Greyhounds
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I post on this forum as often as West Ham win an F.A. Cup, 
but I used to enjoy going dog racing years ago.
Here are some things I remember from the distant past.
Apologies for any errors, my memory is not what it used to be.
CATFORD
Onwe of the first and longest races I ever saw must have been about 1968. Farmer Zora the 2/7 favourite, won easily over a distance of 1,112 yards.
WEST HAM
At the time I lived close enough to spit from my bedroom window on to the track.
Dolores Rocket was the 10/11 favourite for the St Leger Final. Seamans Star was second best.
After a series of bunps at the first bend, traps 1 and 2, Whisper Billy and Sir Joe, shot clear and were never caught. The only bloke cheering was a postal worker named Harry, who always backed the two rags in every race for 20p win and place each on the Tote, and a 10p reverse forecast in the shops.
The winner was 50s, the runner-up was 33s, and iirc, the forecast paid £83-00 on the NSL chart.
Some of the best dogs to run there were Yellow Printer, and over hurdles, Adamstown Valley, Derry Palm and Sherrys Prince. 'Sherrys' was based at West Ham and never lost a race there.
I used to go every Wednesday and Friday.
Happy days.
HACKNEY WICK
Every Saturday morning for years was a regular fixture for me and my mates. This was the only instance of the Stewards Red Light coming on for an Enquiry that I witnessed in years of watching dog racing.
Ba The Rover looked to be nothing special on his trial times, but came out for the first race on the card, which is basically for really slow dogs.
He trapped fast and was gone by the first turn. He scooted home by no less than 17 lengths at 8/1 and on came the red light.
A month later he was winning A1 races and competing in Open Races.
WHITE CITY
A bit of a slap from the east end on the Underground but worth it. I think this was 1972 or 1973.
Sherrys Prince, the West Ham based hurdler, had already won two Grand Nationals. In his semi final in his third year there, he caught his tail in the fence on the first bend, which tore a piece off. Unbelievably he still got past 4 others and was only beaten 3 lengths by Adamstown Valley.
In the Final he was over his small injury, but the bookies thought otherwise. He was 15/8 against, which was like Christmas for his loyal supporters. Never put a foot wrong, out fast, over the first, and away home to mighty cheers from the whole of the stadium.
THE STOW
The dog with a mind of its own, Scurlogue Champ, who used to draw great crowds to dog racing for his style of running. All looked lost as he was tailed off, and suddenly, on went the turbo and he passed dogs like they were standing still.
I must be a bok. I went to watch him as The Stow, not my favourite track, and he was well beaten.
WEST HAM, CLAPTON AND THE STOW.
When favourites missed the break when the money was down, and somebody would step forward from the crowd, and from his overcoat he would produce a live cat and chuck it on the track as the dogs approached.
The cat would soon be over the hare rail and away, closely followed by greyhounds.
The Stewards would have no choice other than to declare the races void.
I also used to go Harringay om most Mondays. Not a bad track at all.
Romford was a pain for parking, so I gave that a miss more often than not.
I would only go to The Stow if I had won on the nags during the day as I found the grading pretty hard to fathom out.
A few trips to Wembley, which I thought was a soul-less place, and a long drive home if I lost.
I used to go to Crayford now and again, but when it wss transformed I didn't like it.
Not been to the dogs for 4 or 5 years, which was a meet up of chit-chat posters at The Stow.
I live in west Norfolk now and have no local track.
Any memories from other oldies out there ?
but I used to enjoy going dog racing years ago. Here are some things I remember from the distant past.
Apologies for any errors, my memory is not what it used to be.
CATFORD
Onwe of the first and longest races I ever saw must have been about 1968. Farmer Zora the 2/7 favourite, won easily over a distance of 1,112 yards.
WEST HAM
At the time I lived close enough to spit from my bedroom window on to the track.
Dolores Rocket was the 10/11 favourite for the St Leger Final. Seamans Star was second best.
After a series of bunps at the first bend, traps 1 and 2, Whisper Billy and Sir Joe, shot clear and were never caught. The only bloke cheering was a postal worker named Harry,
who always backed the two rags in every race for 20p win and place each on the Tote, and a 10p reverse forecast in the shops. The winner was 50s, the runner-up was 33s, and iirc, the forecast paid £83-00 on the NSL chart.
Some of the best dogs to run there were Yellow Printer, and over hurdles, Adamstown Valley, Derry Palm and Sherrys Prince. 'Sherrys' was based at West Ham and never lost a race there.
