Charley's Ninth Birthday

We celebrated Charley's birthday on Thursday.  The venue was the popular Angel Hotel in Beverley. We were grateful to the popular Paul Smith from www.hu17.net for attending with his camera, the results of which can be viewed via the below link.  The biggest dog there was an Irish Wolfhound x Deerhound and Charley gave him a special welcome!

http://www.hu17.net/2013/08/20/charlie-made-welcome-at-beverley-boozer-on-his-birthday/

Now that we are retired and without a car to take us anywhere our best canine friend is Charley.  Some people with expensive pedigree dogs regard him as a mongrel.  We tell them he is the eleventh generation of our Jack Russells.  They were all mentally and physically sound and none of them cost a shilling.  We got the first in 1951 from a farmer in Smeeton Westerby.  He called me to see a horse one day when he was threshing corn.  As the stack got lower rats began emerging in haste.   His pregnant terrier weighing only ten pounds displayed such skill at rodent control that I ordered a puppy -- if there should be one for sale.  Two months later the farmer Mr Halden kindly arrived with a wee brown dog we called Pickles and a bitch which we gave to our local Doctor O'Reilly for his family.

This is Charley the most intelligent of all our dogs.  

More Scandals That Led To The Loss Of 210 Tracks

Before tattoos were introduced to identify runners substitutions were not uncommon.  Some were due to mistakes by trainers' assistants in distinguishing between  two fawn, black or brindled dogs.  I recall  occasions when a wrong dog ran but the mistake was detected only after the result was announced.  In some cases the race was declared void.  I remember occasions when a trainer or kennel hand reported a mistake only to be told to 'keep his mouth shut.' Con Stevens at Wimbledon was respected for strict observance and compliance with the rules but I have not forgotten a mistake by one of his assistants in identifying a runner of mine in 1967.   It resulted in a wasted 180 mile journey by Denise my faithful and expert assistant for 32 years.  When she presented my bitch Very Elegant she was rudely asked to take her away ?. One of the four letters in the tattoo was illegible simply because insufficient dye was used.  The steward never even glanced at the characteristic white markings on the forehead, nose, neck, chest or toes.  This outstanding bitch had been passed by stewards at seven other tracks and was later purchased by 'Hoppy' Green the experienced promoter at Barnsley.  

Perhaps the most lethal factor in the failure of so many tracks was the apathy toward the welfare of the greyhounds.  So many were injured on tight turns and dangerous turf surfaces during the years before I began writing about the advantages of sand.  As a teenager I had a special feeling for dogs above all other animals.   I wondered at their truth and faithfulness to us -- even when we might have been kinder to them.

When I enrolled at the veterinary college I became aware of the need to educate the public on the care, management and husbandry of animals if we were to make a contribution to the reduction of injury and disease.   I was particularly impressed by lectures delivered with passion from Alfie O' Dea the kind Professor who had graduated from London in 1906.
I took care of some of the greyhounds who entered the college kennels for treatment.  I still remember the names of some famous winners with sadness because they died there.    A special favourite was Robert Robinson who had won the Connaught and Irish Cups.   He started favourite for the Waterloo Cup but was hard run, stressed and rushed back to the college -- too late.    Another that I was fond of was Robeen Printer the St Leger winner trained by George McKay at Coventry.  Before this lovely creature died from sepsis she had left a fine litter of pups.
After I had qualified and gone to Britain as an assistant or locum I learned of the urgent need for research into virus diseases like Distemper.  While assisting Mr Wentworth Elam at the Liverpool tracks I was very worried by the numbers of greyhounds who suffered agonising deaths.   I felt equally sorry for their trainers and more so for their young helpers who had to carry out the carcases because they lived in the kennels.

I had another depressing experience due to this virus after  I moved to Dublin with Jane in '49.  We lost a lovely brindle bitch that she was very fond of.  Indeed she still mentions her among the real friends we have known.   She was sired by the great "Quare Times " and  had looked very promising at ten months of age. 

