In more than 30 years of covering greyhound racing, I have never seen two dogs with the same trap number in a race.

But that's just what happened at Oxford on Tuesday night.

In race seven, the trap six runner was somehow wearing the white jacket of No 3 instead.

Normally, the anolamy would have been spotted as the dogs were put into the starting traps, but this time it went unnoticed.

The race ran its course, with Wedmore Rose in trap four a convincing winner, but soon after, a stewards inquiry was called and the end result was a no-race.

PADDY Curtin's bargain buy Kyle Joey, who cost only an amazing 450 Euros, has reached the semi-final of the Romford Puppy Cup.

Joey, who started his career at Oxford in an A8, has now reached the A2 grade at Cowley, just one off the top.

And Curtin already has two more interesting newcomers in Farloe Potter, brother of Farloe Ferdinand and Oh Good Lord. Both posted promising times at Monday's trial session.

THE formbook worked out, at least where Chase Syndi and Risky Lady is concerned, at last week's Oxford BAGS meeting.

The pair dead-heated, and in a re-match this week, Syndi came out on top by a short head!

CHOLSEY United FC swept the board in the latest round of the Sporting League competition at the Stadium on Tuesday.

They came out on top with 33 points, well ahead of Easington Sports on 29, followed by Abingdon Youth FC 24, Kidlington FC 18, Abingdon Exiles FC 17 and Horspath Boys FC 11.

THE Oxford Bookmakers will be supporting the 2008 Oxfordshire Gold Cup, which means all next year's big events have been sponsored.

Meanwhile, the Blanchford's Oxfordshire Trophy gets under way on Tuesday with the opening three heats, where Angie Kibble's Appleford Al is the top local hope. ALTHOUGH, most tracks will face a decline in profits this year, Oxford forecast an upturn in fortunes for the next four months.

Indeed, Saturday saw an attendance of more than 900, and festive bookings are up 15 per cent on last year.

Premier London track Walthamstow have already cut prize money in an across-the-board scaling down of expenses.

BEAT Machine recorded the fastest time by a grader this year with a scintillating 26.68secs run at Saturday's meeting.

THE Oxford Owners Association stage their monthly all-trophy meeting at the Stadium on Thursday, but you have to be a member to collect a winner's trophy.

THINGS looked bad for the Johnny Mayo-trained Graces Flyer, who appeared to have sustained serious injuries at Sunday's BAGS meeting.

However, subsequent examination revealed a back muscle injury that should allow her to recover in time and resume racing.