1948 The Irish Coursing Club warns readers that greyhound racing in Ireland could be over within two years unless there is “a ruthless suspension of substitution of the trafficking if false papers and of the suspected toleration at some tracks of these abuses.”
2011 The BGRB launches its latest initiative – the Big Dog.
1984 Two months after closing White City, GRA announce plans to sell Slough for a Tesco hypermarket. They are also in negotiation to flog off Harringay to Sainsburys
1968 A bright young bookie at Crayford introduces the idea of miking up his joint with a tape recorder in an attempt to settle any disputes. His name is Tony Morris. – Pic Steve Nash
1975 Ger McKenna’s Ballybeg Prim, unsuccessful in the Irish Derby, still puts himself in prime slot for the Irish Greyhound of the Year title when completing a fantastic treble of the Irish Cesarewitch at Navan, the St Leger at Limerick and the Guinness 600 at Shelbourne Park.
1948 Irish Derby winner Baytown Colonel returns to juvenile company to land the Trafalgar Cup Final at Wembley.
1995 BAGS take the bizarre step – on the day of the meeting – of ordering Bristol to cancel its first race, originally due off at 1.19pm and run it at the end of the meeting at 5.14pm. The decision to extend the meeting was made after Wolverhampton races added another race onto their card, run at 5.20.
2000 The NGRC allow around half the runners to contest a meeting at Sunderland despite their not having been weighed due to an error with the track scales.
1958 Shelbourne Park announce their biggest ever greyhound sale. Spread over three days, the catalogue contains 406 entries.
1975 Natalie Savva sends two open racers to Derby and wins both races in new track records. Westmead Border (Always Proud-Cricket Dance, Aug 73) sets a new best for 420 metres while Westmead Gale (Westmead Lane-Hacksaw, Aug 73) breaks the 764 metre clock.
1995 Oxford General Manager John Blake is sacked. Oxford and sister track Ramsgate are now controlled by Royal Bank Of Scotland following the collapse of Northern Sports seven months earlier. However the new owners cleared Ramsgate to take on additional trainers as the Kent track struggled to fulfil its BAGS fixtures.
1946 The Greyhound Owner’s columnist Bywayman is up in arms over an assertion made by an Irish agent that Irish dogs are superior to British. After rattling off the names of a plethora of top class British stayers, the writer adds: “Figures certainly prove that more Irish dogs win races than English dogs do. For much the same reason of course, more Eskimos win football competitions in Greenland than English people do, there are more of them in the country.”
1977 Knockemstiff qualifies for racing at Ramsgate. His racing weight is 45.1kg – a few ounces under 100lbs.
1950 The NGRC amend rule 12 to ensure that all trials must be entered in a greyhound’s formbook. Until now, ‘unofficial’ trials, solos and two-dog trials have not been recorded.
1965 The NGRC announce that following the opening meeting at Rayleigh, the first former flapping track to join the NGRC’s ‘associate member’ scheme, at least half a dozen other tracks have made enquiries about signing up. Furthermore, the Club announce that any new trainer currently applying for a ‘C licence’ will have the licence extended until the end of 1966.
1975 British breeders are benefitting from a series of British Breeders Championship trialstakes. The winners are Mystery Marcus (Harringay), Drynham Star (Hall Green), Garron Rocket (Brighton), Daemonic Gambol (Wembley), Black Barbarian (Wimbledon) and Tilbrook Herlald (Bletchley). All winners will be hoping to run in an invitation at White City in December.
2004 The BGRB announces changes in its annual awards voting. Racegoers will be asked to nominate the three finalists for Racecourse of the Year
1950 The Devon NGRC track at Marsh Barton and a smaller track at Taunton are both served with winding-up orders.
1963 In preparation for their first afternoon greyhound meeting to be broadcast directly into the betting shops (a predecessor of BAGS), the Kings Heath management supply the racing press with a written profile of every dog currently on the racing strength describing their ability and guide as to how they prefer to run.
1977 An NGRC rule change now insists that all unraced dogs must be given a solo trial before their three mixed qualifying trials (two at permit tracks). Owners trainers licences are to rise to £32.