The scandal that threatened the future of greyhound racing in Ireland and in Britain in 1949

In 1948  trainer Jim O'Meara introduced a very fast greyhound called Waggles to the Dublin racegoers.
On a visit back home I heard about him and called at the kennels to see him.   He looked and behaved like a good one and he was sound.   Jim also showed me his sister Miss Chancer and I was equally impressed with her.  When retired she produced an outstanding tracker called Silent Worship.  He recovered from a serious injury and was trained by Johnny Basset to win the Midland Flat.
 After two more good runs Waggles was purchased and taken across to  Essex.   When he did not appear on a British racecard after a month some greyhound followers were curious to know what had become of him.  Some assumed that he was running in an assumed name on some independent track.   Every new fawn dog appearing at some tracks was closely inspected.  After a few months a small fawn dog called Red Wind won two races in fast times.  A few Irish people living in Britain thought he looked  like Waggles. They spoke of their suspicions and a number of people went to see Red Wind wherever they saw his name among a list of runners.   Red Wind's fame grew as he continued to win races confined to puppies and more people began to suspect that he was Waggles.  Eventually the police were asked to investigate and it was proved in court that the suspicions were correct.

The greyhound fraternity in Ireland were embarrassed by the adverse publicity about one of our exports.  Questions were asked in the Irish Parliament and some members suggested that a statutory control board was needed.  Members of the Irish Coursing club proposed that tattoo marks should be inserted in the ears.  Some members of the public considered that this would cause some pain.  Others suggested that it would be cruel.  Lawyers proposed that some method of identification must be introduced to prevent any repeat of the scandal that followed this sale.  The export of greyhounds is important to the Irish economy and correspondence in the press gradually indicated more demand for a statutory body to control the industry.  I wrote a letter to James Dillon an influential Minister and another to Deputy Neil Blaney who had been a school mate and friend of mine.  I also wrote to Deputy Sean Flanagan whom I knew from Gaelic football.  His brother Seamus was the civil servant mainly responsible for the wording of the Bill.   Changes of government delayed the legislation but eventually in 1958  Bord Na gCon was established.

The Irish greyhound industry has  remained in a vibrant state and enjoys the confidence of the racegoers.  Self regulation has allowed British racing to continue contracting since 1940 and  it  now owes its existence to the bookmakers.

Everyone who knows me wonders why I wasted my time on Greyhound racing and I think it is time I told you why......

The short answer is that I loved dogs above all animals and I admired greyhounds for their nature and their speed.  Of the wild animals I was particularly fascinated by the hare because it could outrun every dog except the greyhound.  As a schoolboy I enjoyed seeing lurchers chasing hares on the heather at the foot of Muskish mountain.  They often got close enough to worry the quarry but were usually outwitted by it's expert turn.  When I was fifteen I got an old greyhound from a friend in Lifford.  On the way to the mountain with him I saw a hare in a flat meadow.  The hound spotted it too and I could not resist releasing him.  He killed it after the second turn.  I still remember my excitement and mixed emotion.  I was pleased for the dog but sorry for the hare that had been so agile, nimble and evasive -- now lying there --so still and ever so dead.

When I went to the veterinary college I was most interested in studying the injuries sustained by greyhounds and horses.   In my third year I stayed in the digs run by Mrs O 'Meara in Sandymount.   Her husband Jim usually had three or four greyhounds in training.   The rate for the digs was thirty bob a week but for me it was twenty five because I got up at six o,clock every morning to help Jim gallop the hounds on the strand before people arrived to exercise their terriers.   When Jim had runners at Shelbourne or Harolds Cross I often went with him to parade them before their races.   Jim introduced me to other trainers like Michael Collins, John O 'Connor, Jim Davis, Paddy Moclair, Danny Kelly and Paul McKenna.   I picked up some useful knowledge from all of them and Paul's nephew Gay remained a friend throughout his life.   Gay's sister Peg married Tom Lynch who was destined to train one of my all-time favourites.  This was Spanish Battleship the unique sixty two -  pound three times Irish Derby winner.  In the early years of the sport new tracks sprang up like mushrooms all over Britain. Up to 90,000 people were attracted to major meetings to see the best hounds though  fraudulent races and decisions were not uncommon from the start.   Forty years later when I established the  Greyhound Council to try saving what was left of our image I was joined by an honest gentleman who was involved at the beginning -- the highly respected Fred Whitehead.   Fred was the first manager at Belle Vue and the White City in Manchester.   The G.R.A. promoted him to the White City in London in '31.   The Greyhound Express which was sold for two pennies covered racing at the original six NGRC tracks.  The Editor Jack Gibbons wanted to also report racing from the independent Hackney which was attracting equally large crowds.  But he was baulked by the G.R.A. :  They refused to let him have their list of runners.     Fred resigned from the G.R.A. and became general manager of Hackney & Hendon.   Against Fred's wishes this company joined the NGRC four years later.   However he remained with them until 1966 .  By then he concluded that greyhound racing had lost its soul.   Without statutory control he saw no secure future for it and he retired to live in Brighton.

