1994 Stanley, the North East independent track closes following a series of break-ins. Manager Brenda Johnson said: “There have been two or three lately and it is just impossible to insure the place. The owners are totally fed up.”
1935 Kitshine established herself as one of the great pre-war females when winning the Oaks by seven lengths. Earlier in the year she had won the Laurels.
1973 Irwin Cup winner Jon Chuck (Own Pride-Buckstone Lass) makes 1,200 guineas at Hackney Sales – index linked to around £16,760 – after winning his sales trial by 20 lengths in 29.85 for the 484m. McAlevey Gold Cup winner Killybrick makes 800gns (£11,170).
1957 Norfolk Quarter Sessions Court sentence Leslie McCarthy of Watney Street East London to six months in prison following an attempt to steal three greyhounds. All three escaped when McCarthy crashed his van while trying to escape.
1989 Ballyregan Bob is sent to the USA to continue his stud career.
2005 Westmead Eagle, a brother of Westmead Hawk and beaten odds-on favourite in the Swindon Produce Final, wins his second round heat of the Hall Green Produce Stakes but finishes lame on a wrist. He never races in Britain again. He appears in Ireland four months later but is retired after 10 races.
2009 The St.Leger kicks off with the Racing Post headline ’25-1 Kinda Easy to pick for Leger gold.’ Tipster Peter Meldrum is right on the money 17 days later when the Mark Wallis trained blue gets home by a short head. Shame that day’s front page carried a headline tipping the other Wallis runner Droopys Zach – 2nd short head.
1982 Four 19 month old members of the same Glin Bridge/Breach’s Suzy litter win on the same card for trainer Dawn Mugglestone
2013 GBGB Chief Executive Barry Faulkner announces that Deloitte have been commissioned to produce a report showing ‘an independent analysis of the scale of greyhound racing’ The cost of the report is not revealed.
2007 The 12 racing offices using the Formet database system are all put out of action for two days when the system crashes.
1956 Brighton graded Orange Express did not take well to retirement. A few days after being being re-homed, he ran away and was within hours of being put to sleep at a police pound, when discovered by his owner. A few days he had gone again. Convinced the four and a half year old was pining for racing, he was sent to Catford and won two of his first four races.
1962 Greyhound Express celebrate the work of ‘manipulative specialist’ Eddie Mallett in a feature article. He is photographed with commemorative plaques given by leading trainers Jack Harvey, Lesley Reynolds and Paddy McEvoy for his assistance in winning dozens of classics including seven English Derbys.
2013 Thursday October 17 – Exocet is just two spots outside Coolavanny Bert’s track record when landing the John Smiths Kent Derby. Runner-up is Droopys Danneel.
1945 The photo finish is introduced at White City for the first time.
2012 A change in rules in Ireland will prevent the re-introduction of eliminated dogs into later rounds of competitions as reserves – providing the event is worth more than €5,000 to the winner. Smaller events will be unaffected.
1973 Customs and excise inspectors are raiding agents and trainers in relation to non-payment, or under payment of VAT on greyhounds purchased from Ireland. Fines are calculated at half the real value of the greyhound, plus the 10% VAT.
1957 Two English Derby winners are standing at stud in Britain. 1954 winner Pauls Fun is standing with Joe Booth in Old Clipstone, 1955 winner Rushton Mac is with owner/trainer Johnson at Rushton in Cheshire. The fee for both dogs is 30 guineas. Approximately £800 at 2021 values.
1986 From now on, the NGRC will refuse to register any racing dog with dual sires in their pedigrees.
2013 A couple of departures. Gordon Bissett retires after 35 years as Operations Controller at Ladbrokes. He announces that he will be ‘winding down and coming away from the boards on which I sit.’ GBGB’s Welfare Coordinator Annie Poole announces she will leave to take up a position at the RFU.
