October History: A look back at what happened in Greyhound Racing

Snippets from greyhound racing in October past

1999 

Paddy Milligan’s Beaverwood Kennels is demolished to make way for a new multi million pound health and fitness centre. 

2015 

Sheffield GM John Gilburn has defended the right of Nottingham boss Rachel Corden to bar runners owned by GTA secretary Dave Houfton from trialling or racing at her track. Gilburn said: "I don't know the circumstances at Nottingham, but I would absolutely defend the principle of a management's right to prevent any owner, trainer or customer from attending a meeting. I have done so in the past and would do the same again whenever necessary." 

2013 

Agents CBRE announce an October 28 deadline for bids for Hall Green and Belle Vue. It is understood that the tracks are on the market for £2.3m and £2.4m though rumours suggest that deals have already been reached on both.  

1968 

Cals Invader, favourite for the Irish Puppy Derby, makes top lot at Hackney Sales (1,850gns) but is eliminated in the second round two days later. Meanwhile sister Cals Pick (Any Harm-Flying Sherry), who made 1,300 at the same sale, and finished runner-up in the Harolds Cross race, will join Jack Harvey. In 1969 she wins the Coronation Stakes, Cesarewitch and Stewards Cup. 

2019 

The Irish Tourist Board has suspended links with greyhound racing.  The decision has caused fury amongst greyhound owners. Fáilte Ireland and Tourism Ireland told the Irish Greyhound Board last Thursday that they would not be featuring greyhound racing in any tourism marketing campaigns in Ireland or abroad. 

The decision was reached after concerns were raised by Minister for Sport Shane Ross following the RTE Investigates programme into the sport which was broadcast in June. The decision is a blow to the Irish Greyhound Board as the tourism market is an important source of revenue for the sport in certain regions. 

Irish Greyhound Board CEO Gerard Dollard said: “The Greyhound Board is a semi-state organisation and a legitimate industry and the tourism market was an important demographic for the industry. About 30,000 tourists were among the 500,000 people who visited greyhound stadia. Not promoting greyhound racing on the tourism websites would have a negative impact.There is a positive story to tell about the industry but it’s not getting out.” 

1971 

October 1 Dolores Rocket, the first greyhound to win the English Derby and St Leger in the same year, finishes lame when challenging the leaders at the third bend in the Cesarewitch final at West Ham over 600 yards. During the year, she also won the Essex Vase at Romford over 650 yards, Spring Cup at Wimbledon 700 yards, Crayford 700 yards, Wembley 525 yards, and was named Greyhound Of The Year. 

1993 

Wishaw boss Davy Kirkwood fought off three masked raiders armed with a sawn-off shotgun as they ambushed him outside his home.  Kirkwood suffered a fractured skull and broken ribs. 

2008 

Hall Green’s greyhound sale was a great success with 42 of the 57 lots sold and receipts reached almost £53,000. Top lot Cals Meteor made 5,100 guineas after clocking 28.59. 

1966 

Changes in legislation mean that tax paid on tote bets will be halved from its current 5%. Meanwhile, in a concerted move, London tracks increase their admission fee by six pence and most raise their kennel charges. It will now cost 42 shillings per week (equivalent to roughly £33) to keep a dog at Brighton for a week. 

1997 

NGRC stewards decide to ignore the advice of Professor Richard Lacey who suggests that annual inoculations are neither necessary or in the dog’s best interest. 

2002 

Owner Barrie Silkman is so incensed when Swindon exclude Texan Fox from an 18-runner competition that he issues a £25,000 a side challenge to the eventual winner of the event.  It isn’t accepted which might be just as well given that within a month the dog has landed the Eclipse at Nottingham. 

2018 

The semi finals of the Doncaster St.Leger are marred by a fatal injury to Hazel Kemp’s open race star Master Kelly in a race won by his kennelmate Slippy Maggie. 

1998 

The 1993 English Derby winner Ringa Hustle is retired from stud duties as a failure and will spend his remaining years as a pet with former trainer Tony Meek. 

1968 

Frank Melville becomes the youngest NGRC professional trainer at the age of 26. He is the son of a Ramsgate handler and nephew of a Wembley handler and will be attached to Harringay and White City. 

2019 

Hove’s new GM Brian Murphy introduces a series of initiatives. The first, is an agreement to subsidise 28 spaces at the track supported retirement kennel in Twineham. For a one-off fee of £200 the track will take responsibility for a greyhound’s re-homing future, no matter how long that may be. 

Murphy also lays out plans to ditch regular graded racing over the 490 and 515 metre distances. All middle distance graded races will be over a new 500 metre course. He also gives the go-ahead to turn a section of the main grandstand into an ‘owners only’ area which will include regular nights of discounted drinks and a free buffet. 

2013 

Coventry promoter Harry Findlay announces that the new Coventry jackpot over eight legs will pay out £100,000. 

1995 

Bill Glass is promoted to Racing Controller at Hackney following the resignation of Stephen Rea. 

2000 

A Wimbledon racegoer who stumbled into an unattended executive box found that the tote terminal was live. After running out a pile of tickets, he waited for the races, took the winning tickets to a window and walked away with a pocket of cash. 

2018 

Peterborough racing manager Martin Race switches to Henlow where he will join former assistant James Chalkley plus the existing pairing of Paul Mellor and Lorraine King. 

1995 

Kevin Wilde faces fierce opposition after putting Brough Park on the market for a figure believed to be in the region of £1.75m. He paid around £1.4m for it. Local bookmaker Alan Roberts accuses Wilde of deliberately running the place down since he bought Sunderland the previous year. Brough has lost its BAGS contract and Wilde has scrapped the All England Cup and Northumberland Gold Cup. 

2008 

Second favourite College Causeway will not contest the English St Leger when Irish trainer Pat Buckley realises that that the dog will be ineligible to compete unless he trials twice in a week as stipulated by NGRC rule 83. The rule is amended a month later to ‘one trial’. 

2016 

Veteran Walshes Hill wins his 17th open race of the year – two clear of his closest rival – when landing the Scurry Gold Cup at Belle Vue. Trainer Jimmy Wright said: “He said: "The lads who own him originally had him on the flaps before he joined me and he broke the track record at Armadale.” 

2002 

Staplers Jo dies following a short battle with illness. The British bred 1995 Greyhound of the Year was acknowledged as one of the outstanding sires of early pace – and bitches. He actually threw four consecutive winners of the Irish Oaks. 

1997 

Bristol closes down to make way for a retail development.