary to reject an offer to buy the company for £500K (around £16.3m today) as it is considered too low. The company paid a 25% dividend on shares the previous year.
1956 Romford grader Magna Birch completes a quick graded double at Romford. Not bad for a dog two weeks off his eighth birthday.