I used to go every Wednesday and Friday.
Happy days.
HACKNEY WICK
Every Saturday morning for years was a regular fixture for me and my mates. This was the only instance of the Stewards Red Light coming on for an Enquiry that I witnessed in years of watching dog racing.
Ba The Rover looked to be nothing special on his trial times, but came out for the first race on the card, which is basically for really slow dogs.
He trapped fast and was gone by the first turn. He scooted home by no less than 17 lengths at 8/1 and on came the red light.
A month later he was winning A1 races and competing in Open Races.
WHITE CITY
A bit of a slap from the east end on the Underground but worth it. I think this was 1972 or 1973.
Sherrys Prince, the West Ham based hurdler, had already won two Grand Nationals. In his semi final in his third year there, he caught his tail in the fence on the first bend, which tore a piece off. Unbelievably he still got past 4 others and was only beaten 3 lengths by Adamstown Valley.
In the Final he was over his small injury, but the bookies thought otherwise. He was 15/8 against, which was like Christmas for his loyal supporters. Never put a foot wrong, out fast, over the first, and away home to mighty cheers from the whole of the stadium.
THE STOW
The dog with a mind of its own, Scurlogue Champ, who used to draw great crowds to dog racing for his style of running. All looked lost as he was tailed off, and suddenly, on went the turbo and he passed dogs like they were standing still.
I must be a bok. I went to watch him as The Stow, not my favourite track, and he was well beaten.
WEST HAM, CLAPTON AND THE STOW.
When favourites missed the break when the money was down, and somebody would step forward from the crowd, and from his overcoat he would produce a live cat and chuck it on the track as the dogs approached.
The cat would soon be over the hare rail and away, closely followed by greyhounds.
The Stewards would have no choice other than to declare the races void.
I also used to go Harringay om most Mondays. Not a bad track at all.
Romford was a pain for parking, so I gave that a miss more often than not.
I would only go to The Stow if I had won on the nags during the day as I found the grading pretty hard to fathom out.
A few trips to Wembley, which I thought was a soul-less place, and a long drive home if I lost.
I used to go to Crayford now and again, but when it wss transformed I didn't like it.
Not been to the dogs for 4 or 5 years, which was a meet up of chit-chat posters at The Stow.
I live in west Norfolk now and have no local track.
Any memories from other oldies out there ?
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I hope you won't be offended if I correct a couple of things.
Farma Zora ran in the early 1970's and was definitely the best marathon bitch around at that time. Dolores rocket was 10/11 jt fav for The Cesarewitch with Supreme Fun. She led but went lame at the first bend which resulted in Whisper Billy (66/1) beating Rosemount Gunner (50/1) with Shyan Darling in third, (it was the Rocket's last race). The Great Sherry's Prince was trained at West Ham initially by John Shevlin, after he died the dog was transferred to Colin West at White City, (who had his tail made into a keyring) |
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I said my memory isn't what it used to be [smiley:crazy]
I went to Catford to see Farmer Zora with my mate and his step-dad, it was my first time at the dogs, despite living next door to West Ham. Soon after that, my mate and his family moved down to Rochester. Looks like I got the year wrong. I'm pretty sure that Seamans Star (Trap 4) was second favourite in the Dolores Rocket (Trap 6) race. Perhaps I've got 2 races mixed together in my memories. |
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Very Good Mr W, im sure you'll get some replies, must have took you yonks to
type that lot out...you probably went Romford when the distance was 425 and 600 (not that i did btw) Used to love Harringay, only went 85/86 before it was ko'd though |
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Did Crayford use to race under a tunnel?
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I believe before the old track was demolished the stand overhung the track, I think it was a peat track.
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Thx East - had family in the area, 1st track i went to - vague memory.
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There have been some great threads about the old days.. and they bring back some wonderful memories.. When you see whats on offer in todays terms, it makes it a painful experience to look back.
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talking of sherrysprince and adamstown valley , my earliest recollection of going racing was seeing Tony's Friend win over hurdles at london White City.
loved white city , remember to this day Andreda being a hurdle clear and falling! he'd run in the Derby a few weeks earlier. also , Clear Reason winning one night, he must have been 20 clear at one stage. remember Mary Stavin the current Miss World smiling at me  , never recovered!so sad to think of White City then and Wimbledon now |
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Dear old Tony's Friend I saw him beat Ballintore Tiger, the 1968 winner, in 1969 Grand National Final. I think he won 10 off the spin before getting beat at Wembley.
