1953 Colonel Critchley, the GRA chairman announces that the company bred 320 pups the previous year. It is 17 years since the company “began an experiment” to breed greyhounds to supply their tracks. At present, 50 brood bitches are based at the company’s Longcross kennel in Surrey, and 30 at the Hook Kennels training establishment at Northaw in Hertfordshire. Roughly 200 pups are sent to be reared with farmers in Cumberland, 60 to Staffordshire and 25 to Westmoreland. At 12 months, the pups are sent to the company’s schooling track at Horley in Surrey. They are then distributed to the tracks. Critchley concedes that while he prefers dogs to be genuine to the McKee-Scott hare but not all greyhounds will chase “all-out” on that lure. Those that fail to show sufficient enthusiasm are sent to the company’s three tracks with inside Sumner hares: Manchester White City, Hall Green or New Cross. They are then sold on for sums between £80-£120 (index linked to roughly £1,800-£2,700), though the company retains the option to have them back for breeding at the end of their racing careers. In the last three months of 1952, some 68 young dogs joined kennels at the company’s nine stadia. Critchley concedes that there have been comparatively few champions produced by the company, the exceptions being Derby winner Greta Renee and the wartime ‘reserve Derby’ winner GR Archduke. Indeed ‘Critch’ concedes that company policy is deliberately aimed at producing a high percentage of genuine chasers to “suit the pocket of the average small owner” rather than looking for high quality. He also believes that it will be impossible to compete with the top Irish breeders since all the top sires are in Ireland (Mad Tanist, Bellas Prince, and, ironically, the British bred Bahs Choice) and the cost of sending broods to the top dogs is prohibitive. Although GRA own a small breeding kennel in Naas, the majority of the pups are reared in England. “Second reason, that in the formative stage a meat diet is essential in the rearing of superlative trackers, and it is impossible to produce this in this country. (Meat rationing has been a major issue during the past 15 years).
1984 Ger McKenna lands his first Waterloo Cup with Tubbertelly Queen. The 9-1 ante post favourite became the first bitch to land the event since 1929.
2013 Horse race trainer Mark Johnston discovered the heartbreak of greyhound ownership when his Pelaw grader Affection fails to live up to her name and is suspended for deliberate interference. After a lengthy lay-off, she goes on to complete her clearing trials and win races.
1966 Gateshead, which operates on the site of the town’s football club, closes down. The move had been anticipated following the recent purchase of the parent company by the Totalisator Group which owns Brough Park. Also in the North East, South Shields, recently expelled by the NGRC for a series of failing, including poor equipment, goes into liquidation. On a brighter note, the new owners of Stockton-on-Tees announce that their new £12,000 purchase will continue to trade.
2013 After initially dismissing claims of a fraudulent race at Dundalk two years earlier, the Irish Greyhound Board accept the findings of a report, produced by former NGRC chief Frank Melville, into the alleged use of a ‘ringer’. The case concerned a 13 length win by a greyhound racing as Mays Hurryonboy. “The new investigation revealed discrepancies in the markings of the greyhound in question as recorded by the photo finish and those recorded in the official identity card. Furthermore, among other things, it revealed how the Race Management System (its central database used by tracks) was manipulated to undermine industry regulations.”
2000 John Gibbons becomes the latest trainer to depart Catford citing financial reasons. He states “there has only been once increase in prize money in eleven years.” His departures follows in the wake of David Mullins, Peter Rich, Roy Towner, Pat Thompson and John Honeysett.
1934 Wembley hold a gala evening to celebrate their 1,000th greyhound meeting. The feature event is a match race between top stars Deemster’s Lad and Hunted Courier. Following the meeting will be a dinner and cabaret.
1970 Brough Park star Shady Begonia (Pigalle Wonder-Castle Swan, May 66) is retired to stud. Trained by Norman Oliver, his victories included the TV Trophy, Recently, Cock of the North and Pride of the Midlands. The white and brindle also held the records for 550, 725 and 880 yards at his home track. Plans to send the dog to Ireland are thwarted with an eight month quarantine period currently in operation.
1996 Armed raiders robbed guests at Clonmel’s Hotel Minella at 2.20am on the first day of the coursing festival. Many thousands of pounds were taken by a gang with Dublin accents. Coursing was unaffected the following morning where a massive gamble saw Tullamore backed from 7-1 to 5-2 favourite. The coloured dog eventually won out.
1949 The NGRC issue a new definition of ‘English bred’. (Not ‘British’ bred!). To qualify a pup must have been born in either England, Scotland, Wales or Northern Ireland AND its dam having been registered in the Greyhound Stud Book.