I was naive enough to hope that the NGRC would adopt my democratic policy. Instead, they somehow managed to persuade the innocent man who was leader of the penalising gang to ''warn me off''. The charge was ''supporting tracks operating outside their rules''.  These tracks were in fact equally licensed by the law as they were. They banned me for only six months, expecting me to come crawling back begging to train a dog under their rotten rules.  Shortly afterwards, I met the noble leader one day at Sutheby's, and he said he was sorry.   I told him not to worry, because I would never be under their rules again  even if  I lived  to be a hundred.

We had 750 members paying the £1 subscription which enabled us to sponsor races for the first year.  Then my supporters began disappearing like flies on a November day.    I continued visiting the odd track and presenting trophies with funds that my wife and kids wanted -- nearly as much as --the struggling tracks did. Then in '94 the Sporting Life Directors -- to their credit -- announced £750 for a race at Bolton for entries in stud book names.  But it was strangled before it was read by many.   The NGRC secretary who was an ex-trainer announced that 'his' trainers were not allowed to support this race.    

Here is a list of nearly all the closed tracks I knew or heard of .

   

Armadale   Arms Park,   Ashfield, Askern  Ayr   Barnsley  Bedford  Bedwelty   Berwick    Biggin Hill,  Blackburn   Blackpool  Blantyre  Bolton  Boston   Boundary Park,   Bournemouth, Bradford – City,  &  Greenfield,   Brandon,  Bream  Sands,  Breck  Park,  Brimington, Brookville Park, Burnley, Bury,  Bury St Edmunds,   Caledonian Park,   Cambridge, Canterbury  Carfin,  Carntyne,  Catford,  Central,  Charlton,   Chester,  Chesterfield, Chesterton   Chingford Road,   Clacton,   Clapton,   Cleveland Park,   Cleethorpes   Coalville,  Coatbridge   Cowbrige  Cowdenbeath  Corbie Wood,    Cradley Heath,   Crossgates  Dagenham  (2)    Darnall   Derby   Dundee   Dunfermline   Earls Barton,   Eastville  Exeter Falkirk Feltham Firhill, Firs Park,Fforesffath  Galston  Gateshead   Glastonbury  Gloucester   Gosforth  Gretna  Hackney   Halifax  Hanley   Harringay   Hartlepool   Hawick   Hazel Grove,   Hendon    Highgate, Hinckley   Hull   Hunslet   Huntingdon   Hyde Park,   Ipswich  Irvine   Keighley  Kilmarnock   Kings Heath, Kinsley,  Kirkcaldy   Knowle   Larkhall   Leeds --- Elland road, Fullerton & Parkside,  Leicester  Linlithgow   Long Eaton,  Loudwater  Luton Maidstone Mansfield  March,   Marsh Barton,     Martins Field,   Melton Mowbray,   Methil   Mildenhall  Milton Keynes,   Motherwell,  Mount Vernon, New Cross,  Newport   Newton-Abbot,  Northampton  Norton Canes, Norwich City, Oldham ParkRoyal, Peterborough, Plymouth, Poolstock (Wigan) Portsmouth   Powderhall   Portobello  Preston   Ramsgate  Rayleigh  Reading   Rochdale  Rochester , Rotherham   Rye House, Salford   Scarlet Park,  Seaforth   Shotts   Skewen   Slough   Somercoates   Southall  Southend  Southampton   South Shields,    Stamford Bridge,    Spennymoor  Stainforth,    Stanley in Liverpool,  and the other in Durham,  Stenhouse Stockport  Stockton,  Stoke,   St. Bernards, in Edinburgh  St. Helens,  Stevenston   Stone House,  Stratford,  Sutton in Ashfield,  Swadlincote  Swaffham   Swansea  Swindon,  Syston   Taffs Well,    Tamworth  Taunton   Temple Mills,    Thornton,  Torquay,  Townhead   Tranent    Wakefield    Warrington    Wallyford   Walthamstow  Workington  Wandsworth   Warwick  Watford   Wembley   West  Ham,   Weymouth  West Houghton, Wheatley- Hill,  Whitwood   Wigan  Willenhall   Wilmslow,  Winsford   Wisbech   Wishaw, Workington, Worksop    Wombwell - Hough & Station Road ,  Yarmouth, Yeovil  and seven  White  Cities - in  Cardiff,  London, Glasgow, Nottingham,  Liverpool,  Manchester,  Newcastle.    There were also about six with names I cannot remember.  I have had a runner at one hundred and thirty three of them and I have been to another twenty four.

