1949 Clapton shareholder have to make do with a 33% dividend return for 1948 having earned 50% the previous year.
1977 From March 1, women will have to pay the same as men to attend greyhound tracks in Ireland. The cost is 45p in Dublin and 40p in the provinces. An increase in trial prices has also been announced. They will now cost 40p for a daytime trial and 70p for an evening trial.
1961 For the first time, Irish identity books are to record fourth position. Until now only the first three had been recorded.
1947 March 15, A ban on greyhound racing, which lasted nearly five weeks because of a fuel shortage, is lifted and 16 London tracks all race together, some holding double meetings.
2018 Swindon promoter Clarke Osborne issues a letter to appease Swindon regulars. They are concerned by a letter to planners form house builders Wimpey complaining about noise issues follow changed plans to redevelop the site. The track announce that the Arc has been postponed. Also, with so many meetings now being staged in daytime, they will introduce an Friday evening meeting each month for owners to events such as the Owners Bonus competitions.
1974 Mrs H A Kirwan’s Myrtown, winner at a Manchester White City by Eddie Moore, makes it four wins in the month, when he goes unbeaten at London White City. His task is made all the easier by being the only seeded railer, but he does not have things all his own way at the first bend Tam Silver moves to the rails, forcing Myrtown to check slightly. They race down the backstraight, neck and neck, where Myrtown – The 8-11 favourite – draws away to win by 1 1/2 lengths in 28.68 for the 525 yards race.
1957 There was an unusual collection of high prices made at Aldridge’s sales.One of the top lots, Nice Hand had previously contested the Waterloo Cup. Another, Derby Day, had been disqualified for fighting at White City but had since become one of the country’s most promising novice hurdlers.
1963 Such is the animosity between rival organisations the British Greyhound Owners and Breeders Association and the Greyhound Owners Association, that when the BGOBA award an ‘oscar’ to Bill Tabbush’s Ballinasloe Blondie, as the Best British Bred Greyhound of 1962, the bitch’s owner and breeder refused to accept it.
1986 Changes in betting legislation see the arrival of ‘tea and TV’ into betting shops. Ladbrokes, ahead of the game, have cameras is situ at Monmore and plan to broadcast into some of their own shops – or to their rivals “for a fee”. The other bookmakers object; their only coverage is available from terrestrial TV. The matter is finally settled in the High Court.
1977 Probably the most unusual case ever of a stolen greyhound is resolved happily for trainer Ron Hoey after he received an anonymous phone call telling him that his stolen bitch Dallas Dolly could be collected at Kings Cross Station. Sure enough the bitch is returned and later than night Hoey receives a second anonymous call checking that Dolly was okay. She was, albeit she had been dyed from fawn to black.
2001 Monmore layers Mick Reeves and Keith Johnson found themselves in a challenge to lay the biggest price on Prince For A Day in an A6 graded race. The dog eventually went to traps at 100-1. He led until the later stages and finished fourth beaten just over a length. The Monmore management were not happy with the two layers!
1997 Roger Cearns reports that he has 23 trainer applications as he looks to re-open Sittingbourne which went into administration under a different management some eight months earlier.
1947 When their usual printer were unable to produce their racecards Walthamstow staff rally round and spend the entire day printing thousands of cards by hand. The meeting is cancelled due to bad weather.
1953 There are 40 greyhound tracks (NGRC and Independent) racing in Scotland.
2001 Monmore layers Mick Reeves and Keith Johnson found themselves in a challenge to lay the biggest price on Prince For A Day in an A6 graded race. The dog eventually went to traps at 100-1. He led until the later stages and finished fourth beaten just over a length. The Monmore management were not happy with the two layers!
1997 Ernie Little, husband of trainer Jan, is the new promoter at independent Workington.
1970 The Irish Government increases its rabies quarantine from eight to twelve months for over 100 species. The quarantine includes animals arriving from Britain which currently has its own restrictions in place following the death the previous year of a dog with rabies.
1964 Biddy Mulligan sets a record price for a bitch at Shelbourne sales when sold for 1,000gns.
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.
