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Old betting memories of Londons dog tracks
Old betting memories of Londons dog tracks
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ONSLOW1974, I'd take very short odds that was Tom "The Viking" Jenkins. With his twin brother John they were 'The John Power Organisation' and absolute legends of the ring that the oldtimers will remember well.
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slippy blue you are bringing back some names now.
if i remember correctly tom jenkins had been on the scotch one day and decided to take on a dog called chicata bannana owned by harry findlay and everyone else was shorting it he kept knocking it out taking absolute lumps on it much to the annoyance of certain punters. unbelivable scenes when it got turned over. the only time i think he swerved a bet was two of the characters from the dodgiest betting shop post was the 2 mecca managers one a pikey looking guy the other a real smoothie who were getting some real hot info notably john coleman dogs and the smoothie manager seemed to have a friendship with tom and used to mark his card and they could have up to 4 figures on |
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great post. the only thing I would take exception to is that the form is not "all over the shop" in any bookies you care to walk in. Nor is it a priority in the post.
This is part of the problem now. Nobody sees racing (equine or canine) as a semi solvable puzzle.. as an interest. Just a bit of a pss up day out. I agree, dontwintoeasy. I backed horses since i was about 12 and only stopped a few years ago when i was seduced by poker. What i loved about horseracing was that it was a solvable puzzle if you studied the form. Unfortunately that took time and so most bets were a compromise. I have a maths background so it was a great help with understanding handicapping etc, I do not think the current young generation have the brains for it and that is why it is dying out. I wish that I could get back my love of horseracing. It seemed to stop almost immediately I started playing poker. I don't understand why. |
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West Ham dog track from 1960
http://www.britishpathe.com/video/greyhounds-in-retirement |
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ONSLOW1974 06 Jan 13 12:18
Went to WALTHAMSTOW, bookie who looked like Jackie Palloe the wrestler, was smoking the biggest cigar i have ever seen!! That rings a bell with me Onslow Wasn't this one some years later was it ? . http://www.flickr.com/photos/mattp/111388270/ |
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in the documentry--gone to the dogs--Walthamstow
whos the pro punter? where did most of crowd(bookies,owners,trainers go to after Walthamstow closed? |
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not london but always remember at wallyford when the 'mop' was running!
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WALTHAMSTOW
I went about once a month, and always on a Saturday. I used to go woth a group of mates, and one of them, a lorry driver named John, never had a bet, he only went got 'the craic'. This was handy as John used to get the beers in when the races were on and the queues at the bars had mostly died down. On one such visit, John had been to the khazi while a race was on. When he came out he asked me 'Who's John Power?' I pointed him out and asked if he was going to break into a sweat and have a bet on something. 'I might do now.' he said 'I was sitting on the bog when I heard two blokes talking in the khazi. One told the other that John Power had had two grand on the 4 dog in the last.' I had my biggest bet of the night on it, and Ilm fackdd if I can recall its name, but am glad to report that it romped home at at 9/2.  |
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WALTHAMSTOW
Once again, a group of us, with John the lorry driver as one of the designated drivers. He got well pissed off because he couldn't drink, and actually had a few bets, and got the right hump when he was £20 down when it was all over. Back in the car park opposite the entrance, four of us got into his car, which always took about 10 minutes to warm up, and it was a cold foggy night. There was only way out, and getting out was always slow. He pulled forward behind another car, and as usual, about 4 long lines converged into one line near the exit gate. The rest of us were busy chatting and didn't notice that we had hardly moved after 5 minutes. John got irate and started to sound his hooter at the car in front, which was about 4 inches from his front bumper. But at either side of us, the lines were still moving along, even if it was slow. More hooting by John had no effect, so he shouted out of the window 'Any time tonigght mate, I wanna go home for facks sake.' Still the car in front never moved, while either side of us, they ploughed on. John shouted out of the window 'You daft coont, facking move will ya.' Still no movement, so John got out and went to the car. When he came back I asked 'Are we moving now?' 'Not yet' he said 'There's no coont in it.'  He had pulled up behind a car that had parked and the driver had left his lights on.  It was a good 15 more minutes before we could back up and get out from behind it, with us 3 taking the piss out of John all way home.  |
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SqueezeFirmly 05 Jan 13 23:54 WALTHAMSTOW Scene of chit chatters meeting up a few years back. Must have been 10 or 12 of us there. After the racing everybody except me and my mrs went for an indian meal. I had been at work all day and was tired, and it's over 100 miles to drive home, so we left the party. There were photos, but I've only got one. You know that old joke when a bloke has a pint in his hand and somebody asks him the time, he turns his wrist and pours his beer all over himself... What mug would fall for that... Tinypic working now . http://i50.tinypic.com/ort1nd.jpg Some of us know who it is, but those who don't are welcome to guess. |
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SF,adblock corrected that to a picture of a stag,
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I just copied and pasted the address and got the right picture, so no idea what's happened there.
