2009 The GBGB officially takes over the running of the greyhound industry. It has nine named directors (the veterinary director is still to be verified). Within 13 months only six will remain following the death of Stuart Locke-Hart and the resignations of Ian Reynolds and Ian Taylor. There are to be five directors of the Greyhound Regulatory Board – only two are in situ – the previously named Reynolds and Taylor.
1987 NGRC boss Fred Underhill is awarded an OBE in the New Year’s honours list.
1986 Jim Howlett and Derek Allen’s Glin Bridge dies. The brindle and white dog, whelped in Nov 72 by Spectre-Shore Susie and trained by George Curtis, was a prolific open race winner. He scored 33 wins, including the Ladbroke Golden Jacket, in a short space of time. He also took on and won three match races against Dancing Dolores, Lizzies Girl and Streaky Sheila. At stud, he was a tremendous success and was top sire for many years. He fathered more than 1,800 pups.
1973 First Case won the Cambridgeshire Final at White City much to the surprise of cheapside punters. A blanket of fog was so dense that the home straight was invisible from the far side of the tracks. Race comments for all six runners were “Fog”.
2003 Mildenhall racing manager Mike Hill launches a furious attack on the NGRC after 73 year old pensioner trainer Douglas Manning, who has never had a stewards enquiry previously, is fined £500 for a positive dope test in a graded race worth £25. Hill appeared as a witness for the trainer and explained that the substance found salicylic acid had come from a non-prescribed liniment on open sale on dog vans.
1992 Canterbury scrap eight-dog races when tote turnover drops lower than for six-runner fields. However they will remain on BAGS cards.
2014 Hove follow sister track Romford by increasing their open race win prize money from £175 to £200 (£30 also rans).
1935 The NGRC bring in a raft of rule changes following the re-opening of track totalisators. They are – all hurdles races to be staged with six runners instead of eight; eight runner fields are allowed on the flat. The experiment lasts less than a year. Only one track entertains six runner hurdle fields, and the rule is then amended to that limit. Eight runner races are even less popular with very few tracks prepared to replace their ‘six runner’ totalisator machines to allow for it.
1969 The great Pigalle Wonder (right) dies two months short of his 13th birthday at Ger McKenna’s kennel in Borrisocane. During his career he smashed 525 yard track records at White City, Wembley, Harringay and Carntyne and 550 clocks at Powderhall and White City. He threw two Irish Derby winners, Russian Gun and Wonder Valley, and Coursing Derby winner Dilies Pigalle.
2008 Barnfield On Air was backed at 1-3 on the betting exchanges but it was Spiridon Louis who came away with the 2007 Greyhound of the Year award at London’s Royal Lancaster Hotel (17 votes to 9). The Lorraine Sams trained, Gail May owner dog also won the Top Stayer, Top Marathon Greyhound and Top British bred awards. His victories included the Regency, TV Trophy and St Leger. The dinner raised in excess of £10,000 for home finding with Romford owner Geoff Bowmer stumping up £7,250 for a three month old pup.
1949 With a 1pm strike threatened by London’s omnibus, trolleybus and tram drivers, Greyhound Express publishes a list of alternative train routes for the 18 affected tracks in the capital. Despite their best efforts though most tracks report crowds down by around 50% for the New Years Day meeting.
1971 The previous year’s Irish National Sprint winner Gaultier Swank (Yanka Boy-Gaultier Hi) is sold at Walthamstow’s Anglo-Irish sale despite not turning up on the day. An airline strike meant it was two days after he had been sold for 1,200 guineas before Swank could run his 30.40 solo trial.
1937 A team of dogs supplied by GRA are narrowly beaten in the second of a series of challenges against South African dogs in Johannesburg.
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.
1992 Following a change in the law the previous month, Ladbrokes increase their tote deductions at Crayford and Monmore to between 19.6% and 19.7% (from 17.5%) for forecast and trio pools. The win pool drops to 16.8%. Legally, tracks can now deduct up to 29%. The Coral and GRA tracks have already increased their retentions to rates up to 25%.
1951 Drastic O’Leer, rated by many as the best stayer in training, struggles on her return to 550 yards in the Longcross Cup final and she fails to land her ninth consecutive open race. The daughter of Bahs Choice was purchased as a sapling by her owner for a mere 35 guineas.
1992 Canterbury play host to a new live TV Channel – Sportscast. The five televised races will be broadcast in 1,500 clubs and pubs.
2010 The Irish Greyhound Board are holding an inquiry into the running of Dundalk winner Mays Hurryonboy who won his first race by 13 lengths in 28.40 an improvement of 2.39 seconds on his qualifying trial.
1991 Slaneyside Hare catches Summerhill Super for an impressive win in the Sporting Life Juvenile in 27.76 for Wimbledon’s 460 metres. However following the race, it is discovered that he has fractured a wrist.
1992 ITV produce “pleasing” figures for their recent comedy series Gone To The Dogs starring Harry Enfield, Jim Broadbent and Sheila Hancock. The programme makers assess viewer numbers at between 8.5 million rising to over 9 million by the end of the series. Harry Enfield pictured with the three-legged star, Chloe.
