This Week In Racing History
SEPTEMBER
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Interest Only annexed the 1990 Lord Mayor's Trophy (732 metres, Olympic Park), defeating Jezepop by almost three lengths.
Paradise Street kept its undefeated record over 700 metres at Cannington intact when taking out the 1998 National Distance Championship final by two lengths from the Victorian pair of Cape Drina and Shar Den.
Texas Gold broke the three-and-a-half-year-old 720 metres track record at Wentworth Park in 2005 when scoring in 42.07 and in the process winning the National Distance Championship by 10 lengths. On the same night, Victorian sprinter Pure Octane took out the National Sprint Championship from fellow Victorian Junior's Gypsy with Buddy Rich (NSW) third.
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Pharaoh's Mask defeated arch-rival Bold Trease by a head to take out the 1986 Sir John Dillon Memorial Final over 716 metres at Sandown Park. The pair had clashed in the heats a week earlier and the result had been precisely the same, a victory to Pharaoh's Mask by a head.
Immortal Love broke the 515-metre track record at Launceston in taking out the 2006 National Sprint Championship for NSW. The Jason Mackay-trained sprinter used box one to perfection and ran 29.52 to defeat Buckingham Chuck (Q) by five and a half lengths with Fenceline (V) third.
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Chief Zephyr won an 800 yards (732 metres) Invitation Stake at Harold Park in 1959 by a whopping 25 lengths in an official 43.59. Chief Zephyr was unofficially clocked at 43.25, which was just 5/100ths outside Bright Pleasure's track and world record.
Rapid Journey scored a remarkable almost last to first victory, from box six, in the 1998 National Sprint Championship, run over 530 metres at Cannington. The champion ran down outsider Bula Boy (SA) to score by a neck with Faithful Hawk (Q) third. Local star Reggemite was fifth, behind Hotshot (V).
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West Australian sprinter Prince Of Tigers exited box one and scored a neck victory over Victorian Chicago Blue in the 1997 National Sprint Championship, run over 512 metres at Angle Park. Local hope Larrikin McLaren was third. Prince Of Tigers emulated the feat of Mister Toewyte, West Australia's first National Sprint Championship victor, who had also scored at Angle Park, in 1978.
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Swift Laser won the 1987 Lord Mayor's Trophy for trainer Graeme Bate, the first occasion the race had been run over 732 metres at Olympic Park. Previously the race had been conducted as a sprint.
Boomeroo defeated Castellan by a neck to take out the 2001 Cranbourne Puppy Classic. Boomeroo had won the Champion Puppy Classic at Angle Park in July.
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Venetian Note won a 540 yards (494 metres) hurdle at Warragul in 1972 in 30 3/16 to equal the long-standing track record, set by Radiant Bay.
Brilliant NSW sprinter Turbo Top was forced out of the 1984 National Sprint Championship series after running second in a heat over 457 metres at Harold Park to Calga Miss and then hitting the catching pen gate at the end of the race, causing a minor laceration to an eye. She did not race again for four months.
Crazy Carrie set a new time standard for 392 metres at Taree, running 22.12 in 2012.
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The Warragul greyhound track opened in 1955. Prize money was £3 ($6) for first, £1 ($2) for second and 10 shillings ($1) for third placegetters.
Prominent Sydney bookmaker and greyhound owner John Stollery died in 2013. He had sponsored the Xmas Gift at WP for many years and owned such stars as Flying Seagull, King Seagull, Pacific Seagull, Brave Gambler, and City Gambler. His son Mark Stollery was still operating at WP.