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CATFORD
Didn't get over there much, it being sarf of the river. But after moving over to 'foreign soil' for about 6 months in the mid to late 1980s. 9, I used to go there for the occasional meeting. I had no idea of how any dogs ran the track, or any idea of form, save for the programme. On one such night, plotted up on the stairs with Mrs SF, we got chatting to a pair of middle aged men, who didn't seem to have bet all the time we were there. It transpired they had paid to get in (when they could have got in free for the last two races as most tracks opened the gates back ) They just enjoyed the racing and watching the hurly burly of the betting jungle in front of them. They said they were were waiting for the 1 dog in the last as 'She's the best stayer over here.' (Perhaps a Catford regulay may know the bitch from that era). It takes some patience to stand and watch a whole card and not have a bet, so I applaud them for that. I can't recall the name of the greyhound in the red jacket, but it was all over as she poured on the pace down the back straight and pulled clear for an easy win to lots of 'OY OY' from the crowd as she was the 15/8 favourite. Happy Days |
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Mt first visit to Slough dog track.
Seven years old and my dad announced one Saturday morning in 1968 that we were going to a football match for the firat time ever. Couldn't have been more thrilled, but from seeing Match Of The Day had a worry about being crushed on the terraces. The game turned out to be Slough Town reserves vs Walton & Hersham reserves at the dog track (the Dolphin stadium). Slough Town reserves won 3-2, the attendance was 16 and it remained the most exciting match I attended until I saw HSV win 4-3 at Bayern Nunich in 1982. To complete a perfect day we had chips on the way home on the bus, and my dad told me how he had won over £300 backing forecasts at the track in the late '50s, lost the lot and more, then met my mum who, thankfully, had a Post Office Savings account. It all sounded perfectly reasonable to me, as when they argued, the row usually ended with my mum shouting that he'd only married her for her Post Office Savings account. |
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Used to go to Catford in the mid 1960s....sandown/kempton in the afternoon and the dogs in the evening.A number of times a wide dog Newgrove Toddy (think that was its name) got me out of trouble from 5 or 6...then lost again outside the track playing find the lady and had to walk home to Westcombe Park.
