2009 Stuart Locke-Hart dies aged 61 following a long battle with cancer. A former BGRB, BGRF and GBGB director, Stuart was an owner for more than 30 years with greyhounds carrying the ‘Penn’ prefix.
1974 John Coleman announces that he will prepare his team for an international competition in the USA by racing them at Rye House. He reckons the size, surface and inside hare are very similar to Hollywood. The provisional team includes Longford record holder Sampson Flash, Guinness 600 finalist Da’s Birthday, top Wembley stayer Valiant Millie and 1000 Guineas winner Money Again.
1971 Kennel fees at Northaw are to rise for the second time in 14 months. White City dogs will cost £4.90 per week. At Harringay it is £4.55 while at Clapton and West Ham the cost is £4.10. Prize money at all four tracks was lower than a year previously.
1965 Leading owner Sir Thomas Houston Boswell announces plans to build a track and introduce greyhound racing on his 40 acre kennel complex at Blindly Heath in Surrey. The Heath Grange site already boasts “the best training and schooling facilities anywhere in the country.”
1989 Promenade All was so unfancied in a race at American track Pueblo that she did not attract a single win bet on the tote. Following her victory, confused officials decided to split the winnings between all ‘place’ tickets on Promenade All. Each ticket paid odds of 40-1.
1965 Newspaper Greyhound Express issues a statement defending its integrity following allegations made in ‘The People’ newspaper in which a former GE employee is accused of associating with a man named in a doping ring.
1972 An 80lb dog given away by Derby greyhound track was put to sleep by the RSPCA after it was found to weigh only 15lbs. Cedric and Linda Whittaker of Kerry Street, Derby were found guilty of cruelty. They are fined £10, plus another £2 for not holding a dog licence and banned from keeping a dog for seven years.
1948 Henryk Burjak, a 25 year old labourer, is sent to prison for 12 months for fraudulently obtaining tote winnings from Crayford and Bexleyheath Stadium. Working with accomplices, the Polish army deserter bought two shilling winning tickets at the stadium but then altered the tickets to ‘£1 tickets’. In total, £83 and five shillings was obtained. Bujak, who is described as ‘without state’ had been on the run from the Polish Army since 1945. He asked that two other charges be taking into consideration. They included the possession of 13 $20 US banknotes, knowing them to be forgeries.
1971 Blissful Pride won for the 18th time in her last 19 races when taking the Anglo-Irish international for the visitors at White City.
1990 Ballyregan Bob is to stand at stud in Germany following his return to Europe from the USA. The sire of the recent European Derby winner Spiral Five will stand with Franz Joseph Gillett where owner Jessie Kevern can visit him, before having to endure quarantine to return to Britain.
1948 The NGRC begin a three month experiment (later extended) for an ‘open kennel’ system at Marsh Barton in Cornwall. The track will allow owners to train their own dogs, as well as allow private trainers to run dogs in graded races. At every other track dogs must be handled by resident track trainers.
1989 Mals Boy, who finished runner-up in the Arc, Blue Riband and Essex Vase suffered a fatal injury when favourite to win the Goodwood Cup final at Walthamstow.
2011 Racing Post announces the industry’s worst kept secret – its new TV channel. It is owned in partnership by Hills, Ladbrokes, Coral, Bet365 and Betfair.
1946 Surrey County Council have rejected plans for the opening of a greyhound track in the Dorking area.
1946 GRA announce that they have purchased a 140 acre site at Maudlins in Naas. According to one journalist, suggestions that the company plan to use the site to breed greyhounds causes anger with the ICC who then issue a statement denying the claim. GRA respond by announcing that the site “will be a rest centre for a few valuable English greyhounds, and in a very minor way, a breeding establishment. The establishment will not adversely affect the Irish breeder.”
