1993 The British Greyhound Racing Trust Fund (late the BGRF) unveil their first ever budget. Of the £830,000 collected in the first year, £210,000 (25.3%) goes to drug testing/’Flying Squad’, a further £248,000 (29.9%) goes to chromatography. £180,000 (21.7%) goes in grants to tracks, £100,000 (18%) goes to prize money, £50,000 (9%) goes towards a national inter-track and £42,000 (5%) to the RGT. The prize money allocation is distributed ‘on a pro-rata basis’ states chairman Lord Kimball. “The smaller tracks each share at least £1,000!”
1981 A report by Glasgow University states that within three years of its introduction to Britain, parvovirus has gain ‘endemic’ status. Indeed, the report suggests that in kennels where the disease is rampant, it may be necessary to inoculate pups at eight, twelve and sixteen weeks.
2012 Romford announce a plan to revamp graded hurdle racing. With prize money for H1 pushed to £150 (£35 others), all eight local trainers agree to supply jumpers.
1960 Owner Mick Burke decides to retire Springvalley Grand to stud after the dog completed the Irish Produce Stakes/Easter Cup double. The ‘most popular dog in Irish racing’ attracted the biggest crowd ever seen at Clonmel track. Interestingly, the dog was originally sold, at six weeks old, to Paddy Dunphy (of ‘The Grand’ prefix) but Dunphy changed his mind and took a litter brother instead when he was told that Springvalley was blind in one eye.
1990 Ernie Gaskin jnr is taken to hospital following a knife attack. The incident occurred after a boxer dog being escorted by a young girl attacked greyhounds being walked by the Walthamstow head lad. The girl was admonished by Gaskin. However, the girl’s father made his way to the kennel and attacked Gaskin causing stomach and head injuries. He was later charged with grievous bodily harm.
1937 June 5 The Welsh Derby is run for the first time at is new home Cardiff Arms Park, having transferred from Cardiff White City. The 525 yard race worth £115 10s to the winner, goes to K Aspinall’s Genial Radiance. The 3-1 chance, trained privately by J W Day, clocks 30.15.
1948 Atomic Rebel set a new Derry 720 yard record with a run of 40.96. It remain on the record books for over almost 30 years when Bord na gCon decided that the local stewards must have made a mistake and awarded the record to Ventry Guide 41.36. There was never any evidence that Atomic Rebel’s record was incorrect; it was known that he also had 41.26 and 41.18 winning form over the same course and distance though this too was dismissed by the Bord.
1950 Wimbledon introduce a breakthrough in photo finish technology. Until now, the print merely showed the position of the dogs crossing the winning line. The new system, which goes virtually unchanged for the next 50 years, also shows times along the bottom of the print to coincide with the time that each dog has recorded as he crosses the winning line. In a separate development, GRA’s Francis Gentle tells the Royal Commission on Gaming that it costs £2,000 per year to operate a photo finish system (index linked to roughly £84,000).
1928 June 23 Bournemouth hold their first meeting at Victoria Park. A large crowd turn up for the six-race meeting where bookmakers are banned and there is Tote betting only. In the fourth race, a large thrush flies straight across the track, only an inch or so from the greyhounds’ faces. The shock makes some stop to fight. The race is void and re-run. In the fifth race, a 525 yard hurdle, the greyhounds, go under the barriers, instead of over them. Another re-run. In the sixth another 525 yard hurdle, the dogs bunch at the second bend and crash into the hare rail. This is void and is not re-run due to failing light.
2011 Albert Draper, successful owner and father of Barrie and Trevor dies after a short illness aged 82. – pic Steve Nash
1962 The Grand Canal is retired to stud after winning the most valuable English Derby ever, worth £3,000 to the winner. Bred, owned and trained by Paddy Dunphy from the The Grand Bar, Castlecomer, Co Kilkenny the dog was sold as a pup by the breeder and then bought back for £300. ‘Sandy’s’ career record was 26 wins from 40 races and his winnings would total £6,000 including the Easter Cup, Anglo Irish and Gimcrack. Canal won the final from the front and beat Powerstown Prospect by a length in 29.09. The runner-up had not been among the 36 accepted runners and only won his qualifier by a short head. He had also contested the 700 yard Wembley Gold Cup Final between the first and second rounds of the Derby. Third home Dromin Glory had been bought to run as a grader to enable his two owners to get free admission to Clapton. He had cost 210 guineas at Shelbourne sales.
1947 Only seven British bred greyhounds were considered fastest enough for the 48 first round Derby places, but four reached the semi finals, including eventual winner, the Milwall bred, Trevs Perfection.
1972 Fred Warrell makes the biggest ever offer for a greyhound when he bids £14,000 (£235K today) for the odds on English Derby favourite, Super Rory (Yellow Printer-Laharn Beauty, Oct 70). But owner Judith Thurlow, turns the offer down. Super Rory was beaten in the final and also defeated in the Welsh and Scottish Derby finals by the same greyhound, Patricias Hope.
1936 The 1934 Irish Derby winner Roving Yank (Roving Bunty-Yankee Island) has crossed the Irish Sea and is now kennelled at Wembley with J Callanan. Owner W Dunne has already turned down a tempting offer of £1,200 (equiv. today £101,380) for his dog and is aiming for two of the forthcoming classics, the Laurels and the St Leger.