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WALTHAMSTOW (again)
For those who have been there, you know that as you leave the gate in the big ring, the seafood stall is on your right. On this night there were only 3 of us, accompanied by 'Fat Stan', the teenager in my first Hackney post. We finished a few quid up, nothing to shout about, except for Stan, who had done about a fiver, and was broken hearted. He loved his grub did Stan, and had saved enough for pie and chips. We were in my car and he asked 'Are you going to the chippie on the other side of the roundabout?' Stan couldn'tt name one pub anywhere, but he knew every food outlet within 250 yards of any dog track we took him to. 'No I'm not' I said 'I'm on a promise tonight, so you'll have to wait unit we get near home.' We all laughed as Stan said 'No, that's alright, don't mind me. You rush home to get your facking leg over, and I'll starve then.' which was even funnier as Stan was about 5 feet 6, and you got no change out of 16 stones. As mentined before, he wasn't the sharpest knife in the drawer, and as we passed the seafood stall he shouted 'Hang on a minute.' He walked up to the stall at the right hand end asked 'How much are the whelks mate?' The bloke told him. Then 'How much are the cockles mate?'. The bloke told him. He worked his way along the counter asking the price of everything. When he got to the other end he asked 'How much is the bread mate?' The bloke said ' It's free.' Thinking he was doing no wrong, Stan picked up the stainless steel bowl that was full of bread chunks and said 'I'll bring the bowl back next week.' and tried to walk off. But even before the bloke came out and stopped him (we were pissing ourselves laughing) Stan had already crammed about 10 pieces into his gob.' When he had finally finished chewing it up and swallowing it we were about a mile down the North Circular Road. He said 'What did he get the hump for ? He said it was free, the coont.' |
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Had some great nights at White City when I managed the Hills shop in Bleomfontain Road. A group of us from the shops all around Shepherds Bush and Acton would meet up in the Adelaide on the Uxbridge Road and go on to the dogs and perhaps even risk a wild night at Hamersmith Palais with a compliant cashier or two. I was never really into greyhounds but I remember one...Mutts Silver----I think it won a big race at the city and then another at Slough on Grand National Saturday
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Hello Dobbo, hope all is well with you in Bruges.
Mutts Silver won the 1976 Derby at White City no less, so as you say quite a big race! Trained by Phil Rees at Wimbledon. |
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WEMBLEY
A long way form West Ham, I only went once. What a soul-less place for dog racing. No atmosphere imo, and watching a forlorn Stan Bowles standing on his own in the rain after backing a string of losers doesn't cheer you up much. I think this was the only meeting in history that I left before the last race. |
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As said before I had trouble getting boyfriends to take me to the dogs, however one particular one was even worse
 He suffered from agraphobia so we had to get a cab there and back to Hackney but one day the return cab did not turn up and by the time we realised he was not coming they would not let us back in to phone them. The bus stop was not far away but it was out in the open and he would not wait at the bus stop. So we had to wait by a building and when we saw a bus approaching we had to sprint across the open fields and try to catch it. We had about three attempts before we caught it  However, the incident made me fully aware of how bad his agraphobia was as whilst we were waiting he went the colour of beetroot and sweat poured down his face. We are still friends and his agraphobia is much better. |
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Thanks for the good wishes Slippy but I am afraid Brugge is just an expensive memory.I never thought I would experience skintdom again but there you go.I remember another dog at White City called Commuter Kid. I was trying to start a car-share agency at the time and I saw this dog running and backed it at 25/1.It sluiced in of course and the assembled genius experts were totally pissed off at my muggish luck.
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Went to the St Leger final at Wembley in 1979 because my dad had backed Kilmagoura Mist AP at 50/1 so we went to the final to cheer it on, remember my dad backing two other dogs on the night as savers but the Mist powered home to great cheers.
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SQUEEZE, i have just been looking through my box of old programmes since you mentioned WEMBLEY. i founda st leger final night for 1981.
6k to the winner then was good prizemoney, but i like you always seemed to find it a rather souless place. i will have to look on internet for race result now !!! as im fooked if i can remember. ( guess it might have been trap 6, alfa my son. ?? |
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http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/St_Leger_(greyhounds)
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WHITE CITY
Home of the greyhound Grand National. Since its first running in 1927, only 3 dogs have won it twice - Juvenile Classic in 1938 and 1940, Blossom of Annagura in 1949 and 1950 and Topofthetide in 1978 and 1979. But sandwiched in between Blossom of Anagurna and Topofthe tide, who can remember the West Ham based dog Sherrys Prince, who lifted 3 consecutive Grand Nationals from 1970-1972. With his time of 29.22 in 1971 the fastest ever recorded at White City, which closed in 1984. I was there for his semi-final in 1972, he was out of the traps fast, but somehow caught his tail in the fence, and left a bit of it behind. It still amazes me that he was only beaten just two and a half lengths by Adamstown Valley into second spot, with unhindered dogs not able to match this pair. Us West Ham dog fans were back in force for the final, and how it returned 5/4 was beyond me. We were opposite the winning line and got 13/8 with no trouble, and one of us even got 15/8 early doors. Up went the lids and out he flew, back to his impeccable jumping and and cruised home to a lot of 'OY OY OY' from all around the stadium. All back on the Central line to Mile End, then change for Plaistow. It's not so long a journey when you come home winning. Happy Days. White City was the track used in the film 'The Blue Lamp' (1950) which had a very early instance of swearing in it, when somebody said 'Some bastard has shot George Dixon' |
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Who remembers Edgware Straights?? would be around the middle 80s, everyone stood around eyeing all the faces up, bookmakers betting to around 250% (they probably had to tbf)
I managed to get a win out of a dog where several pro trainers didnt, mind you it was a clumsy lump and got a solo  |
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Used to have once a year outings to Catford, Wimbledon and Brough Park. My old man's missus and her mates do Romford properly once a year. One of the girls used to own one called 'Sport' (Sporting Mariner) who was apparently quite good.
