2010 Former Harlow racing manager and ex-Harringay trainer Stan Gudgin dies following a short illness aged 78.
1965 Walthamstow apply for permission to stage the Grand Prix over 700 yards due to difficulties in filling the 500 yard event. Their request is refused by the NGRC. The track management therefore decide the cancel the event and announce that it will be staged over six bends in 1966.
2005 Ballymac Pires (10s ante post) wins a high quality Monmore Puppy Cup Final. The black dog clocks 27.82 in the final with Courage Boy (11-4jf) second and Westmead Hawk third. Toms View (11-4jf) is fifth. It is the fifth race of Pires’ career and he remains unbeaten until his ninth race in the second round of the English Derby.
1949 Fred Trevellion is planning to sell his kennel at Ash in Kent. The ‘Trevs’ man prices the estate which includes kennels for 100 greyhounds, a White City sized schooling track, a farmhouse, cottage and 40 acres at £15,000.
1963 The American Greyhound Record includes a feature about racing in the late 1920s and recalls an Ohio 20 race card that finished at 3.30am.
1998 Seven times champion trainer John McGee announces that he intends to return from Ireland to resume training in Ockendon. The NGRC announce that McGee will not be licensed until he settles a reputed £30K legal bill following a failed High Court ban for a positive test on Peterborough Derby finalist Rabatino.
2001 Hove stage one of the best Trainers Championship meetings ever. The highlight is the 515 metre clash between Droopys Vieri and Rapid Ranger (7-4jf). The ’00 Derby winner, making his first appearance before attempting to defend his crown, leads to the third bend but is eventually beaten by Vieri in 29.99. Vieri’s brother Droopys Honcho lands division 2 of the stake from Toblermorey Boy. The night though belongs to Charlie Lister who finishes with 54 points from Paul Young with 41. Lister’s winners include Parliament Act, True Honcho and Derbay Pride.
1991 Trainer Ted Soppitt has two dogs stolen from a van parked at Spennymoor. There is a £1,000 reward for information leading to their recovery.
1977 Rochester introduce ‘Kentish’ restrictions on their latest batch of open races. Only dogs trained in the county, or trained by a trainer attached to a Kent track, will be considered.
2005 Peterborough is the latest track to host Channel 425 coverage.
1947 Gateshead offer an auction for 39 racing greyhounds plus three eight-month old saplings and three 12-week old pups.
1966 Len Franklin, the Yarmouth promoter uses his position as a GRA share holder to ask the company to alter its Derby distance from 525 to 550 yards to incorporate a longer run-in.
2007 Irish entry Liketheclappers, a 50-1 shot ante post wins the Cheltenham Sprint. Trainer Ger Holian also lands the ‘consolation’ with Mulcair Jo.
1947 An amendment to the rules of racing now requires the owner of any ‘resting’ bitch who comes into season while in his/her care, must inform the NGRC who will arrange to have details recorded in the identity book.
1970 GRA introduce contract training at its tracks for the first time. Private trainers ‘Bammy’ Bamford and Ron Saunders have their first graded runners at Belle Vue and Manchester White City respectively. If successful, the company plan to introduce contract trainers at all 11 of their tracks. They also promise to increase prize money as each track adopts the new system.
1988 Trainers Mick Mew and John Gibbons were exonerated following the discovery of drugged pieces of sausage meat found in the racing kennels at Crayford Stadium. The NGRC stewards suspend their inquiries awaiting further evidence.
1980 The Ger McKenna trained Nameless Pixie is Ireland’s Greyhound of the Year. A winner of 14 of her 28 races, including the Irish Oaks and Dundalk International, she also ran third in the Irish Derby and St Leger earning just over £16,000 in prize money.
1988 Former Walthamstow trainer Barney O’Connor has died. Among his charges were the brilliant Ballinderry Moth and Laurels winner Black Banjo.
1979 Tough Decision (Minnesota Miller-Carters Drain) adds the Harolds Cross Bookmakers Stakes to the Shelbourne equivalent landed three weeks earlier. The Northern Irish dog clocks 29.70 at the Cross, two spots slower than his Shelbourne win and leading home Ballydonnel Sam and Red Rasper. Each decider was worth £3,000.
Tony Howarth remembers the time when greyhounds came before international football
