2013 Former Hall Green trainer Barbara Smith dies aged 83. He best known runner was the multi open race winner Star Of Tyrone.
1966 The Gay McKenna trained trialist I’m Quickest (Skips Choice-Grotto Star) made top lot at Harolds Cross sales at 500 guineas. Before the end of the year, the dog had won the Welsh Derby and Edinburgh Cup.
2014 Following a huge row involving GBGB Chairman and CEO Tom Kelly and Greyhound Trainers Association Chairman Ricky Holloway and deputy Linda Jones, the governing body announce that they will no longer deal with the trainer’s organisation.
1960 Local trainer Paddy Reilly lands the Grand Prix final over 500 yards at Walthamstow with the George Flintham owned Dunstown Paddy. The winner’s prize is £600 (equivalent today of around £15,000). However there is as much interest in the trophy, which is valued at £250 (£6,240). It has an interesting history having originally been won by Fair Play in the 1937 Royal Hunt Cup at Ascot.
1987 Droopys Jaguar, trained by Fraser Black, wins the first Produce Stakes on the recently re-shaped and sanded Clonmel circuit.
1949 Wembley stage the 60th Empire Cup – an interesting title given the sport has only been operating for 23 years. The event is confined to British breds, ‘whelped in the last six months of 1947’.
2013 Shaneboy Alley sets a new 480 metre Swindon track record when winning the Pinpoint Recruitment Arc final at Swindon.
1960 Bord na gCon figures for 1959 reveal that 5,085 greyhounds were exported to Britain with a value of £619,212 – roughly £15,454,00 at current rates with a valuation of each dog at £122 (£3,045). 326 greyhounds were exported ‘to other countries’.
1960 Two previous winners head the ante post betting for the 1960 Greyhound Derby: 5-2 Mile Bush Pride, 6-1 Pigalle Wonder. Eventual winner Duleek Dandy is a 50-1 chance. He had not been selected in the racing manager’s 36 runners, and had to win one of the eight qualifying races (with four fastest seconds) to make the 48 first round starters.
2003 Nottingham’s plan for a 24-runner £3,000 (roughly £5,200 today) to winner marathon competition is scuppered when just seven runners are entered.
1996 The Sporting Life Juvenile jinx strikes again when recent winner Droopys Aldo breaks a hock at Wimbledon when trialling for the Derby. Three days later Scottish Derby winner Burnpark Lord suffers a similar fate.
1967 Puppy Russian Gun, winner of his three races at Dunmore is the last of the 189 entries in the book for the English Derby.
2014 The IGB unveil their latest CEO, and first ever female holder of the office, Geraldine Larkin. She replaces Adrian Neelan.
1965 Unlike most of the runners at Shelbourne sales, Dancing Marvel has already had a racing career in Britain having been a grader at Wembley the previous year. He nevertheless makes 375gns and is one of the top lots.
1987 Following an appeal from Greyhound Star, Hackney allow British bred runners into their greyhound sales. Glatton Beauty and Glatton Barby were both among the six highest priced lots at a combined 1,730gns.
2012 Paul Sallis switches to Monmore from Hall Green to replace the retiring Martin Burt.
1991 Three men have been summonsed for firearms and cruelty offences after the bodies of three greyhounds are found at the Boldon Business Park near Jarrow.