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CLAPTON
Home of the Scurry Gold Cup. I wasn't a regular here, probably once a month, or when it was an Open Race card. On this night the journey to the track was my first visit by public transport, instead of the usual car. Me and two mates got on the bus in Stratford Broadway, and I offered the conductor a fiver for my fare, thinking I would get away with it.  No such luck, I didn't even get any £1 notes in my change, and much to my mates amusement, I got a pocket full of facking silver. Getting off the bus outside Hackney Hospital, it was a really long walk down Glyn Road to the Clapton track. Lucky it wasn't a cold night. It was about 1972/3 that Tideways Lisa was a hot favourite in one of the Scurry heatsm and also favourite for the final. She was normally an exceptionally fast starter, which is all you need to get clear at Clapton, as it was a really tight circuit, more like a circle than an oval. She was in the blue jacket, and as the lids flew up there was a fraction of a stumble from her, but her electric pace got her back in contention before the turn, but she got sandwiched between two dogs and popped up in the air like a bar of soap out of somebodys hand. Favourite backers moaned all around the stadium as there was no coming back after this, our only hope wss that she got up and ran the wrong way, thus getting the hare stopped and the race made void. Soon came the answer to punters prayers, a man ran to the side of the track, and in an event that you don't see these days (but I've seen twice) he produced a cat from his coat, and threw it onto the track as the leading dogs approached. The cat got away with its fur intact, but the red jacketed dog pursued him over the rails and was injured, and the race was made void. In the re-run there were no trapping errors for Tideways Lisa, she hit the lids like greased lightning, the red box was empty, and she was out and on her way home in the blink of an eye. Happy days |
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So it managed to just qualify by a whisker then
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My dad took me to Clapton on a bank holiday, all the girls behind the tote counters knew him so god knows how many times he had been there before when he was supposed to be " working late " remembered that trap six won every race bar one !
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Some great memories of all the 90s London tracks, Catford, Wimbledon, and The Stow. Best of all is Rommers of course, not strictly London but hey ho.