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This is the wide end of this pear-shaped track on my first tour of Australia in '95.   It was a memorable view.  I had never before seen such a safe track.   For the rest of the day I kept asking myself  why I did not come here 47 years ago ? - when I wanted to. I would have avoided the anguish of seeing at least 50 unfortunate greyhounds with career -ending injuries during every year of my working life..

My Wonderful Wife

I am happy to report that my Jane's operation for a new hip joint has been successful.    She bravely accepted the initial discomfort, cooperated with the advice from the nursing staff and was allowed home after five days.   Denise who was my canine nurse for twenty years came from Rugby to assist her until Jill our adopted daughter was able to come from Leicester.  The inflammatory oedema subsided so quickly that she was able to get on her scooter for lunch at the Treasure House after seven more days. !    We shall always be grateful to Mr Johnson the surgeon and his nurses at the Spire hospital, to Doctor Clifton and the nurses and staff at Manor Road Surgery,  the Neighbourhood Care team and our daughter in law, Doctor Nuala.

Our two years in Dublin -- 1949 & '50

Mention of Charlie Lister OBE last week reminded me of when I first met him.  It was 1948 when I was working for a greyhound vet in Liverpool called Wentworth Elam at the tracks there.  I met my brother Ted off the Dublin boat.  He wanted me to drive him to Sherburn in Elmet in Yorkshire for an interview with a famous horse vet called Dick Hayes.  On the way we saw two horse carts with a pair of horses tied to the rear door of each.  Among the four men in charge was a small boy handling the reins of one of the two horses between the shafts.  Curious to know their business I asked "Where were they going to ?".  "Appleby fair" was the answer.  The eldest man asked me where I was going to.  When I told him all about Ted and myself he became friendly and said he was Charlie Lister and the boy was his only son.  Little did I think then that twenty years later I would treat a dog for that little boy. 

A year later Jane and I moved to Dublin and set up in practice in Clondalkin.  We gradually gathered clients but many of them were attracted because they owed money to my colleagues.  We bought a few greyhounds and enjoyed racing them on most of the Irish tracks.  The best we had was a dog bred from two good coursers -- Mountain Emperor and Lenten Lily.  We named him Wheatfield after our house and Atom because of his size.

He weighed only 56 lbs but when we took him for a trial at Chapelizod he showed keen interest in chasing.  Jane was interested in seeing Ireland and we entered him almost everywhere there was a track.  He won at Derry, Dundalk, Enniscorthy, Harolds Cross, Navan, Newbridge, Kilkenny, Shelbourne, Thurles, Waterford and Youghal.  He also won two sprint races at Ballina, Longford and Mullingar.   I remember unique factors about Ballina.  The two wins were a heat and final on the same evening and the manager Jim Heffernan was a vet who had qualified 26 years before me.

