The first ever British Greyhound Racing Fund budget of £840,000 was distributed as follows - £210,000 to drug testing, £248,000 to chromatography, £180,000 in track grants, £100,000 in prize money, £50,000 to a national inter track and £42,000 to theRetired Greyhound Trust.[11]
TheGreyhound Racing Association (GRA) parent company Wembley plc. suffered financial difficulties having to service a £13 million debt. The company's American greyhound operation saw profits fall from £5.9 to £3.3 million. The British tracks were faring better making a £2.1 million profit but that made little difference to the overall debt problems.
The inconsistency of chromatography is highlighted during theOaks atWimbledon Stadium, the pre-meeting test for a bitch called Ballinderry Gown indicates a problem and she is withdrawn from the first round, an immediate second is taken and is negative. The chromatography system has been widely criticised as being inaccurate and unreliable and although used at all licensed tracks the decision is made to phase out the system. The NGRC plans for a new more reliable system to be put into place with future samples taken by 'the flying squad' (members of unannounced staff from the NGRC taking random samples). The samples would then be tested at the Horseracing Forensic Laboratory (HFL).[11][13][14]
Mick Smith becomes Racing Manager atWembley and Simon Harris switched toWimbledon fromHall Green to be replaced by Gary Woodward. Dave Lawrence steps in atBristol to replace the parting Woodward. Dave Baldwin replaces Dave Gunson atSheffield. Trainer changes during the year saw Derby winning trainerTony Meek leave Hall Green, David Mullins leaveSunderland forCatford and Pa Fitzgerald joinedReading as a trainer in his own right after helping Patsy Byrne for many years. Reading would also announce the arrival of champion trainer John McGee, his third track in four years. Reading continued to be in the news and this time it was because they increased theirReading Masters prize to a fabulous £20,000. Ken Peckham died just seven years after the exploits of the brilliantScurlogue Champ. Manx Treasure enjoying success at stud died of cancer aged just three and a half.[11][13]
Poor Sue retired with a race record of 77 open race wins from 157 races (a new record for open race wins).[15]
Kildare Slippy made his third consecutiveGrand National final but age was getting the better of him as he was easily beaten by favourite Arfur Daley. Kind of Magic trained by Litzi Miller went one place better than the previous year in theScurry Gold Cup final atCatford Stadium and this time lifted the trophy. Beaten finalist Ardcollum Hilda achieved a good win the following month when she won theGold Collar atCatford Stadium over a longer distance at the same track.[16][17]
Redwood Girl trained byErnies Gaskin Sr. won theGrand Prix atWalthamstow Stadium, the competition had attracted a good entry and in the final the brindle bitch defeated hot favourite Loch Bo Anchor competing in his second classic final and Heavenly Lady. She would also reach the Oaks final towards the end of the year finishing third behind Pearls Girl. Derby finalist Hypnotic Stag won theBlue Riband andOlympic.[17][14]
