2002 GRA do not share racing manager Tony Killingbeck’s sense of humour after he gives unusual titles to a series of forthcoming minor opens the ‘Memo Man Maiden’, ‘Send A Memo Bob Stakes, the ‘Unpenalised Winner’ stake and the ‘We Upgrade Them Hurdle’. Taxi for Mr Killingbeck.
1975 A new independent track opens at Brean in Somerset.
1959 Racing journalists question whether July 4 set a record for records with no less than six track records were broken on the same night on four different tracks. The most notable was Mile Bush Pride’s 11 length win in the Welsh Derby where he took 40 spots off the 525 yard clock with a 28.80 run.
2008 Walthamstow host a benefit meeting in aid of local trainer Gary Baggs who is battling cancer. It raises around £70,000.
1964 In the Oaks final at Harringay, Cranog Bet (Knockhill Chieftain-Don’t Be, Jan 62) equals her own track record of 29.02 when winning the event for the second year in a row, by 13 lengths at 4/9 favourite, trained privately by Phil Rees. Peace Sprite, trained by Jim Quinn at Perry Barr, finishes fourth and goes on to win the Midlands Oaks at Kings Heath by seven lengths in a track record of 27.08 for the 495 yards trip.
2011 Sittingbourne and Poole are the hosts tracks for the introduction of Sunday night BAGS racing.
1957 Wembley are to follow the lead of Walthamstow in replacing their white lure with a brown one. Also, following trials, they black out the top half of the starting traps leaving the bottom 15 inches clear. The aim is to see if dogs remain calmer and trap more consistently.
2000 Monmore are hammered by the NGRC after inadvertently scheduling grader Oaklands Susie to run in two different graded races. They are fined £750. They are also reprimanded for ‘excessive’ use of sampling resources.
1989 A year on from their first major expansion which double the size of the main grandstand, Peterborough announce that Saturday night attendances have risen from an average of 450 to around 700 and they are struggling to cope. As a result and following that initial investment of £500,000, promoter Rex Perkins announces that plans have already been filed for a £300,000 extension to take the grandstand over the top of the kennels and into the last bend.
1963 Stan Barrett’s Derby and Scurry winners Lucky Boy Boy and Lucky Joan II are drawn in the same Laurels trialstake alongside Welsh Derby winner Fairy Chum and Grand Prix winner Mondays Ranger. All four are beaten by 10-1 shot Bulgaden Glory (10-1) who had been beaten in both the Derby and Scurry finals.
2011 Peterborough plans to reduce trouble in their Derby by requiring all runners to trial over the Derby course come to nothing when four runners in the fourth heat are beaten a distance.
1937 Syd Hyams, owner of Gold Collar winner Avion Ballerino, puts on two parties for 4,000 children with 2,000 being entertained at the troxy in Stepney and a similar number invited to the Trocadero at Elephant and Castle.
1965 Bord na gCon have amended their rules of fighting to prevent dogs running instant clearing trials. From now on, no dog can trial within seven days of its disqualification. Also, it cannot run its second clearing trial on the same day as the first. Britain retains its ‘three trial’ rule.
1952 Bristol tracks Eastville and Knowle are the latest to apply for permission to race under rule 45a. This allows tracks to call the winner for betting purposes on a ‘first past the post’ rule. Wimbledon’s application was refused by the stewards. The rest of the London tracks will continue to call ‘no race’ where dogs fight during a race.
1972 On course betting tax is reduced from 5% to 4%. Tracks take advantage of law changes by increasing their tote deductions from 12.5% to 16.5%.
1958 Local trainer Tommy Johnston landed the Scottish Derby at Carntyne with Just Fame. Beaten in the afternoon heats, the 4-1 chance was 14 spots slower in the final but got home by a neck.
1947 Wembley cancel the Ascot Stakes due to insufficient entries. The one-off has entry fees of £5 (index linked to £211) with £120 (£5,064) to the winner plus a trophy valued at £100 (£4,220).
1965 Monalee King, sold for £2,000 between the semis and final of the Wexford Leger duly lands the £350 decider for new owner Terry Rogers. The son of Odd Venture and Sheila At Last had set a new Enniscorthy 550 clock of 30.60 earlier in the event.
1971 There is a bit less of the greatest hurdler of all time following a first bend accident. Sherrys Prince (‘Nookie’ to all the Northaw staff), hit the rail at the first bend and following the race, it was discovered that six inches of tail had been chopped off.
