1992 An enquiry is held into a BAGS race at Canterbury where five runners are found to have been doped. It is the start of an incredible tale of deceit, incompetence and failure. Incredibly, all six runners had all pre-race tested clean The five subsequent positives included 7-1 winner Jay Are were found to contain traces of ‘stopper’ Timolol in post race testing. The favourite, had not been allocated a regular race kennel, tested negative post race but still finished last. Bookies assess their liabilities on the race at in excess of £48K. BOLA advised its members not to pay out and eventually made the race void. At the resulting enquiry four months later, trainers Terry Rayment and Ray Dove are fined a total of £900. It emerges that the widespread betting on the race was on three-dog combinations (T2, T5, T6) forecasts and tri-casts resulting in the successful results 6-2-5 which returned at 7-1, 4-1, & 8-1. It also emerged that the original post race testing at Glasgow University had produced negative results. The positives were found after the NGRC were tipped off in a phone call and ordered more tests to attempt to trace the offending beta-blocker. One final revelation, BOLA were not even aware that an attempted coup had taken place until tipped off by the NGRC that they were suspicious of the race when the last three home had been beaten long distances. Within a month of the race taking place, the track had lost its BAGS contract. The track never prospered again and the attempted coup is seen by many as an apparent contributory factor to Canterbury’s eventual closure.
1988 February 17 Ipswich Stadium hold their last meeting. The track has been under threat of closure since the Citygrove Development Company won an appeal against Ipswich Borough Council in June 1987, refusing to allow the stadium to become a giant 40,000 sq ft Texas DIY store. But the speed of events take the stadium owner Bill Davis by surprise. He is given only a week’s notice to clear the site as best he can and sell off various odds and ends. Bill and his three brothers, who are in partnership, are thought to be receiving about £2m for the stadium. There is not time for a gala farewell meeting, but the very last race is won by Ventry Joe, owned by R Hart, trained by Albert Skelton. The 2-1 favourite wins over 440m in 27.03 by half a length.
2000 Hereward Carter, son of Sheffield general manager Jon, and a familiar face and pair of hands at the track, dies following a car accident. He was just short of his 21st birthday.
1990 The Irish Government announces that it is to return £3.5m in betting taxes to be “shared” between greyhound and horse racing. In reality, horse racing is actually given €3m of the total.
1992 Plans by promoters to embargo race results are scuppered by Ladbrokes tracks.
1974 February 7 The National Greyhound Racing Club has set up a Retired Greyhounds Trust to take over the home finding for retired greyhounds previously don by the Animal Welfare Trust. National organiser Phillip Berrow has joined the NGRC full time to establish and run the trust.
1968 February 3 Film star John Gregson has a puppy called Robins Flight (bd d Hack Up Chieftain-Pleasure Flight, May 66) trained by W France at London White City. He is having his first race and is leading at the second bend, but cramps up and finishes last.
1952 At Clonmel’s National Coursing Meeting, the Derby, worth £500 is won by John Riall’s brindle dog Rabard Rebel (Marine Parade-French Rebel, Apr 50) and the Oaks, also worth £500 to the winner goes to James O’Neill’s red and fawn bitch Shaggy Sixpence (Bad Penny-Shaggy Lad, Mar 50).
1936 February 8 The fifth race at Stamford Bridge is declared a no race when the hare stops at the third bend. When track staff investigate the cause, they find a rat jammed between the underground rail and the travelling shoe. They pronounce the rat quite dead.
1992 Kent bred Bobs Regan retained his Golden Jacket title when winning the ’92 final by 10 lengths in 46.10. Three days later Brian Timcke’s dog’s is voted the 1991 Greyhound of the Year. Born by caesarean after his dam experienced difficulties having successfully produced six pups, the brindle had been stolen at five months old but found alone and abandoned a week later at stables near Swanley.
1997 Nick Savva is subject to a local inquiry at Walthamstow into time finding. His 18 month old pup wins the first race backed from 9-4 to 7-4f and finds 73 spots. His name is Larkhill Jo.
Larkhill Jo – pic Steve Nash
1973 Commutering (Dusty Trail-No Mabel, Mar’69) showed his liking for the White City London course when he easily won the Grantham Stakes over 800 yards in 45.70. The Frank Melville trained runner (pictured) had previously won the Longcross Cup in 45.97.1990 The Sporting Life and Daily Mirror are announced as joint sponsors of the 1990 English Derby. The winner’s prize will rise by £10K to £40K.
