REMEMBER WHEN – JANUARY

1955 Reading are to alter the first two bends, bringing them in 40 yards so the 525 yard has a longer run to the first bend. At present the straights are 135 yards long, one of the longest in the country, with the standard 525 yards start close to the first bend.

1983 Nearly two years after sustaining a ‘career ending’ injury in the Laurels Final, Echo Spark returns in a sprint open at Ipswich and wins by four lengths.

1988 January 26. Top lot at Shelbourne Sales is Claremount Moral. The future Harry Holmes Memorial winner wins his trial in 29.96 (.20 slow) and changes hands for 2,250 guineas.

1988 Stud dog Citizen Supreme is put to sleep aged eight following the discovery of a tumour. The former Bryce Wilson trained runner was retired after a handful of races with a broken hock. His most successful son was Greenpark Fox who later died with a similar illness.

1988 The Canada Dry Marathon final over 820 metres at Walthamstow has produced a grand line up for the £1,200 first prize, with five strong staying bitches against the solitary dog Role of Fame (Sand Man-Cashelmara, Aug 84). Mr Mabaalkhall’s Arthur Hitch trained runner, was positioned in fourth place for the first two bends, bumped back to fifth place for the next four bends but stormed down the back straight to lead at the seventh bend. He held off the challenge of First And Easy and Minnies Siren by three quarters of a length in 53.91.

1995 Sunday racing is introduced for the first time. Mildenhall hosted the first race which took place a few minutes after midnight on Saturday 8/Sunday 9. Nine tracks took advantage of the change in law. Within six months, most had scrapped the fixture.

1995 Powderhall ceases trading as trainers go on strike. The track never re-opens.

1997 GRA puts its personalised number plates on the market. GRA 1 has a price tag of £14,000.

1997 A dispute with trainer Dolores Ruth over the ownership of Derby winner Shanless Slippy is settled in favour of Frank McGirr at the High Court in Dublin.

2000 John Mullins takes over the trainer’s licence from moth Linda who retired after five straight wins in the trainers championship. At the annual awards ceremony in London, two weeks later, Linda receives the Lifetime Achievers award from the Greyhound Writers. Her home bred Palace Issue receives the Greyhound of the Year trophy and top British bred award. Nick Savva’s Celtic Lady is the top brood and Pat and Len Ponder are awarded the Owner of the Year title. Walthamstow are the Racecourse of the Year.

** But it isn’t all sweetness and light for the award winners. In the next seven days, Linda and trainer Paul Young are both reprimanded for withdrawing dogs from Sittingbourne when they considered the track unsafe- Len Ponder takes all his runners from trainer Ray Peacock and puts them with Seamus Cahill and Palace Issue’s owner Carol Williams describes her ‘Best British bred trophy’ as greatly inferior to the one she received for winning the Swansea Derby.

2000 Harlow racing manager and former Clapton and Harringay trainer Stan Gudgin retires aged 67.

2002 Top Savings is quoted as a 7-1 chance for the forthcoming English Derby following a near nine length win the Racing Post Juvenile. The 4-5f chance clocked 27.56 for Wimbledon’s 460 metres. Within 24 hours, Savings Derby price was cut to 5-1.

2002 Britain gets its first regular magazine TV show – and it is Irish. After proving a great success in Ireland, ‘Greyhound View’ gets a regular slot on SKY

2010 Wonder dam Mega Delight dies after contracting bone cancer. The amazing brindle, who died on January 19, was not, contrary to popular misconception, an Irish bitch. Indeed she is actually a ‘Jock’, bred by Alex McKenzie from Edinburgh. ‘Meg’ began her racing career in Ireland for John Kiely and was recommended to Nick Savva by stud keeper Richie O’Regan. She was bought for Bob Morton and joined Nick for whom she won a minor staying open at Milton Keynes.

But Nick was not convinced that she was entirely switched on and sent her to Seamus Graham in Ireland to re-school her. Seamus worked miracles. In 2002 she won the Evelyn 750, the Irish Cesarewitch, breaking the Mullingar 600 track record, the Corn Cuchulainn and was runner-up in the Irish Leger.

She returned to Nick for breeding and produced her first litter, by Nick’s beaten Derby favourite Sonic Flight in May 2003. Apart from the brilliant Westmead Hawk, the litter included Westmead Eagle, who was beaten a short head by Tyrur Ted in the Ladbrokes 600 and was also second in the Blue Riband. Also in the litter was Westmead Swift who reached a string of category one finals winning the Coventry Leger and later throwing Puppy Derby winner Westmead Logan, Peterborough Derby winner Lainedans Flyer, English Derby runner-up Westmead Guru and Henlow Puppy Derby winner Westmead Shaw.

Nine months after the Sonic litter, came a bunch by his half brother Larkhill Jo. It featured Westmead Joe who won three ‘Cat 1s’, plus Westmeads Olivia and Aoife who also won similar class. Nine of the litter won open races.

There were two litters by Droopys Kewell, the first (three pups) contained Derby winner Westmead Lord. The repeat featured Romford Puppy Cup winner Westmead Keawn.

Litter number five, by Toms The Best, was the most disappointing, though even then, nine of the litter won opens. Litter six were by Droopys Scolari. The litter featured Texacloth Puppy Cup winner Westmead Grant, Scottish Derby finalists Westmead Scolari and Westmead Bond, Henlow Silver Salver winner Westmead Palace plus Irish Derby plate winner Westmead Bolt.

Meg’s final litter, two of each by Droopys Maldini, were whelped in December 2008 which included Brighton Belle winner Westmead Melanie and Essex Vase winner Westmead Maldini.