2003 The closure of Catford sees Tony Taylor and John Simpson join Wimbledon. Meanwhile racing manager Simon Harris is serving out his notice before heading off to Coventry. He will be replaced by ‘joint racing managers’ Derek Hope and Graeme Henigan.
1950 The Irish Coursing Club announce a trial whereby greyhound’s identity books will be retained by the track or coursing club and not the owner – as happens in Britain.
1946 Film star William Hartnell presents a trophy to the winner of the Appointment With Crime Stakes – named after his most recent release.
2004 With Jeff Stelling giving up his greyhound gig, SKY announce that veteran broadcaster Gary Newbon has been signed up to present the last four greyhound programmes of 2004.
1970 At the Anglo-Irish greyhound sales at Walthamstow, Spectres Dream (Spectre II-Jockeys Dream, Oct 68) is purchased for 800 guineas after some amazing runs over the 525 yards at Celtic Park (29.12) and at Dunmore Park 929.26). Miss M McQuillan’s charge is purchase by Mr A J Clay and will be trained at Portsmouth by Hugo Spencer, who turns him out to win the Welsh Derby at Cardiff Arms Park the following year.
2015 The Star produces some facts and figures for open racing at Romford. A winning time of 23.90 would win nine out of every ten open races over the 400 metre course. The 575 metre equivalent is 35.02. It is the country’s busiest open race venue with 549 races out of a national total of 3,921, or roughly 14%. 54% of all its opens are over 400 metres.
1960 The London Tracks Coursing Cup, a coursing meeting where all the runners are track performers, is cancelled due to an outbreak of foot and mouth disease.
1936 Mr Cyril Keen’s Ataxy, who broke six track records, is retired to stud after contesting the White City One Thousand Guineas. Earlier in the month, the Cyril Keen owned dog had atoned for his defeat at 1-4f in the ’35 Cesarewitch with an impressive win one year on.
1963 An American horserace course see a massive increase in tote betting when they target female punters are the afternoon meeting. Every losing tote ticket can be exchanged for trading (‘Green Shield’) stamps.
1946 June pup Shadowlands Delight becomes the youngest ever winner of the Trafalgar Cup. Breeder Ivy Regan, from Crawley, tells the press she was convinced he was the star of the litter when still young enough to feed off the dam. “On one occasion when he was growled at by (dam) Shadowlands Sirius for rough treatment when trying to feed, he left the kennel and on the way out turned and growled at the matron.”
1973 Laurdella Fun, owned by Mrs Marion Fenwick and trained by Norman Oliver completes a big puppy hat-trick by winning the Manchester Puppy Cup. The blue had previously won the Midland and North Of England Puppy Derbys. He also reached the Wimbledon (last) and Yorkshire Puppy Derby (3rd) finals. Fun is from the first litter sired by Supreme Fun. The litter will include the Shelbourne 750 yard track record breaker Waverley Supreme.
1950 Rushton Smutty becomes the fifth dog to win the dream juvenile double of Trafalgar Cup and Puppy Derby.
2016 GBGB agree ‘in principle’ to consider the Star’s on-line petition for the return of ‘permit racing’. Shawfield RM Daniel Rankin says: “Daniel Rankin said: “We are delighted that permit racing has been approved and we are talking to potential trainers and intend to put details in our racecard. The biggest problem we face is not knowing exactly what is being talked about and what the restrictions may be. The sooner we know, the better.” Henlow’s Paul Mellor says: “I love the idea of having permit trained dogs here again. I have no idea how many of our old permit trainers who weren’t able to build kennels are still about. I suspect we lost a lot of them to the game when they couldn’t train themselves.” Yarmouth’s Simon Franklin said: ““We are big advocates of permit racing at Yarmouth. The care and attention given by the owners is second to none.”
1948 Wembley racegoers are invited to participate in the annual Racegoers Invitation Stakes. The track publish a list of all available runners on the strength and invite racegoers to put together “the most spectacular” race available. All entries are judged by racing manager Captain A E Brice. The winner will be a guest of the stadium on December 13 where they will watch their dream race take place and then present the trophy to the winner.
1984 Brough Park promoter Bernie Neesham causes a storm among the layers when barring four of them from the track. Neesham has also decided to appoint his former trainer Kevin Wilde in a “crowd promotion” role.
1993 Trainer Chick Hicken is fined £500 when steward Eric Vose is unable to locate the runner Lodge Court in the kennel.
1960 The Gimcrack Stakes is won by Wheatfield Countess who beat a top class field including Dunstown Paddy and Clonalvy Pride. The Oaks winner won by a length in 29.88 for White City’s 525 yards. With victory came the invitation for her nominator Frank Sanderson to address the Gimrack lunch. The 32 year old Woolwich estate agent was nominated after spending £20K building the Beaverwood Kennel complex in Sitcup. In his speech Sanderson calls for improvements in kennel conditions and hygiene, increase pay for kennel staff, increased prize money and more sprint and middle distances races and fewer marathons.
1980 Leeds owners are so angry over the sacking of racing manager Harry Bridger that they hold a collection for him. A spokesman for the owners acknowledges that Bridger had made errors, but point out that owners Ladbrokes had not replaced the general manager three months earlier and had left Bridger filling two roles.
2000 Ravage Again, the former champion sprinter who famously ran-up a series of 29 consecutive open race wins dies at Willie Frew’s kennel aged 13. The brindle had returned to Scotland after proving a disappointment at stud in Ireland.
1990 Denis Lennon turned down a reputed £35K for Live Contender following his win in the Bank Of Ireland Puppy Stake. The son of I’m Slippy set a national record (grass) when clocking 28.50 for Cork’s 525 yards.
1974 Shamrock Point proves he is without doubt the fastest pup in Ireland by adding the Texacloth Puppy Cup to the Irish Puppy Derby achieved a month earlier. The son of Monalee Champion and Gruelling Point set a new Newbridge 525 yard track record in the latter decider with a run of 29.08. His race record to date is eight wins and three seconds from eleven races.
2013 In a speech at a House Of Commons function, RGT chief executive Peter Laurie states that there is a retired greyhound at one in every 580 households. If that number could be increased to one in 480 – there would be no retired greyhound issue.
1994 Veteran Cradley Heath trainer Colin McNally is left relieved but bitter after hearing there is ‘no case to answer’ over a recent drugs test. McNally’s Lone Rider was withdrawn by the Walthamstow stewards after the dog failed a pre-race chromo on Grand Prix Final night. Despite receiving abusive phone calls over the incident, McNally always protested his innocence. However, the sample sent to HFL at Newmarket showed no signs of any illicit substance. It is the second time in two months that a false positive has been called. Instaprint, operators of the pre-race testing, defend themselves by pointing out that the same sent to Newmarket was a different sample, to the one that they tested. They had asked the NGRC permission to also send the remains of the original sample but were told not to do so on the grounds of cost.
1982 Dual Derby winner Patricia’s Hope is put to sleep at Northaw’s veterinary hospital aged 13 after gradually losing control of his hind legs. The white and fawn had been rescued from Heathrow Airport by vet Bruce Prole when abandoned by owner John O’Connor who had sent the dog for parade to mark the 1980 Golden Jubilee Derby. The son of Silver Hope had not been a great success at stud, his best offspring being Alfa My Son.
