1993 Pineapple Magic is withdrawn “lame” by trainer Michael Compton after appearing to deliberately impede his opponents during various rounds of the Mirror/Life Derby. In the most recent episode, stewards had been specifically placed at the third bend in order to determine whether the dog fought. He didn’t. Magic was never seen on a track again amid suggestions that Compton had had the dog put to sleep.
2011 St Leger winner Droopys Bradley fractures a hock in a trial at Sunderland, signalling the end of his career.
1996 Romford announce the identity of their new racing manager. He is former Bolton boss Peter O’Dowd.
1965 Worksop bookie Bob Town chirps up that the will lay 500-1 about local sprinter Charming winning her first 535 yard race. Her owner accepts the challenge. The bookie back pedals by limiting the bet to ‘five bob’. “Done’ says the owner. A few minutes later Town is paying out £125 for his cockiness.
1949 The English and Irish Grand National winners Blossom Of Annagurra and Cappagh Chieftain meeting in a White City hurdle open. The race goes to the English winner ‘Blossom’ who wins by 10 lengths for Ramsgate trainer Sherry.
1984 Irish raider Dipmac, owned by Noel Ryan and Paschal Taggart, clocks the fastest qualifying heat of the Derby. The white and black defeats the heavily fancied Morans Beef in 29.34 for White City’s 500 metres. Other heat winners of interest: Westmead Milos (29.40), Back Garden (29.51) Brilliant Hope (29.55), Top Flash (29.58), Lauragh Shebeen (29.64), Rugged Mick (29.68), Game Ball (29.87), Hotsauce Mistake (future dam of Druids Johno-29.68), Powersville Jet (29.91) and Count Five (30.25). The list doesn’t include eventual winner Whisper Wishes who, as a 6-1 shot, is beaten by Amazing Man in 29.68.
1993 GRA’s senior racing manager orders the re-seeding of two runners following the first round of the Derby. The two railers given ‘W’s are Ardcollum Flash and Ringa Hustle. The latter, wins two of his next three races from the outside traps. For the final, where there are four seeded runners, he draws the white jacket and leads from trap to line.
1988 When Catunda Flame went to traps for a heat of the English Derby, his owner was listed as ‘Executors of R Kinsey’. Fortunately for owner Russ Kinsey, the announcement of his demise was premature. The Norton Canes trainer had recently suffered a heart attack and his dogs had been switched into the care of temporarily licensed Chris Dumpleton. At some stage a track official had presumed the worst and Russ was well enough to celebrate a 20-1 winner before eventually training the dog himself.
1970 Yarmouth increase the winner’s prize for the East Anglian Derby to £500. Entry fees are £15. Adjusted for inflation they would equate to £7,850 and £235 respectively.
1959 White City hare driver Sid Bowley retires after the Derby Final meeting. The former Royal Navy Chief Petty Officer, who was a gun instructor on submarines served in Suez during World War I but worked at three London tracks during World War II. He describes the Derby Final as his most memorable race. Mick The Miller famously won the final only for it to be declared void. He was beaten in the re-run a the end of the meeting. Sid recalls: “There was no Derby roar and everything seemed to have gone completely flat.”
2001 Gobarkingmad launch their digital TV channel with racing from Henlow and Stainforth (SKY 425). They also plan to introduce Australian and American greyhound racing.
1949 A report suggests that gambling on all sports bar football will have fallen by around a third since the peak betting year of 1946 where tote betting at greyhound tracks reached £199m. Horse race courses, which have not been taxed in the same way, report of 25% increase in tote betting.
1970 Two dogs currently on the UK racing strength, Perry Barr grader Satanita, and Derby entry Santanita. The latter is disqualified for fighting during Derby qualification trials. Also red-inked is Joe Booth’s Trafalgar Cup/Puppy Derby winner Sherwood Glen.
1988 Crayford introduce eight runner handicap racing to their BAGS cards.
1960 Romford stage a very low class 840 metre marathon. In trap five is a bitch who has just completed clearing trials with a 30.19 run for 525 yards at Wembley. Her previous three outings were all hurdle solos. In the last of them, she had “checked badly hurdles” and clocked 33.10 for the White City jumps course. Such was the substandard quality of the Romford event though that the 60 pounder was only a 9-2 chance. Trained by unattached trainer Pratt, the blue brindle and white got home by 11 lengths in a new track record of 48.79. The bitch’s name was Sallys Gossip. If the name sounds familiar it is because you can find her on the bottom line of the pedigrees of: Patricia’s Hope, Ballybeg Prim, Mutts Silver, Pineapple Grand, Spiral Nikita, Barnfield On Air, Lenson Joker, Borna Best, Eye Onthe Storm, College Causeway. . . .you get the picture.
