1946 Hall Green takes a two month winter break from December 28. All racing dogs will be kept free of charge in the stadium kennels.
1988 Thames TV’s documentary Greyhound, filmed at Nick and Natalie Savva’s kennel over a period of 18 months is broadcast. It follows the lives of a litter of six members of a litter by Flashy Sir out of Westmead Tania. Although the programme is well received, a decision by the producers to include a post script saying that the dam had subsequently died while in whelp for another litter causes a backlash from welfarists.
2013 IGB chief executive Adrian Neilan announces he plans to leave the agency in mid January.
1933 Greyhound racing is booming. In the previous year, the number of NGRC tracks has risen to 58 due to the opening of Aberdeen, Blackpool, Derby, Gloucester, Nottingham White City, Slough, Stamford Bridge, Southend and South Shields. The year also saw the introduction of the first Produces Stakes. The first was held at Catford, and the second at White City. It was won by Denham Robin, who also won the Puppy Derby and was second to Grey Raca in the Trafalgar Cup.
1946 John Maher and Michael Nolan, both of Carrick-on-Suir are each claiming breeders prizes amounting to several hundred pounds for the winning of Mondays News. Maher bred the litter but Nolan owned the dam, Mondays Next.
2003 Just 10 days after landing the Oaks with Cooly Panera, trainer Brian Clemenson completes a category one double with Orient Ron winning the Essex Vase.
1935 When it comes to power, the Catford and Glasgow Albion racing managers, lead the military fields in 1935. Racing managers: Cardiff: Captain W M Brodie, Catford: Lieutenant Colonel A J Vernon DSO MC, Clapton: Major C E R Moss, Derby Captain HT Tester MC, Glasgow Albion: Lieutenant Colonel C D Mears MVO, Gloucester: Major E M Watts, Hove: Captain W Thursby, Portsmouth: Major H Carew MBE MC, Sheffield (Darnell): Lieutenant Comm-ander C Cornwell RN, Wembley: Captain A E Brice. West Ham: Captain W J Neilson MC, White City: Major Percy Brown.
1988 Trainer Harry Williams is refused trials at Kevin Wilde’s Brough Park after criticising the standard of runner in BAGS races.
2012 Ricky Holloway is told his runners will no longer be accepted for open races at Hove after he withdraws two runners from the National Hurdle due to “staffing issues”.
1988 George Curtis and Ballyregan Bob are the guests of honour at a South London betting shop as SIS launch their live greyhound broadcasting service.
1995 John Cox, former trainer at Wembley, Slough, Reading and Oxford, dies of a suspected heart attack.
1983 An attempt at race fixing at Dunmore is averted when sheets of black perspex are spotted in three of the traps, including two of the market leaders, for the final of the Smirnoff Puppy Cup. The race eventually went to Killlowna Gem.
1949 West Flagler racing manager Tom Benner introduces the grading system which will become the standard for American tracks to this day. The eight grades are AA, A, B, C, D, E, F & G and dogs are up or downgraded on the basis of their positions in the race and not their times.
2012 The GTA are to be allowed places on four GBGB committees. They will be Mark Wallis (racing), Jim Reynolds (regulatory), Linda Jones (welfare) and Michael Reynolds (track safety).
1933 White City is shut briefly after a gyrocopter crashes into electric light cables.
1951 Wartime favourite Ballynennan Moon, rated second only to Mick The Miller in terms of popularity dies aged 12 at trainer Sidney Orton’s kennel.
1977 The NGRC announce the start of what will be a 35 year battle over the use of season suppressants. In a notice in the Calendar, the stewards note that the use of ‘the pill’ may affect racing performance and that in future enquiries, the use of a suppressant will not act as a defence in terms of variation of performance.
1948 Kilburn based Shermerdine and Mulley are adverting sets of aluminium starting traps, (indistinguishable from the bow-fronted boxes seen on tracks today). For the UK market, a set of six-traps will set you back £135 (equivalent to £4,715). The eight-trap sets, which are exported to the USA cost £170 (£5,940). The automatic start equipment retails at £75 (£2,600).
1995 John Coleman finishes champion trainer after amassing some 818 points. Natalie Savva is next with 471 followed by Charlie Lister on 448.
2011 Hills announce that the 2012 English Oaks Final will rise from £6,000 to £15,000. The St Leger will also be worth £15,000, from £8,000.
1988 Julius Caesar, bred by sisters Jean and Linda (Mullins) Chapelle is inducted into the NGA Hall of Fame in Kansas.
1948 Figures for the year reveal that the most expensive litter sold at auction were the four dogs and four bitches by Jealous Retort our of Maeysdd Merrylips who made 1,635 guineas. Roughly equivalent to £60,000.
2009 Ward Lovett are unveiled as the sport’s new PR agency replacing Freerange Communications.
2012 With three weeks prior to the closure of the track, GRA ask that Oxford’s remaining BAGS fixtures be cancelled. Meanwhile GBGB announce that trainers will receive £84 ‘redundancy’ for every greyhound that was on the strength in the final month of trading.
1939 At Coventry, the Eclipse Stakes final, worth £100 and trophy to the winner, sees four runners from Wimbledon line up against one local and one from Wembley. C Coombes’ Selsey Cutlet, trained at Wembley, sees off the evens favourite Junior Classic and the rest to win the 525 yards in 30.65.
1988 Slieve Donard is withdrawn from a Wembley open after producing a positive dope test. Two hours later, a second test gives a negative result. Interestingly, the greyhound is trained by future NGRC stipendiary steward Irene McNally who is fined £200.
