It was Tokio, a descendent of Daniel, who was responsible for breeding Bah's Choice, an excellent greyhound of English heritage. In July 1944, Bah's Choice was born in Cambridgeshire, where it was bred by Mr. E. Creek. His mother was known as Chittering Duchess, and among the litter was Chittering Choice, who also happened to be the father of Peter's Poet, who won the Waterloo Cup, and Chittering Wish, who was the father of Dead on Dick, who won the Cambridgeshire championship in 1951. During the time that Tokio was just nine years old, he became the father of Bah's Choice, and he went on to become one of his most incredible children. The dog, which eventually reached a mature weight of 76 pounds, was first purchased by Mr. E.W. Bah, the proprietor of a West Indian restaurant and nightclub, when it was still a puppy. He would regularly make appearances during his spare time, taking a break from entertaining his clients on his Steinway piano in order to choose a variety of objects that were discovered wandering about the streets of Soho. This took aback those who happened to be passing by.
Once the dog reached an appropriate age to start participating in trials, Mr Bah brought him to Catford. Following a series of disappointing performances, he was eventually sold and transferred to Wembley.
Under the skilled guidance of Bob Buris, the dog's capabilities were set to undergo a remarkable and swift transformation. Participating in the Wood Lane Stakes at White City, he emerged victorious in his heat, finishing two lengths ahead in a time of 29.47 seconds. In the semi-final, he continued his impressive performance, completing the race in 29.50 seconds. Finally, in the thrilling final, he narrowly triumphed over Another Farewell by a short head, crossing the finish line in 29.48 seconds. His keen intuition on the track and unwavering dedication to dashing earned him a beloved reputation among the public. No matter where he competed, he always succeeded in attracting a large audience. Shortly after his victory at White City, he achieved a remarkable feat by setting a new world and track record at Wembley, clocking an impressive time of 29.04 seconds. This outstanding performance caught the attention of the sporting press, making him the talk of the town.
With a fantastic lead of six lengths, he emerged as the winner in the race over Magic Bohemian, who was regarded as one of the best dogs in England. He won the race. In a short period following his triumph at White City, he accomplished a spectacular achievement by establishing a new world record and a track record at Wembley. He did this by clocking in an astounding time of 29.04 seconds. This remarkable performance rapidly captured the attention of the athletic press, which resulted in him becoming the topic of conversation in the community. With an amazing lead of six lengths, he emerged triumphant in the race over Magic Bohemian, who was regarded as one of the best dogs in England. He won the tournament.
Later on, on June 6, 1946, in White City, he participated in a Derby trial and posted a very remarkable time of 28.99 seconds. This made him the first dog in history to finish the 525-yard race in less than 29 seconds. After suffering a tight defeat at the hands of Shaggy Lass in the first round of the Derby, he was able to score a victory against Shannon Shore in the second round by a much smaller margin than in the first round.
Regrettably, he was not successful in securing a position in the championship round. The Consolation final was won by Quare Times by a margin of four lengths, and Quare Times accomplished a rare accomplishment by breaking a new world record with a time of 28.82 seconds. He was disqualified from the competition. By the time he finished his second round heat, he had eclipsed Bah's Choice's previous trial record with an outstanding time of 28.95 seconds. This made him the first dog in history to ever finish a race in less than 29 seconds.
The race proved to be quite a showdown between Quare Times and Bah's Choice. With the Derby winner taking a break before the All-England Cup at Brough Park, these two dogs showcased their incredible speed that was unmatched by any other racing dogs in England.
However, once again, after a strong beginning, Quare Times found himself on the outside at the first turn – his speed left him with little choice – but this presented an opening for Bah's Choice, and he never failed to seize it.
In a blink of an eye, he swiftly made his way inside, overtaking Magic Bohemian on the final turn and triumphed by a margin of one and a half lengths, eliciting prolonged applause from the enthusiastic crowd.
Major Percy Brown, the racing manager at White City, went out to the owners of the two greyhounds as soon as the conclusion of the race became clear. He wanted to arrange a rematch between the two greyhounds at White City on Monday, August Bank Holiday. This was because the race had aroused such a huge amount of expectation. Once again, it created a tremendous degree of curiosity among people. The two greatest trainers in the sport squared off against one another in a genuine confrontation. The renowned Sidney Orton, well known as the "Wizard of Burhill," was in charge of Quare Times, while the talented Bob Buris at Wembley was in charge of Bah's Choice. Both of these individuals were trained at Wembley.
Additionally, there was a competition between Wembley and Wimbledon, the two locations that claimed the most talented trainers and the finest greyhounds (with Clapton coming close in this respect). Wembley and Wimbledon were the champions of the tournament. The event attracted enthusiastic Greyhound aficionados from all across Britain, hailing from a variety of locations. The announcement of the two winners took place in the middle of a magnificent display of trumpets, suggesting the presence of dignified knights on a lively field of competition. The race was masterfully conducted by Quare Times, who continually led the pack, and they created a global benchmark for the 550-yard track that had never been seen before. Quare Times was the sole competitor in the event.
The Invitation Stakes, which took place on August 9 at Coventry, was when Bah's Choice was able to get his revenge. Once again, he prevailed over Quare Times, this time with a dominating lead of five lengths before the competition continued. The clear favourite among those who placed bets was Quare Times, as was to be expected. By clocking in at an astounding time of 29.45 seconds, Bah's Choice was able to make history and break the track record. Previous to this, Ballynennan Moon held the record. During his participation in the Birmingham Cup at Perry Barr in September, he tragically sustained a hock injury during his opening round heat. As a result, he decided to retire for the purpose of breeding.
In just over half a year of racing at Wembley, he quickly became recognised as one of the most exceptional middle-distance dogs ever seen in the sport.
His career served as a testament to those who anticipate remarkable achievements from a greyhound as soon as it commences racing yet fail to recognise that certain canines require more time than others to reach their peak capabilities.
Imperial Dancer, born in November 1947, was an exceptional offspring of Bah's Choice. He inherited his sire's remarkable combination of speed and endurance, making him one of the standout performers.
He was a brindle, weighing 73lbs during his racing days, and his mother was the renowned Castledown Lad bitch Imperial Girl, who achieved victory in 23 races at the highest level.
While the Imperial Dancer was only a small puppy, she was able to make it all the way to the final round in the Irish Cesarwitch competition in 1949. Unfortunately, as they were suffering from an illness, it was decided that they would not be participating in the tournament. He triumphed in the competition the next year, establishing a new record with a blistering pace of 34.25 seconds, and he emerged triumphant. Additionally, he took part in the Easter Cup and other competitions. In 1950, he accomplished a remarkable feat by establishing the record for the 525-yard distance at both Harold's Cross and Shelbourne Park. This was a very remarkable accomplishment. Furthermore, he created history at Shelbourne Park by being the first dog to concurrently hold the records for the 525-yard and 550-yard distances. This accomplishment was accomplished at the same time. There had been no one who had ever broken the mark for 550 yards for more than a decade.