2015 The Totepool Jackpot goes ‘unwon’ when 6-1 chance Soviet Kenny was one of two runners not backed in the last leg – the final of the Coronation Cup at Romford. The winner’s pot was £141K. The pool eventually went to £870K when it was shared at Hall Green with each of the 201 £1 winning tickets (six selections) collecting £3,025.
1999 Champion sire Frightful Flash is put to sleep aged eight. He had developed cancer in a foreleg. Owned by Michael Dunne, the son of Eaglehawk Star and Leggy Waitress will be remembered as the dog who introduced Australian breeding to Ireland on a scale never seen before. The Victorian is best remembered as sire of the only English/Irish Derby winner Toms The Best though he left behind many fine stars including: (Sprinters) Fosse Way, Nervous Paddy, (Standard) Sonic Flight, Droopys Merson, Frisby Flash, Frisby Full, El Hombre, Fly Fright, Plasterscene Gem, Fervent Flash, Duffys Kestrel, Right To Apply, (Stayers) Lydpal Frankie, Guest In Time, Dilemmas Lad Early Flight, Bubbly Prince, Aranock Girl and (Marathoners) Redwood Sara, Smoking Barrel, Knappogue Oak, Let Us Know
1957 525 Track records: Brighton-Trabolgan Star (29.11), Harringay-Polonius (29.22), Perry Barr-Galtee Cleo (29.74), Walthamstow-Duet Leader (29.24), Wembley-Pauls Fun (28.91), West Ham-Coolkill Chieftain (28.65), White City-Pauls Fun (28.64)
1949 Wimbledon’s newly introduced rule, whereby every new dog joining the racing strength must trial once over the 725 yard course is reaping dividends. They are currently staging at least three staying races on every eight race card.
2003 Reading are offering a £500 reward for information leading to the recovery of their Macfinish equipment which was stolen in a burglary between Christmas and New Year.
1978 Lady Barbra, future dam of Irish Derby winner Kyle Jack and record breaker Squire Jones is sold at Shelbourne sales for 200 guineas.
1971 Southend management have handed in a petition with some 3000 signatures, to the local council. It is seeking permission to stage stock car and speedway racing, inside the greyhound track. The hope is that eventually they will be able to stage speedway derbies against nearby Rayleigh Rockets.
1934 Brood bitch Miss Anne produced six dogs and nine bitches by Demetrius. It is believed to be the biggest surviving litter of greyhounds recorded in the Stud Book.
2015 Leading ante post prices for the £250K to winner Greyhound Derby: 12-1 Laughil Blake, 33-1 Droopys Nidge, Newinn Yolo, 40-1 Swift Hoffman, Belles Direction, 50-1 Ballymac Brogan, Bubbly Zeus, Farloe Blitz, Lenson Sanchez, Mind The Net, Sidarian Blaze, Swift Keith, Roxholme Ted. . . . .and eventual winner Rio Quattro. (Farloe Blitz finished fourth in the final as the 8-11f).
1969 Exchange Telegraph, the agency who supply SP returns to the betting shops have stopped transmitting results until after six races have taken place at each London evening meeting for a three month trial period. The plan, first introduced at Walthamstow, and adopted at Harringay was to restrict off-course betting on evening race meetings. ET staff had previously threatened to boycott any track operating the delay.
2014 Dave Brawshaw is the new racing manager at Belle Vue after taking over from Bob Rowe. Meanwhile the ‘Barber’ dynasty comes to an end with Mick, who took over training from father Ron, due to cease training.
1991 After a spell at stud in the USA and in Europe, Ballyregan Bob leaves quarantine and returns to Britain.
1978 ‘Young Philip’ Rees is not offered a place at the forthcoming Trainers Championship meeting following a vote. Philip’s father Phil had finished among the top six trainers in 1977 but the panel decided that the invitation was not transferable following Phil’s retirement in December. George Curtis will take his place.
1968 After failing to get building permission for the Coventry track at Brandon, the owners are considering re-opening the stadium for greyhound racing after a four year closure. They have budgeted £40,000 to build a new grandstand.
2004 GRA release 40 of the Perry Barr non-contract trainers that it inherited when it bought the track from Maurice Buckland. Meanwhile Belle Vue dispense with the services of Yvonne ‘Thornfield’ Morris. Meanwhile Wimbledon’s Tom Foster hands in his contract to reduce his 68 runner graded strength to 20 open racers.
1957 Tim Forster finally gets his chance to become a GRA trainer. The 40 year old joined the company in 1933, became a head lad at Hall Green in 1937 and remained in that role for 20 years. He will take over at Harringay from Joe Pickering who transfers to White City.
2009 Derby sponsors Blue Square offer odds of 7-1 that the Wimbledon 480 metre record will go during the year, (it doesn’t) and 3-1 that an Irish dog will win the final (it doesn’t). They make Mark Wallis a 4-6 chance to retain the trainers championship – he does!
1980 Breeders Forum chairman David Poulter threatens to stand down following his latest skirmish with the BGRB. The Potters Barr based vet says: “Of course if nobody wants to take over I shall continue, but I feel the forum would benefit from a chairman who is less critical than me. I’m fed up with the British Greyhound Racing Board and agree with Lord Wigg that it is purely a track promoters’ association.”
1947 In a scheme to prevent off-course betting on their racing, Carntyne follow a scheme introduced at Coventry whereby trap draws are not conducted until 30 minutes before the start of a race.
1983 The newly formed Greyhound Writers Association hold their first lunch to determine the 1982 Greyhound of the Year title. It goes to the Terry Duggan trained Lauries Panther, winner of the Laurels and English Derby. The son of Shamrock Sailor finished with more than double the prize money of closest rival Huberts Shade with £32,280.
1957 Walthamstow grader Seod An Fhile finally won after two years on the graded strength. By coincidence, he was the first winner for new trainer Jerry Gray.
1949 Sheevan, (Bellas Prince-Honey Gale, Mar 46) reckoned by many to be the greatest bitch of her generation, lands her second Longcross Cup at White City. The Paddy Fortune trained fawn wins the White City £200 decider by eight lengths.
1969 Plans to put a greyhound track around the outside of the football pitch at Cheshunt FC, just north of London, are scuppered by an objection from the park committee on the local council.
1991 Owner Fred Smith’s prolific open race winner, Rapid Mover (Sand Man-Rapid Lady, Apr 85) who in 1987 had won the Scurry Gold Cup at Catford and the International at Dundalk, has been badly injured in a kennel fight with Atlantic Way, Tsetse Homer and 1988 Derby winner, Hit The Lid. Mover’s injuries are treated but he dies 14 hours later.
1979 Long Eaton become the 48th track racing under NGRC rules when they switch from independent racing to join the permit scheme. However within days that number slips back to 47 when the owners of Halifax (a group of businessmen who lease from the local cricket club), announce that the stadium will not re-open. It has been shut for a month due to ‘bad weather and lack of entries).
1984 Selection of Irish 525 yard track record holders: Clonmel – Game Ball (29.18), Cork – The Stranger (28.95), Dundalk – Summerhill Flash (29.42), Dunmore – Ringfad Flash & Blissful Pride (28.88), Harolds Cross – Romping To Work (28.86), Kilkenny – Lax Law (28.98), Limerick – Squire Jones (29.12), Newbridge – Some Skinomage (29.02), Shelbourne – Tantallons Gift (28.73), Thurles – Sailing Weather (29.20), Waterford – Peruvian Style & Lady Referee (29.28).