I remember Adamstown Valley 20 clear in a Springbok heat when he fell at the last. A year or so later, he did the same thing over 700 yards at Wimbledon. Millwall66: Quite right, the old days were so much better, but then you had more tracks and dogs to watch & comment on. |
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always remember @ Harringay some of the old girls working on the tote used to like doing their knitting in between races
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the mad ghost i remember tony friend trap6 adamstown valley think it got killed in a kennel fight
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the mad ghost do you remember the greyhound express what a good paper that was good days
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ron russian you remember the t.o.t.e there the clocks
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the old tea room round near the kennals at white city
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the.mad.dog.man 15 May 11 23:43
the mad ghost do you remember the greyhound express what a good paper that was good days I remember the GE seller at West Ham, he sounded like a facking strangled cat. 'GREYAAAAAAAAAAAAAARRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRN' |
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Only went to Wimbledon once, best night I ever had at dogs I think.
Got off at the wrong station and missed the first 3 races, pied down with rain, but I backed the other 5 winners. Went into a local with my best mate, played as guests in their dart team and mullered the opposition. Missed the last underground train back east on the District Line, had to get a taxi to Trafalgar Square and a night bus to Canning Town. Happy days. |
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When I was about 18 I went to The Stow from Woolwich, on a bike.
I locked the bike to a tree in the car park. Came out after 8 taces - skint. Went to the car park, the bike had been nicked. That was a facking long walk home on a cold winter night.  |
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TMDM: Yes, I have a couple of copies somewhere, if I can lay my hands on them. It closed in 1969. It's most famous reporter was Harry Carpenter before he joined The BBC as a boxing commentator.
I thought Tony's Friend was retired after he was disqualified for fighting at White City? The old Tea Room, did it share it with a bar? This was on the Popular enclosure. |
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tonys friend was retired i think it was adamstown valley that was killed in kennel fight not sure now the tea bar you are thinking off was near the cockles and muscles and jelled eals
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anybody remember a hurdler called belated silver he used be around a hurdle clear come round the last bend run very very wide then seemed to stare at the crowd and pull himself up he won many races though at all the big london tracks harringay wembley white city etc i reckon circa 1975.
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At White City, I go back to the Winter days of coke braziers on the public areas around the track.
The track was entirely covered with sewn-in straw for frost protection as undersoil heating had not yet been invented. |
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Mr Memory,we always celebrated each winner with a large mug of steaming Bovril from the tea bar near the kennels.
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Ballintore Tiger brings back some memories, it was trained at New Cross along with Halfpenny King another top class hurdler, there were were such great hurdlers about in those days... No Chips.. Derry Palm etc & Wimbledon always had a great crop of hurdlers and their top hurdles heats were like top finals anywhere.
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mr memory i think stamford bridge was the first to have sewn in straw and the coke fires i remember them also at wembley
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MDM wasnt it Beaverwood Wind that got killed in a kennet fight.
Wembley used to be covered in a black peat to stop it freezing in winter months |
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Longest marathon at the time, the 60s, was 1140yards @ Romford and Movealong Margo won it.
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Any/1 remember the 8 Unplaced bet or the 8 Placed
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rothman mike think your right
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rothman mike do you hear from peter
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No Mickie, used to pop in en route to Walthamstow but not any more.
Good to have a Re-union with all the lads |
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sevey i remember cleaning combes out one day with that bet 8 unplace
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Longest marathon that I saw at Catford was 1050 metres or 1148 yards. Salina broke the track record in 70 seconds plus a few spots, can't recall exactly the time but it was thereabouts. Extreme marathons were quite a rare occurrence in those days.
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The Coke braziers were also at Clapton scattered all around the track..as was mentioned on another old thread, a dog called Woodford Alan got turned over at 1/3 in a graded race at Clapton.. and a few disgruntled punters threw the Braziers onto the track and all the straw caught fire.
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Talking of the 1000yds+ races.. a few to mention. Miss Taft.. Greenville Fauna.. Movealong Margo..Husky Crazy.. Poor Mick.. Little Tiddler..Not Permissable etc..probably not all 1000 yarders but all great staying dogs.
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Taling of Clapton, does anyone remember the London Cup competition run over 909 yards. As a lover of marathon contests, I always enjoyed it.
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Talking
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i Found the starting post very enjoyable. Thanks for your memories!
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i Found the starting post very enjoyable. Thanks for your memories!
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i Found the starting post very enjoyable. Thanks for your memories!
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