2006 Lord Lipsey and local MP Tony Wright officially open Yarmouth’s new £2.5m Len Franklin Grandstand.

1968 The International at Limerick has a great line-up of talent, including the Derby winner Yellow Printer and the Laurels winner Flaming King. Victory goes to Flaming King, who takes the lead from the traps and wins comfortably by four lengths from Yellow Printer over 525yds in 29.24.

1949 Figures produced by the NGRS reveal that totalisator turnover is down a colossal 41% on the previous year. The track blame a Government instruction for reduced meetings, but principally the introduction of a 16% tax on tote betting at greyhound tracks alone.

2010 A severe cold snap sees widespread cancellation of meetings in Britain and Ireland. Belle Vue, who had to cancel the Scurry Cup and Northern Oaks Final, finally stage them but minus two of the Scurry leading fancies Rotar Wing and Jimmy Lollie.

1975 A year after taking over at Watford, GRA are still to pay any rent to their football club landlords. The original deal was for a 10 lease costing £65,000, payable in advance.

1965 Private trainer Jean Chapelle wins the Romford Puppy Cup with the strongly fancied David John (Chieftains Guest-Lady Courtnowski, Feb 64). The white and brindle just got up on the winning line to win the £150 first prize in 27.13 for the 460 yards. It is an event that will have a close association with Ms Chapelle’s family being won in later years by brother-in-law Pat Mullins and nephews David and John Mullins.

1952 Walthamstow stage the most in-demand match of the moment between Marsh Harrier ( a winner of 11 of his last 15 opens) and Magourna Reject, whose only defeats in his last nine races were in the finals of the Cesarewitch and St Leger. The result is a six length win for Frances Chandler’s Reject who clocks 30.18 for the 525 yards.

2007 Romford introduce two new competitions, sponsored by local owners, in support of the Essex Vase final. The Classic Shield, worth £5,000 to the winner, is won by Horseshoe Ping. The 750 metre Romford Gold Cup, worth £10K to the winner is won by Westmead Aoifa.

1972 Leading sires for the year (open wins): 1 Spectre (134), 2 The Grand Silver (83), 3 Monalee Champion (81), 4 Newdown Heather (78), 5 Dusty Trail (75) Leading dams 1 Cricket Dance (56), 2 No Mabel (29), 3 She Is Landing (28), 4 Arklow Fire (28), 5 Roamin Beauty (27)

1984 GRA look set to lose their two Scottish tracks in quick order. A consortium have bid £1m for Powderhall while a planning permission has been sought for an Asda hypermarket on the Shawfield site.

1931 Mick The Miller is the most expensive dog advertised at stud at 50 guineas (index linked to approx £2,700) roughly five times the cost of any other dog at stud. Although former trainer Sidney Orton handles the bookings, the dog actually stands with J R Masters, at Toftwood, Dereham in Norfolk.

1965 With the perpetrators of the Dagenham coup in court, tracks managements are twitchy about similar events. Oxford MD J P Hare feared a scam on the place pool at his track when off-course bookmakers in London and Bristol reported unusual betting patterns at an afternoon meeting. There was big money in the ‘place’ pool for traps two and six in the five runner field. As the dogs were being loaded into traps, Hare ordered the shut down of the place pool. Although the winner came from trap six, the 6-1 chance only just got home by a head from the 6-4fav in trap five with trap four finishing third in a three-way photo finish.

1946 Two owners of dogs disqualified for fighting prepare to take the NGRC to court. Both owners have paid £10 for the NGRC to review their cases – each claim that the dogs were the innocent victims of aggression from other dogs. However, the stewards refused the requests noting “there was nothing in the rules that allowed for an appeal.”

1959 The Greyhound Express Merit Trophy, a forerunner to the Racing Post Juvenile, is won by Armed Expert (Ballymac Ball-Little Expert, Jan 58). Trained by Ted Brennan at Sheffield, the brindle has previously won the North Of England Puppy Derby, the Criterion and the Manchester Puppy Cup. He covered the Wimbledon 500 yard course in 28.69. Fourth home is the Trafalgar Cup and future English Derby winner Duleek Dandy.