 Our luck ran out when we ventured to the tracks in Belfast with longer straights.  He led for a long way at Celtic until he was passed in the last twenty yards.  He again tried hard on the longer straights at Dunmore but was beaten by four bigger dogs.

Jane took our infant son Walter with her wherever we went and enjoyed meeting many friendly racegoers.  We usually had the company of some friend I had known in Dublin. Jim Fallon from Palmerstown became a lifelong friend until he died in '74 at the age of 79.   I have never met any straighter man.   He was born at Moyvoughley where his father was a noted blacksmith.  As a teenager he worked hard  helping to shape the shoes for the horses' hooves.   He learnt to drive a lorry before moving to Dublin to drive for C.I.E.   --We feel fortunate to still  know his wonderful daughters, Catherine in the old home overlooking the lovely Liffey Valley in Palmerstown and Mary the Nun away caring for children in Zambia.  Jim was among the most knowledgeable on the history of greyhounds since the time of Master McGrath.  When he could not come with us his neighbour Luke Carey loved the chance of a run down the country.  Luke talked mostly about football as his brother Johnny was none other than the captain of Manchester United.   Another friend who was eager to accompany us was the Dublin county councillor Mick O'Neill who was DeValera's pal in jail.  There was also Sergeant Peter Lambe who was a driver for the government ministers.  Peter was a keen greyhound follower and was expert at getting the best price when he fancied one.  Whenever we were going north we often met up with Mick Higgins -- Cavan's greatest footballer who was also gifted in handling greyhounds. 

I used to lead the "Atom" on the parade before his races and our passenger usually collected enough from the bookmakers to pay for the petrol and our meals and drinks in the pubs  --  except  when we went to Waterford and Youghal.   When we won at Kilkenny the Racing Manager there was so impressed that he remembered to attend those two tracks when he read that "Atom" was a runner.   As soon as the market opened he took the price on offer.   The bookmakers respecting and fearing his judgement -- then scrubbed out all of the chalk against us !

The strongest betting markets on the Irish tracks were in Belfast.  At the small town of Clones I saw some big bundles of notes being handed up.   One of the bravest layers there was Terry Rogers from Glasnevin.  The big stuffed monkey hanging from his board attracted much interest until someone broke into his car and stole it.  This was reported in the newspapers and some readers thought it was a real monkey and were concerned about its welfare. When Terry offerred a reward of £100 the monkey returned.  I got to know this colourful character when he joined  Bill & Bob Cutler in Birmingham for six or seven years. 

If you backed a favourite with them they would return your stake if it finished second.  In treating a hound for them they were good losers whenever the injury was incurable.  The first dog I treated for Bill was Marsh Harrier in 1953.  He was a lovely dog -- like his Dad Mad Tanist.  The most expensive I got for him was Onword in '68. 1 saw him win a semifinal of the Tipperary Cup in Thurles.  As he looked to have a good chance of winning the final I bought him for Bill for £2,000.   I left him in the kennels of the famous Johnny Fennessy and flew back to Rugby.   When I returned to see the final I asked what sort of form he was in. ?   Johnny took the pipe from his mouth and said "Physicaly he's fine but his mind is all wrong.  You should have left him with the woman he knew.  He has been pining for her.    Dave Cahill had a much smaller dog in the race called Gortkelly Hope.   He was in front at the third bend.  My fellow looked as if he could pass but never did.  I told Bill that I would bring him to my kennels and keep him until he was in the mood to win again.  After ten weeks he was mad to run.  I entered him for an open race at Oxford and told Bill that unless he got injured he would run well.  He won by several lengths and landed a big gamble.  On holiday a few years later Bill went down into a cave where there was a warning for people with heart problems.   I 'm sad to say Bill did not come up.   He was much  missed by a great many racing folk.

