1992 Sportscast, a company which beamed live racing from Canterbury and Romford every Friday night into 1,500 pubs and clubs shuts down.
1993 Swaffham runs its first meeting behind a new ‘McKee’ style hare. At this stage the new hare type has no name.
1995 Belle Vue become the third NGRC track to install a Bramich hare.
1972 The 22nd running of the William John Cearns Memorial Trophy over 500 yards at Wimbledon, brings together some of the best track stars around for the £500 first prize and silver gilt replica trophy. Trap 1 Giglis Star, 2 Mullas Shore, 3 Dactars Speed, 4 Mad Risk, 5 Torbal Black, 6 Puff Pastry, make up the class laden final. Victory goes to Clare Orton’s locally trained Mullas Shore (O’Leary-Cremona Maid, May 69) who leads the race at the first bend and wins in 28.54.
1937 Irish Oaks and dual English Oaks winner Queen Of The Suir, now seven years old, is recaptured after running wild for two months. Under the care of Stanley Biss, he finds she has a badly cut jaw and two teeth knocked out, but otherwise is all right. She is sent to Paddy Byrne in Ireland to resume breeding.
2004 Harlow boss Toni Nicholls had a night to forget. A chemical spillage on the M25 caused the meeting to be delayed and the card decimated by non-runners. After three races, a major electrical fault in the area caused the remainder of the meeting to be abandoned.
1978 GRA announce that the first round of the £20,000 Spillers Greyhound Derby will be spread around its nine tracks. The move is well received by trainers. Of the 28 heats, White City hold 19, the others are share by Portsmouth, Harringay, Catford, Shawfield, Manchester White City, Belle Vue, Hall Green, Slough and the privately owned Wimbledon.
1996 Shelbourne bookmaker Ted Hegarty announces that he will no longer take ante post bets as a protest following Bord na gCon’s decision to ban the sale of videos of race meetings. Bizarrely, videos of individual races can still be purchased.
1994 Mental notes were taken when Natalie Savva sent out a 17 month old pup to win the second race of his life, a Hackney 484m open in 29.31. He name, Westmead Merlin.
1974 Walthamstow increase the winner’s prize in their minor opens. The 525 yard dogs will get £60, the stayers get £75 and the marathoners £100. (Index linked, those prizes would now be £666, £832 and £1,100).
1980 March Cyril Scotland dies at the early age of 47. Two of the best greyhounds he owned were Westpark Mustard, who was the first to beat Mick The Miller’s record of 19 wins in a row, and Kilbelin Style, who was a gallant runner-up to Sand Star in the English Derby Final of 1969.
1995 Cork suffers from a strike called by local owners and breeders. Only 18 runners arrive for the eight race card.
1981 Our thanks to the late great Greyhound Owner for the following industry guide to ‘fudgespeak’. ‘Management Team Structure’ (The general manager in boss, the restaurant manager looks after food, the racing manager looks after racing etc. Management team structure leaders can usually be identified by their exuberantly loud ties) ‘Creative Promotion’ (Trying to attract punters by pretending that they are getting something for nothing) ‘Using strategy and tactics in tandem’ (The trainer has prepared the dog for the race but would like a decent draw) ‘Overheads Absorption Indicator’ (Running dog tracks isn’t getting any cheaper!) ‘Appearance Proliferation Clause’ (You won’t get as many runs with a low grader) ‘Negative Assessment and Reappraisal Analysis’ (Didn’t grade) ‘Downturn in Anticipated Forecast’ (Got beat), ‘Measurable quality statistics’ (Winning time), ‘Performance Investment Portfolio’ (Ante post book), ‘Inflationary shortfall’ (Prize money hasn’t risen as much as kennel bills) ‘Line Management Techniques’ (Trainer blames racing manager, who blames general manager, who blames promoter who blames BGRB who blames Government and/ or bookmakers) ‘Negative Board Price Differential’ (Weak market), ‘Projected success ratio downturn’ (Favourites are getting beat), ‘Positive Antisocial Tendencies’ (Fighter), ‘Failed initial assignment test’ (Didn’t grade) ‘Overcame terminal vulnerability’ (Trainers explanation why dog found 15 lengths)
1974 March 8 Rayleigh hold their last meeting. The 12 acre site is to be cleared to make way for development after being sold in October 1972 to Land and Housing Property Ltd. The sand track was very popular with owners and trainers for the number of mini open races they used to hold, mainly attracting greyhounds just short of top class. Most of the graded greyhounds will go to Romford and Southend, and the rest will go to Cambridge and Ipswich, both former independent tracks now racing under NGRC rules. It is hoped none will be put down. The very last race, a 725 yard flat, worth £9 and trophy, goes to C Neeves’s Some Surprise (bk b Moordyke Spot-Oulartwick June, Mar 71). The 7-4 favourite wins in 43.78. There are just 43 NGRC tracks still operating.
