1953 Walthamstow has its first ever triple dead heat when Funny Manner, Dark Dormant and Imperial Bouncer cross the line in unison with the fourth placed runner beaten half a length.
2013 Betfair announce that they are to suspend their payments to the British Greyhound Racing Fund. They currently pay in the region of £800K per year. The exchange claim their on-line competitors are not paying into the fund.
1961 In a review of the failure of his dogs to run well in the Flagler International, Lesley Reynolds focuses on three main difficulties: the Florida climate, the sand track, and the banked bends, which Reynolds believes was “80%” of the problem.
1998 Former permit track Spennymoor, which was already closed due to a blaze earlier in the year, is completely wiped out by a second bigger fire.
1973 Quick Thought (Yanka Boy-An Tain) added the Enniscorthy 550 clock to her record for 525 with a 30.80 win in the Wexford Leger.
1945 Rhynn Castle finishes second in the Derby having been eliminated in the semi final but allowed to run as reserve
2013 Following a six month trial, RPGTV decide to continue with their five nights a week coverage. The new additions were Wednesday and Sunday. But a shift of schedule sees Coventry lose a televised meeting. That will be a blow to the latest trainer to join the track, Yarmouth based Jim Daly.
1996 Following a long enquiry the NGRC decides to take no action over alleged ‘irregularities’ that occurred at Hackney two years previously.
1950 Oxford are to the first track to experiment with a ground-breaking ‘C-licence’ scheme which will allow owners to train their own dogs in graded races at the track. Until now, all dogs are handled by trainers employed by the stadium and operating from stadium owned kennels. However, the licences will only be granted to members of six named coursing clubs and they must already is experienced in training greyhounds.
1971 Trainer Henry Kibble is to leave Oxford to join Bristol.
1998 Nottingham catch a regular punter using a laser pen to distract dogs at the starting traps. He is barred for life.
1964 White City racing manager Percy Brown selects his 36 ‘seeds’ for the Derby first round – the other 12 will be chosen by trials. Brown makes Cranog Bet the top seed followed by We’ll See and the Joe De Mulder trained pair Cahera Rover and Cahera Jet. Wonder Valley, the one-time favourite, is the most highly seeded Irish entry at no.10. Meanwhile his litter brothers, Millies Dandy and Millies Wonder have been sold for a combined £3,000.* When those trials take place, the 48th and last name to scrape in is Hack Up Chieftain. The future winner is available at 200-1 ante post.
2008 BS spokesman Bill Glass admits that the closure of Reading before the end of 2008 is ‘a definite possibility.’
2013 Ballymac Eske (8-1) retains joint Derby favouritism despite a workmanlike first round win in 28.97. Ballymac Vic shares the market having landed his opener in 28.53. The final will eventually be won by Sidaz Jack (50-1), followed home by Airlie Impact (150-1) Ballymac Vic (8-1), Screen Critic (25-1), Droopys Jet (16-1) and Bittles Bar (66-1).
1978 The NGRC, BGRF and RGT are all moving into new offices in Oval Road from their previous base in Tottenham Court Road.
1967 Walthamstow is once again struggling to fill its opens. The latest casualty is the Grand Prix which also failed to fill the previous year but was held in a reduced format.
1968 A break in the hare cable causes the cancellation of the Oaks semi finals. They are put back to the ‘final’ meeting and the actual decider will be run four days late.
1950 On the day that the three Davis brothers Frank, Aaron Henry and Sidney, receive notification of their trial date for alleged substituting Derby favourite Red Wind with Irish open racer Waggles, four Irishmen appear in front of the Central Criminal Court in Dublin, charged with running in a ringer in a horserace at Haydock Park.