Greyhound Derby

This is the week of the English Greyhound Derby final which I first saw in '46 when I was working for a horse vet at Epsom called Frank Chamberlain.  I also saw the Derby that was won by Airborne. The race at White City was won by a greyhound called Monday's News.  I well remember the exciting atmosphere before a crowd of 60,000.  The new exciting sport was highly attractive.  I wished I had attended the final two years later because it attracted 80,000 spectators and Priceless Border from Northern Ireland was the popular winner.  A few years later the sport gradually began to lose it's appeal.  In the absence of statutory control a few officials took advantage of their positions.  Racegoers noticed the odd suspect decision.  Attendances have gradually declined and this year's final is unlikely to attract much more than two thousand.

Before I went to the dogs -- in 1939 there was actually 92,000 at White City to see Highland Rum win.  The very first Derby that I saw was the Irish one at Shelbourne Park in 1940 when I had started at the veterinary college.  The winner was Tanist.  He was trained by Bill Quinn from Killenaule.  He was owned by an Englishman called Arthur Probert.  When he bought him he first sent him to race at Wimbledon.  He had three races there but failed to handle the sharp turns.  Mr Probert sent him back to Ireland for the Irish Derby.  He had no problem with the bends at Shelbourne and won the Derby.  When the winter came Probert gave him a few trials on the coursing field.  He showed stamina in a long course after a strong hare and attracted a nomination in the Irish Cup at Clounanna.  Against bigger and stronger dogs he surprised many experienced coursing enthusiasts in reaching the last four.  When he got a minor injury Probert advertised him at stud at a fee of 20 guineas which was unheard of at the time.  Shrewd breeders who had been impressed by his pace gladly paid the fee.  Two years later many of his progeny clocked fast times on the track and more breeders were willing to use him.  In due course a number of the young Tanist’s won major races.  I remember two -- Mad Tanist and Sandown Champion. 

Tanist  '38 by Inler ex Tranquilla 

The greatest Derby winner in the history of the sport in my book is Spanish Battleship. He only weighed 60-61 lbs.  He won the Irish Derby at Harolds Cross in 1953, at Shelbourne in 1954 and at Harolds Cross in 1955.  He also won the Laurels, the Easter Cup, the Tipperary Cup, the McCalmount Cup and the Corn Tostal.  In 1956 I went to Dagenham to see him in an exhibition Solo run.  When I saw the hare being put around it was a noisy inside rattler.  I said to myself  " The Battleship is too clever to chase this ".  Sure enough, he put his ears up as soon as he came out of the traps.  He went about 50 yards and stopped.  The big crowd were terribly disappointed. 

This year's winner Sidaz Jack was the most inexperienced I have ever known to win it.  He had only one previous race and that was in Ireland.  I saw  him only on television and thought he looked calm and was totally unfazed.  He seemed typical of dogs under the care of the experienced Charlie Lister OBE.  But if he were to miss the start I expected one of the two trained by my countrymen Fraser Black and Liam Dowling to get around that vital first turn in front. 

It's all over now and what surprised me was that the winner was allowed to start at 6/1. I can only conclude that the bookmakers thought he would miss the start.  One of the first things I learnt about Lister was the empathy he had with his dogs.  He and his staff appreciated that their mental stimulation was as important as their physical needs.  I first heard of Charlie in 1967 when the famous Joe Booth came to me with three lame dogs.  He told me that one belonged to a man called Lister who was a good payer.  Joe said he would pay for the others because he was holding prize money he had won.  Charlie first won the Derby in 1997 with 'Some Picture'.  This was one of the best track greyhounds I have ever seen.  His Dad was 'Slaneyside Hare' whom I called the best that ever stood in my kennels.  Charlie won in 2000 and again in 2001 with Ray White's Rapid Ranger.  In 2003 there was a sensation.  Droopy's Hewitt by Top Honcho X Droopy's Cheryl by Slaneyside Hare won easily but was later disqualified for having had a positive test in the first round.  The Derby was awarded to Farloe Verdict -- trained by Charlie.  In 2010 and 2011 Charlie won again with Bandicoot Tipoki and Taylor's Sky.

Another respected client of mine Nick Savva also has a proud record in Derby races with his own dogs.  He won both the English and the Irish one with Tom's the Best in 1998.  In 2005 and again in 2006 he won at Wimbledon with his own mighty Westmead Hawk and in 2007 his heavyweight Westmead Lord won another English Derby.