1982 Hi Land Fly, an 800 guineas bargain at Cork sales sets a new track record for Wembley’s 655 metres.
1940 June 1 One of the few English classic finals run off during World War II was the Gold Collar, over 440 yards at Catford. The final with a first prize of £350 – £150 down on the previous year – went to Mr V Joy’s 100-7 outsider, Cash Balance (Battle Fare-Lottery Lark). The Wembley trained runner won in 25.74.
1959 Following an excellent year of trading GRA announce that the staff at their kennels will all receive a bonus equivalent to one week’s wages. Tote staff who have been with the company since the start of the year will receive an extra night’s wages.
1928 June 9, Bristol Bedminster track hold their first meeting. Situated at South Liberty Lane, a stone’s throw from Ashton Gate football ground, the horseshoe-shaped track has distances of up to 500 yards, around two bends only. A crowd of some 2,000 see G Armstrong’s Garrymore Breeze from trap 5 win the first race in 28.80. a week later on June 16, Bristol Eastvillle hold their first meeting before a crowd of 5,000.
2007 Wimbledon stewards decide to test all the greyhounds in two Derby heats after drugs for the treatment of human diabetes are found in the paddock area. When the results are finally returned, the samples, which include two for dogs due to contest the Derby quarter finals, are found to be negative.
1940 June 13, At Southampton’s afternoon meeting, the back of the programme says: “On the sounding of an Alert, Greyhound Racing will continue. An official spotter is employed who will give a warning of the approach of hostile aircraft, when an announcement will be made through the loud speakers, in such an event all betting will cease immediately, and if the greyhounds are on parade, they will return return to the paddock. When the Spotter notifies the danger is passed the meeting will continue.”
1983 The Greyhound Stud Book announce that following discussions with the NGRC, neither organisation are prepared to register dogs with names beginning with ‘A’ or ‘The’ – hence names like ‘The Grand Canal’ or ‘The Black Merc’. Similarly they will not allow dogs to be registered with initials, a popular concept in America, most recently and notably thanks to DDs Jackie who overtook Unruly’s record career earnings with a pot of $193,319
1939 A new system for determining the runners in the English Derby is introduced. They will be seeded by the White City racing manager and only the top 48 will be allowed to compete.
1973 Trainer Natalie Savva sent out five open race winners at four different tracks on Bank Holiday Monday afternoon. Westmeads Hall and Mia won at Hall Green – the latter breaking the 700 yard track record. Drynham Rocket won at Hackney, Dallas Harmony was successful at Southend and Vals Nip did the business at Willenhall.
1993 American Richard Conole announces that he has discovered a method for extending the life of canine semen without freezing it. He describes the process as “chilling” semen.
2002 A SKY interview with Frank Jackman, on behalf of the Union of Greyhound Owners is cancelled at the apparent insistence of GRA chairman Jarvis Astaire. BGRB chief executive Geoffrey Thomas later claims that he ordered the censorship. SKY then claim that they themselves chose to cancel the interview are were not swayed by any pressure.
2003 Geoffrey Thomas the BGRB Chief Executive resigns. It is only three months since the collapse of the New Deal initiative and two weeks after a letter written by Thomas and criticised by his fellow directors, appeared in the Racing Post. Thomas left with a reputed six figure severance package. Within a month, BGRB director Jarvis Astaire receives a vote of ‘no confidence’ from his fellow directors.
1950 Red Wind, the 2-1ante post favourite, is White City Racing Manager Percy Brown’s no.1 seed for the English Derby. Ballymac Ball is no.2. The pair meet in the semis where Red Wind finishes fourth and lame. Ball (7-1) finishes second but goes on to win the final. Had Red Wind not gone lame, the whole incident could have become a media circus because the announcement of a crown court trial alleging Red Wind was a ‘ringer’ was made between the Derby semis and final. He would have contested the final but for that shoulder injury.
1961 Two future Wimbledon trainers Paddy McEvoy (Clapton) and Phil Rees (private) saw their runners dominate the Derby Final – they were the only two finalists who had won a qualifier. McEvoy’s Palms Printer (7-4) cut inside Oregon Prince (6-4f) at the last bend before pulling away for a length and a quarter victory in 28.88. The winner is owned by Plaistow greengrocers, the Heale family, with father Alf landing a £22,000 gamble (index linked to £428,000 at today’s values). Days later it emerged that Heale had offered the Derby trophy to veteran owner George Flintham, who had been attempting to win the race for 31 years with no success. Flintham explained “There was no attempt at publicity. He simply told a third person that the trophy was mine if I wanted it. I couldn’t take it, I wouldn’t dream of it, but he still wants me to have it.” When questioned, Heale told the press: “I read somewhere that he had said he would give anything to possess the Derby trophy, so I said to the wife ‘lets offer it to him’. George is such a great sportsman and I so admire him for the way he never gives up trying to win the biggest race in greyhound racing and I’d do anything to help him to win it. If anyone deserves that trophy its George Flintham. We don’t mind parting with the trophy. We are in the game for sportsmanship, not glory.”
1990 The owner of Mandys Girl lumped on his bitch in the first race at Hinckley. She went to traps at 4-7f but missed her break and finished third behind a 17.36 winner. Baffled by her poor run, he decided to take the last remaining spot in a sprint open on the last race of the card. Totally friendless in the betting – her owner had empty pockets – Mandy romped up by four lengths in 16.99.
2002 El Tenor, the most prolific open race winner of all time (102) and the most famous hurdler since Sherrys Prince dies from a stroke aged eight at Linda Mullins kennel.
EL TENOR is pictured with Kelly Mullins (dad of Callum Field-Mullins). Hall Green 13.4.99 pic STEVE NASH
