1981 Oran Jack, the Michael Grealish trained fawn who began his career on the coursing field, completed an unbeaten run through the Irish St Leger. The son of Yellow Band twice broke the Limerick 550 record on his way to the final and his record now stands at 14 races, 10 wins, 2 seconds.
2016 Despite only having 10 hurdlers on the racing strength, Belle Vue RM Dave Brayshaw is staging regular races over the jumps.
1998 The Wimbledon Owners Association announce that they are to take over the Hersham kennel vacated by Mary Harding who is leaving the industry.
1975 Oxford owners set up a campaign to save the stadium which has been sold by Bristol Stadium Ltd to Oxford City Council for £235,000. Staff are quoted as expecting the stadium to close within three months with the council having passed plans for 112 houses on the site. According to a press report: “Oxford opened in 1938 but the track has been under threat of closure since the Bookmakers Greyhounds Service (BAGS) discontinued their agreement with the track in 1972.”
1968 Derby winning trainer Paddy Keane, who recently joined the Bristol training ranks following a successful spell at Clapton, sends out his first graded winner.
2005 Coral announce they will refund any losing punters following a ‘wrong dog’ incident on a BAGS card. The error occurred between two John Gammon trained litter sisters, placed in adjacent racing kennels and with earmarks JIJ8 and JIJB.
1990 Sales agent Richard Thomas decides to abandon a plan to re-open the greyhound track in Benidorm. Following his initial announcement, he was bombarded with hate mail.
2001 Hove trainer Bill Masters, former head man to George Curtis, announces his retirement.
1950 Eyebrows were raised in the Wembley judge’s box when Rapid Choice lost three and a half pounds in weight between a trial and a Trafalgar Cup trialstake five days later. He found more than half a second in the process. Ironically, had Rapid Choice been a graded dog, he would not have been allowed to run for exceeding the ‘2lb weight variation rule’. The track cannot apply the same sanction in opens since some tracks do not yet weigh the runners. A further irony, Choice only trialled at the Empire Stadium because Wembley only accept open race entries who already have form over the course and distance. Trainer Paddy McEvoy faces a stewards enquiry over the incident.
1934 Queen of the Suir’s attempt to win a third English Oaks is over in the first round at White City. The 100-7 chance is squeezed out of third place by Kitshine who goes on to finish last in the final behind Gallant Ruth but will turn the tables in the ’35 decider. She also won the Irish Oaks at Clonmel in 1932.
2005 The American media claims the country’s dogs are in the grip of a ‘killer flu’. The country’s greyhound tracks are mystified by the claims having noticed nothing more serious than a slight increase in kennel cough cases six months earlier.
1993 Arizona tracks Phoenix and Apache warn trainers to stop supplying dogs to research laboratories. Some, allegedly, continue.
1965 At Lifford, Top Note (Chieftains Guest-Burleighs Fancy) , the dam of Supreme Fun, sets a new 525 yard track record of 29.55.
1941 The £200-to-the-winner Irish Derby final goes to J A Byrne’s Brave Damsel (Maidens Boy-Queen Of The Suir) from trap one. The 4-1 chance, trained by P Kelly, wins a thrilling race by one length from Shes Tidy (T3) in 30.64
2013 Phil Simmonds has a race named in his honour to celebrate his arrival at Romford and he has a runner in it. Sadly the 7-2 chance finishes fourth in the A6 contest. His name is Salad Dodger.
1994 GRA change their policy on disqualified dogs when allowing Slippy Corner, who had his card marked earlier in his career, to compete in the Laurels.
1988 Kent is the bandit county. A string of betting coups have taken place at Canterbury with the most recent seeing the sacking of Paul Garland following an alleged £5,000 gamble in A4. Things are no better at Crayford where George Lang is facing the stewards after well backed Cunning Fugitive goes to within four spots of the 380m track record in A4.
2007 Jonathan Kay is elected chairman of the Greyhound Writers Association. Floyd Amphlett is deputy chairman and John Forbes is treasurer. Bob Betts becomes life president of the organisation.
1999 Walthamstow’s Chris Duggan departs to join Romford with Linda Jones heading in the opposite direction.
2001 Following a printing error in the racecard, Monmore grader Unit One is scheduled to run in Monmore’s fourth and fifth race.
1963 The English (Lucky Boy Boy), Scottish (We’ll See) and Welsh (Fairy Chum) Derby winners all meet in the Blue Riband, an £85-to-winner event at Wembley. It goes to Bob Burles’ locally trained Fairy Chum who had won the Critchley Memorial at White City just 48 hours earlier.