1982 The NGRC ban nine greyhounds including Bourkes Champion (who had just beaten Greyhound of the Year Decoy Boom in a TV Trophy Trialstake) after discovering that one of the joint owners Mrs L Grace (maiden name), is married to a man who was jailed in 1966 for conspiring to dope greyhounds. Peter Hubbard was never banned by the NGRC due to an administrative oversight.1996 Lord Kimball is voted out of office as BGRB chairman – largely by track promoters.
1957 J W Gill and F H Ford’s Good Fortune (fd Large As Life-Forest Vixen, Apr 51) is having his 250th race at Park Royal. He has won 55 of them. Although he runs well, he has to settle for second place, 1 1/2 lengths behind. His career earnings to date are £1,480. (indexed to £14,280)
1968 Roger Cearns, son of Wimbledon MD John Cearns, marries actress Penny Spencer.
1966 Hackney bookies feel under pressure when an eight-race graded card sees winners returned at 4-7f, 1-3f, 1-2f, 4-11f and 2-5f.
2000 Wayne Wrighting is granted a temporary training licence as his guvnor Gordon Hodson battles cancer.
1983 ICC stewards launch an investigation into the death of Coursing Derby quarter finalist Baron Luck. The Anne Power bred and trained dog had been found in a distressed state in the stables prior to the quarter final. He was due to compete against litter brother Autumn Crystal who duly ran a bye course before going on to win the stake.
1972 Trainer Charlie Coyle is fined £20 by the NGRC for ’time finding’ in an open race. The stewards took exception after Coyle’s Doreens Dolores had won a Catford stayers open by nearly nine lengths. The well backed 2-1 favourite recorded 35.48 for the 610 yards, just five days after trialling in 36.80. Swindon trainer M Hunt was disqualified for six months at the same session. No details were given of Mr Hunt’s misdemeanour who was tried under rule 174 (g) which states the stewards “have the power at any NGRC inquiry to disqualify and/or warn off any person, without necessarily assigning a reason for so doing”.
2015 Frances Chandler, modern matriarch of the Chandler family, passed away. Mrs Chandler was the widow of former Stow GM Charles Chandler snr., and mother of former Racecourse Promoters Chairman, Charles jnr. One of three sisters, who married three Chandler brothers, Frances was a keen racing and coursing enthusiast who regularly attended the family owned track at Walthamstow before its closure and was rumoured to be furious over the sale of the stadium. Also one of the industry’s most successful owners over 40 years, her dogs included Greyhound of the Year Magourna Reject and Irish Derby winner Sole Aim.
2018 Skywalker Tuco looks to be a new star after going unbeaten through the Rural Hawaii Unraced at Clomel clocking a calculated 28.65 in the final. Sadly he breaks down in his next race and never runs again.
1957 Coolkill Chieftain (Celtic Chief-Coolkill Darkie, Jan 52) dies suddenly at Jack Harvey’s kennel. A holder of the West Ham 525 yard and Wimbledon 500 yard track records, his victories included the 1954 Laurels and Stewards Cup. He was withdrawn as a short priced favourite from the St Leger final with a gastric problem. The following year he won the Wood Lane and ran third in the English and Welsh Derbys. Although he was at stud very briefly, without him, there would have been no Super Rory or Skipping Chick to name but two.
1969 Track records: Brighton 525y-Kans (28.71), 725y-Russian Tip (40.43), 880y-Spectre II (50.09), Charlton 415y-Carry On Oregon (23.36), 600yds-Crazy Paving (34.34), Mothel Duchess-775y (45.87), Hall Green 525y-Kilbeg Kuda (28.75), 700y-The Grand Canoe (39.42), 880y-The Cherry Tree (51.46), Harringay 525y-Yellow Printer (28.60), 525yH Tonys Friend (29.58), 700y-Westpark Quail (39.69), 900y-Poor Mick (52.84), Belle Vue 525y Rushton Spot (27.73), 700y-Mighty Kern (40.07), 880y-Meteoric (50.94), Perry Barr 525y-Discretions (29.24), 700y-Brandy Soda (39.90), Romford 460y-Yellow Dew/Westpark Jupiter (25.51), 650yds Shamrock Clipper/Cullen Era (36.42), Walthamstow 500y Westpark (27.60), 525y-Some Cheatha (28.95), 700yds Hong Kong Bay (39.91), White City 525y Yellow Printer (28.30), 550y-Monalee Champion (29.82), 525yH Lucky Orange (29.34), 725y-Hiver Whitenose (40.50), 880y-Poor Mick (49.83), 1025y-Greenville Fauna (58.60), Wimbledon 500y-Shady Parachute (27.57), 700y-Hurry On Cleo (39.58), 880y-Greenville Fauna (51.04).
1934 West Ham’s first open race behind their new ‘trackless’ hare will have £100 prize money (equivalent to around £8,500 today) added to the £3 entry fees.