1981 Southend bookmakers wipe their boards and refuse to form a market after the Albert Skelton trained The Other One is heavily backed in the first race. The dog wins easily. Of the main off-course layers, only Coral are prepared to take Southend bets.
1933 Catford staged a whole meeting – seven races – entirely over hurdles
1961 West Ham opens the first of five new ranges of kennels adjacent to the track. Each trainer will be able to take 50 greyhounds (25 double kennels). The kennels are thermostatically controlled with an infra red heating system. Each range also has its own kitchen, office, owners room, massage room and storage facilities plus two grass paddocks.
1994 Trainer Norah McEllistrim successfully beats her challenge on ITV’s Saturday night prime time TV programme, You Bet. Norah is asked to identify six of her dogs from 30 put in front of her while she is blindfolded.
2004 Another row breaks out in Ireland when the Sporting Press runs a full page advert critical of the Irish Greyhound Board. Chairman Paschal Taggart orders immediate sanctions against the paper including the removal of all track adverts.
1986 Ballintuber One, who spent the first half of the year in Britain, is voted as Ireland’s track greyhound of the year. In Britain he won the Circuit and Select Stakes, as well as setting track records for 434m at Slough and 490m at Wembley. He then joined Matt O’Donnell and won the Irish Leger.
2004 Another row breaks out in Ireland when the Sporting Press runs a full page advert critical of the Irish Greyhound Board. Chairman Paschal Taggart orders immediate sanctions against the paper including the removal of all track adverts.
1996 Natalie Savva is on the mat at Walthamstow when the Laurence Blunt owned I’m Richard (11-4f) finds 58 spots when winning a puppy race by thirteen and a half lengths. Wimbledon’s Terry Dartnall also faces an enquiry when Alleys Amber (4-1) finds 61 spots in an A6 event.
2015 GBGB announce the appointment of two new stipes, Paula Clare and Kaye Smith though within a week, Smith, a former RSPCA inspector, changes her mind.
1973 Rita’s Choice sets a new track record for Southend’s 700 yards, a track on which his dam, Toffee Apple II ran in graded company and was given away after breaking a hock. It is a brief visit to the UK for Rita McCauleys black. Within weeks he has returned to Ireland to win the Corn Cuchualinn, the Irish TV Trophy, the Irish Cesarewitch, as well as finishing runner-up in both the Irish Derby and St Leger.
1940 March 23 Sunderland choose wartime to hold their first meeting with an eight race matinee programme starting at 3 o’clock. A large crowd turn out for the new stadium boasting low admission prices of sixpence, a shilling and two shillings (2 1/2p, 5p, 10p). There’s free car parking, three luxurious club houses and a full totalisator. The meeting goes off without any problems and the first race over 450 yards is won by Percheron (5-2) in 28.35.
1994 Red Mills pull out of sponsoring the Produce Stakes at Clonmel. Spokesman Steve Clarke blames the failure of the local management to improve facilities as had been promised.
1981 Hove punters see one of the most exciting Regency Finals off all time. The 11-10 favourite is the locally trained previous year’s St Leger winner Fair Reward. However, it is another Hove runner, the 25-1 chance Fluffylugs (Glin Bridge-Some Laugh) who gets home by a neck with the favourite dead-heating for second place with the winner’s litter sister Laugh Lines.
2007 Nottingham vet Don Lesolle is found guilty of disgraceful conduct by the Royal Veterinary College for allowing a greyhound to race while under treatment for a thyroid problem. No further action is taken against Lesolle who was supported by a string of testimonials from local trainers and the Nottingham management. He had previously been fined £750 by the NGRC.
1954 Brighton trainer Gunner Smith sent out the winners in seven of the eight races. His two other runners dead-heated for second.
1963 Among the dogs being advertised as requiring a good retirement home is Grand National winner and Derby runner-up, Barrowside.
1971 The NGRC authorise the staging of eight-runner greyhound races.
1981 The chairman of the Owlerton Private Owners Association Ian Walker is banned from the track by racing manager Terry Meynell. Walker had sent a letter to Greyhound Owner stating that the association was in favour of an open kennel system at the track.