1956 Keep Moving, winner of the Irish Derby, Irish National Sprint and Trigo Cup and track record breaker for Shelbourne’s 525 yards. joins the kennel strength at West Ham.
2014 Dominic Ford is unveiled as the new chairman of BAGS. He will take over from Tom Kelly on January 1. Meanwhile the CEO of the Retired Greyhound Trust Peter Laurie announces he is to become Director of Operations at Battersea Dogs Home.
2011 Milldean Panther breaks the most prestigious track record in Irish racing when clocking 28.00 for Shelbourne Park’s 525 yards. The run is 13 spots faster than his previous best and five spots quicker than Premier Fantasy’s clock. Pic Steve Nash
1994 After opening up the St Leger from a restricted 48, Wembley receive 77 entries for the first round.
1988 A £10,000 armed robbery at Limerick track was foiled when an armed policeman opened fire on the getaway vehicle leading to four arrests.
1964 NGRC track Blackpool, situated in St Annes Road, is sold to builders for a reputed £80,000.
2013 Duleek Jess makes her debut at Henlow. She is a name change from her Irish registry – Scouser Git.
1965 Three Wembley runners, accompanied by Wembley’s head of racing John Joliffe, and three GRA owned hounds, escorted by senior racing manager Percy Brown, are sent to Barcelona to compete in the inaugural Spanish Derby, which is held at the Canodromo Meridiana.
1970 Irish owners and breeder organisation, IGBOA is threatening a national strike unless Bord na gCon change their new trap draw policy. The Board are holding trap draws several days before the meeting in an attempt to encourage more totalistor betting. The owners and breeders want to hold the trap draws in the half hour before the start of the meeting as it still the practice in the Northern Irish tracks.
2016 Authorities in New South Wales are forced into a climbdown after attempting to ban greyhound racing. The State’s Premier Mike Bird was already deeply unpopular and within three months he had announced his retirement from politics.
1989 Lorraine Sams, head girl to John Coleman, takes over Stan Kennett’s range while the Hackney trainer recovers from an operation.
1950 Wimbledon’s stadium kennels at Burhill are hit by dog dopers for the second time in three weeks. Stewards withdraw 10 runners showing “unsteady gait” in walking. An examination of the door of the Hannafin kennel reveals that the padlock was secure but that three bolts in the door had been pulled out. Stan Martin’s range had been targeted previously but raider had been spotted by a security guard. Wimbledon offer £250 for information leading to a conviction. Meanwhile at Dagenham, the nightwatchmen is bound and gagged by two masked raiders who then use explosives to open the safe. It contains between eight and nine pounds. Whoops.
1949 Figures show that the three new sea-food bars at White City, opened 11 months earlier, are attracting more than 4,000 customers a night. There are no figures for the number of jellied eels served up, though they are by far the most popular dish with hungry punters. 14 part-time staff are required to shell 5,000 whelks, and serve 50,000 cockles, plus mussels, prawns and shrimps.
2007 A waxworks of Westmead Hawk is unveiled at Madam Tussauds.
1970 GRA have introduced eight-dog trials at Harringay. The first two do not go well with the field spreadeagled and the eighth dog beaten a distance in each case. The company had already commenced eight runner trials at New Cross and Catford. Meanwhile the company have made three Kings Heath trainers, Jim Todd, Alf Gibbins and Bill Bryant redundant along with the track’s senior management. The Birmingham venue is due to shut down in three months time. Hall Green’s Jim Woods has been asked to grade meetings at both tracks.
2014 Greyhound of the Year Farloe Tango is retired after sustaining a cut foot in the heats of the Doncaster St.Leger. The highlight of his career was the track record breaking run in the St.Leger at Wimbledon. He also won Ballyregan Bob and Lol Jones Memorial races and held the 680m record at Coventry. He was though a ‘character’ who once stopped chasing in a solo trial at Nottingham. Also retired a few days later is Scottish Derby winner Holdem Spy. The Carol Weatherall trained black had 25 wins in 40 races and missed out on a place in the 2013 Derby Final by a short head.
FARLOE TANGO’s owners, “The Boys from Leicester” syndicate, receive the St Leger spoils from Jennie Prest of William Hill. Trainer Charlie Lister OBE, who had the 1-2-3 in the £15,000 final, is second from left at front alongside Nigel Roe holding the famous trophy, Ian Roe (centre) and Kieran Hickey (3rd right), Ian Sutherland holds the winner. Wimbledon 12th November 2013.
Photo: Steve Nash
