1965 Booked Out and Cranog Bet are 8-1 joint favourites for the English Derby. Neither will make the final. Eventual winner Chittering Clapton is available at 66-1. He will be followed home in the final by Sunbow (66), Shy Prairie (33), Creggan Bush (16), Flash Solar (100) and Greenane Flame (66)
2010 Yarmouth undergo a major project on their racing circuit which will involve fitting new drains, recambering the track, raising the hare rail and laying 300 tons of shingle and 800 tons of new sand. The total cost of the project is £190,000 plus VAT.
1984 The Dungannon 500 and 525 yard track records were both broken on the same charity meeting. The 500 clock went to Dark Captain (Thurles Yard-Dark Mecca) with a 27.80 run. The 525 record was reduced to 28.80 by Chief Ironside (Hurry on Bran-Move The Bandit).
1949 Saft Alex is the Derby ante post favourite at 7-1. He will reach the final but finish last behind Narrogar Ann, currently available at 20s. Between them will finish Dangerous Prince (20-1), Sailing At Dawn (33-1), Local Interprize (8-1) and Glencoy Regent (16-1).
1968 Trainer John Bassett reveals that he once paid 150gns for a young dog who developed into of the best sprinters of the 1930s, Lone Seal. When war broke out, he hastily sold him on for £50. Seal went on to sire two English Derby winners, Ballymac Seal and Ballyhennessy Ball.
1968 Jim Howard, the owner of Gold Cup winner Poor Mick, reveals that all the dog’s earnings are paid directly to the children’s charity Dr Barnardo’s. In two years he wins over £3,600, worth around £62K at current values.
1959 Frederick Childs, the Portsmouth General Manager dies in a capsized dinghy off Hayling Island. ‘FA’ he 39 year old son of Joe Childs, the former Queen’s jockey and founder of Portsmouth, was with his young family when the accident occurred.
1996 Singing Minister, bought at the local sales for 320 guineas sets a new 440 metre track record at Swaffham. The dog had originally been sold for 50 guineas at Shelbourne Park sales.
1960 Members of the Northern Ireland Greyhound Owners & Breeders Association (NIGOBA) decide to boycott one of the Northern tracks in protest that neither Celtic Park or Dunmore pay appearance money. On the toss of a coin, they choose Celtic Park who were due to stage the first round of the Trigo Cup. The Dunmore management decide to bar all the owners who boycotted Celtic Park. In response, NIGOBA boycott Dunmore who receive only 17 entries for a seven race card. The managements threaten to close both tracks until the dispute is resolved.
1949 The Two-Year-Old Produce Stakes gets underway at Wimbledon. Total value of the 36 runner event is £2,224 (that’s roughly £77,000 at today’s values). The winner collected £990 (£34,250).
2011 David MacDonald, boss at Romford and Hove takes the place of Tom Kelly on the BGRF board. The bookmakers are also represented by Gordon Bissett (Ladbrokes), Kate Miller (Hills) and Billy King jnr.
1986 Bord nag Con are considering a plan to introduce selling races on all their tracks.
1959 White City racing manager Percy Brown makes Mile Bush Pride his no.1 seed in his 48 selections accepted for the Derby. Brown proves spot on as the top seed duly lifts the final and is followed home by Snub Nose (seeded 8), Crazy Paracute (4), Coolkill Racket (6), Brians Hope (5) and Dancing Sheik (23). The final will be watched by a crowd of 41,000. Owner Noel Purvis parades his star.