1992 In an article in the Star, Tom Jenkins, partner in the John Power bookmaking organisation, is fiercely critical of Wembley. He believes that the stadium would operate best with seven bookies, but “they insist on 13.”
2008 Corals pull a masterstroke by staging afternoon dog meetings at Romford and Hove on Good Friday, the first time that betting shop punters have ever been allowed to bet on that traditionally prohibited date. Each track presented punters with complete open race cards, each race with a minimum of £500 to the winner, plus two more lucrative finals. Hove saw over 2,000 customers through the gate while Romford, which could only open the main grandstand had to shut the gates when the attendance reached the licensed limit.
1958 Highway Tim wins the Springbok Final, just the latest chapter in an eventful career. Bred in Norfolk, Tim was sold for £30 as a pup but was run over by a car soon afterwards. Despite the setback, the dog recovered and spent his days chasing rooks on owner Ralph Beba’s 400 acre farm. Trained by his owner, with a routine that included a daily swim in the sea at Hunstanton, Tim made the track and was entered in the 1957 English Derby. A 200-1 chance ante post, he finished second, beaten a neck, by Ford Spartan in the final. Shortly afterwards, he was stolen but his owner pursued the thieves with a shotgun. Tim and two kennelmates were found nearby covered in blood but not badly injured. Within weeks, Tim had returned to racing and run second to Duke Of Alva in the 1957 St Leger Final.
1996 Tony Morris prices Ernie Gaskin as a 13-8 chance to win the Trainers Championship meeting at Hackney and the favourite duly obliges. One of four Stow trainers making the short journey across East London, Gaskin lands a treble with Lemon Duchess (dht), Milwaukee Dream and Good Omen. He finishes three points clear of John Colemand with Derek Knight one point behind in third.
2013 In a bizarre heat of the Springbok, only one runner, Uncle Blue, completes the course. Reduced to five runners, with only 30 runners contesting the first round, Hollyoak McCoy fell at the second hurdle followed by Fire Food Chilli at the third hurdle. Two of the remaining three runners became distracted leaving the Barr O’Sullivan runner to come home alone in 31.13, some 19 lengths slower than the night’s quickest winner Lenson Johnny.
1964 GRA consider changing the name of their North London stadium Harringay to tie with the recently created GLC’s new London borough of Haringey. There are 19 greyhound tracks within the GLC jurisdiction.
1979 NGRC stewards announce an inquiry into the case of former Watford grader Bolero Win. She produced a litter of pups, all of which died within a week of racing at the BAGS track.
1990 Emerging independent star Springwood Mickey (aka Fair Boot) breaks the Chesterfield four bend track record and is put on the market for £25K by owner Eric Jeffries.
2013 Four littermates Crimbos Rocky, Russsanda Rox, Russanda Rob and Candlelight King contest a D2 event at Sheffield and occupy the first four within a length of each other.
1980 Geoff de Mulder gives up his contract at Hall Green for the second time in two years.
1950 Wimbledon are to remember the stadium’s owner/builder, the late William John Cearns, with an annual open race named after him. The first event will be staged in 1951.
1986 Scurlogue Champ records a mediocre 29.68 for Yarmouth’s 462 metres in his first trial back following a winter lay-off. Meanwhile great rival Ballyregan Bob, contesting his first race following a three month break, extends the British record winning sequence to 22 following a near 12 length victory over Hove’s 695 metres.
1996 Tony Morris prices Ernie Gaskin as a 13-8 chance to win the Trainers Championship meeting at Hackney and the favourite duly obliges. One of four Stow trainers making the short journey across East London, Gaskin lands a treble with Lemon Duchess (dht), Milwaukee Dream and Good Omen. He finishes three points clear of John Colemand with Derek Knight one point behind in third.
2007 The BGRB allocates £1,050,000 towards 14 track improvement grants (roughly £1.8m today). The biggest is the £305K given to Kinsley, half of the total cost of a new restaurant project. Peterborough received £208,000 towards a new car park, Poole get £195,000 to spend on stadium refurbishments, GRA are allocated £135,000 towards a new tote system and Crayford net £108,000 for electrical improvements.