The days of Russ Bridge (top grade) who trapped only when the train was going past -'Wheres the train? Oioioioi, choo choo', sublime. Or the best matchrace in history when local stayer and heroine Chocolate Chip ran against Snugboro Rose a top class animal that was stepping up in trip. In front of a packed, jam-packed house who'd come for this race, Rose led to the delight of 50% of the crowd, went clear. Then at the 575m pole, Chip started flying, the other 50% oioioi-ing, so that at about 700m the whole stadium was shouting on one or the other. Just fabulous. Racing Post Festival final nights at The Stow, Catford Gold Collar finals....what a great game it was back then |
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HARRINGAY
Of all the tracks in London, for some reason, this was the track where you spotted most regulars from West Ham in the crowd. I was there for a normal night of graded racing, when a mate heard a whisper in a bar that the 'jolly' in the last race wasn't 'at the races'.  We never heard what was going to run well, so we plumped for the dog in red, which obliged by a fair margin at 8/1. The favourite was 5th at evens. I can't recall any names of these dogs ffs. Harringay was where the stock car race took place in 'The Long Good Friday.' |
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Catford
I had a very eventful Saturday night there circa 1989. Myself and two blokes I played cricket with all had a runner on the same card each with diferent trainers. Second race, we back the wicket keepers dog from 11/4 to 11/8. It was a strong market in those days but John Humphreys and David Richardson (the main layers) knew us and me inparticular and shortened up more than the bets really deserved but the sheep were jumping in as well so it wa a one dog book in the end. So, mateys dog absolutely pings in the 385 metre sprint, turning the second bend it's three clear already and we're all in fine voice giving it the biggun on the terraces. Still well in front on the run in and no offers our fella he cramps up and gets chinned right on the lollipop to get done a short head, absolutely sickening. Onwards and upwards however, it happens! Onto the opening batsmans dog, in the 7th race. It was a bit of a stand out and we were expecting it to be favourite and sure enough it opened up 2/1 returning a well backed 6/4 jolly. So they are going in and opening bat says he'll be back later and disappears. Horror of horros he completely fluffs the break but it's a 555 metre 6 bend race so time to recover. Passing the winning line for the first time he gets checked and is 100/1 from there as the second favourite boots clear. Approaching the 5th bend and turning for home a teddy bear lands in front of the leader (no prizes for guessing whose it was) and the race is void as it caused a big pile up. Cue an angry mob chasing our man who then scales a wall topped with two layers of rusty barbed wire and our man makes his escape. I saw him the next day and there were pieces of flesh missing from his palms and most fingers but we got our stakes back and that's the main thing Another couple of races later and then it's the turn of my dog who won his last two and got upgraded again. Badly drawn in 3 and with my trainer having another runner he told us to back the other one and to leaave mine alone. (Can you guess where this is going..?) So, mine opens 7/2 the kennelmate 5/2. We back that down to 15/8 fav with what ammo we had left. Seeing that I wasn't punting mine I don't think I saw anyone else have even a score on him it drifted to 8/1. Mine is last but comes with his late rattle against the better dogs and picks up the other runner close home to a stunned silence from the crowd and a few dirty looks in my direction. It took some explaining to say I never had a dollar on that night which was the truth. Without dobt a memorable night but for all the wrong reasons I can laugh about it now but at the time it wasn't very funny I must say. |
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Always remember Harringay as being a real sh!thole with the other side of the track closed to the public towards the end, remember going once in the late 70's & for some reason was still there after racing, their was a one dog trial which we watched, don't know why but it seemed the dog flew round the track but for all we knew it could have been an optical illusion, not sure how we found out its name but we did & it ran the following week so we went to back it for no other reason that we saw the trial, think it won half the track
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I'm the one on the right !
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Catford was my second home, nearly cried when it shut, was in Vegas at the time, a mate was meeting us out there, the colour drained from my face when he told me, many great stories from there, Harringay, owned a dog called Hikers Pint, a right dodge, we went down the kennels on Sunday to give it a live one, I was 17, day before I went to a pet shop to buy a Rabbit, shop keeper pointed to a big cage full of them, "what one do you want"? He thought I was after a pet! I just picked one and my mate looked after it that night, I could not watch what happened at the kennel and hid behind a tree, my mates got on with it, but the dog ran away from the Rabbit, a right coward!!! ( must have been a West Ham fan) anyway he was down to run the next Friday, the trainer told my mate it had really geeded him up and he would win, we were at Royal Ascot and punted Scorpio at 9-4 to win The Hardwicke, that won and we drove straight to Harringay, I had £400 at 11-4 on Hikers, he bolted up, we went mental, the runners from that race, printed in The Standard is still on my wardrobe door at my old mums in Deptford
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my first greyhound derby final..what a night ..what a crowd..what atmosphere..been hooked ever since....
http://www.greyhoundderby.com/1975-greyhound_derby.htm SQUEEZE, did you ever go to the dogs on the south coast.?? brighton or portsmouth. ?? your " mugshot" looked familiar thats all. maybe ive seen you around the london tracks..good luck and a good thread...glasgow..ex southampton.... |
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" must of been a west ham fan "
...says the man from behind the tree....  |
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Could not harm one of Gods creatures
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