"The Derby which personally gave me most pleasure was in 1946 when Monday’s News was successful. I had followed the dog from his first open race, winning at Southend, where he broke the track record, through his beating of Bah’s Choice – the fastest dog in the world – to his short head defeat at Walthamstow, in the final of the Circuit.  His brilliant early speed allied to his grit and determination made him a firm favourite of mine.  For me there was only one runner to select, as I was certain he would trap clear – very few Derby’s have been won by runners coming from behind – and he was some way faster to halfway on my “watch” than any of the others in the field.  I was also sure that the challenge from halfway from Lilac’s Luck ( Irish Derby winner in 1945 ) would come too late, especially if the Irish champion checked going into the third bend. It is history now – Monday’s News built a commanding lead -and the brilliant effort put in by Lilac’s Luck to catch him was to no avail.

 There was no fluke about this Derby performance, a really workmanlike win, and there was more to come.  Soon afterwards he took two important competitions – the All England Cup at Brough Park and then the Birmingham Cup.  He then had a go at the St Leger but couldn’t quite get the distance and, made up for that disappointment by not putting a foot wrong in the 600 yards Cloth of Gold at Charlton, winning heat, semi and Final.  Given another chance to prove his stamina he was entered in the Test at Walthamstow, a prestigious 700 yard event, where he won both heat and final!  It was an amazing training feat which trainer Fred Farey had brought off – non-stop racing month after month and the dog kept at peak form throughout.  Fifty races this mighty son of  Orluck’s Best contested in that very busy and successful 1946 season .

Monday’s News was soon busy again in 1947.  This time as a pipeopener for the coming Derby he ran in the Gold Collar at Catford over the 440 yards sprint course.  He ran away with his heat, accounted for Trev’s Perfection in his semi final, bettering the track record,  but lost narrowly to the same dog in the Final.  When the ante-post odds on the Derby were published Monday’s News was on offer at 40/1 and he soon made these odds look ridiculous by easily winning his first round heat. However, in my opinion he kept his best performances for the semi and Final.  In the semis he ran the race of his life finishing second after being in all sorts of trouble and in the Final he again had to be content with second place after being crowded out in the early stages and coming from plumb last at the second bend.  So near and yet so far for Monday’s News in trying to emulate Mick The Miller’s double Derby success.  Next came the Scottish Derby and Monday’s News found Trev’s Perfection – who was becoming a bit of a hoodoo to him - again a little too smart in heat and Final.  A change of trainer followed and the first objective set out for him by Sidney Orton was the England versus Ireland championship at Shelbourne Park.  Monday’s News beat a top-class field which included the great Dante II, recording a time just half a length outside the track record.  Next came the Grand Prix at Walthamstow – he liked this track – where two outstanding performances over the 525 yards circuit saw him twice defeat Priceless Border, who, the following year, ran unbeaten through the Derby at White City.  Incredibly, there was still more to come for before that 1947 season was out he raced unbeaten through the Pall Mall at Harringay, winning heat, semi and Final!  So in two seasons of almost non-stop racing, always against the best in the country, Monday’s News, in earning his owner some £7,000 in prize money – an enormous sum – stamped himself as a great champion – one of the best ever.  His determination, gameness and stamina must sit him alongside the immortals of the sport!

 A final anecdote bears relating here.  His owner, Donald Stewart, had the bet of a lifetime on his dog for his winning Derby.  Hector MacDonald, one of the stalwarts of the White City and Harringay main rings who, if he didn’t fancy a dog would fearlessly lay you whatever you wanted, gave Donald £1,000 to a £1 several weeks in advance of the competition.  He paid up too!"