The sport of greyhound racing dates back to the 1920s when the UK held its first race. Now, with almost daily fixtures, 20 licensed stadiums operate throughout the country.
Here is a look at who are the greatest greyhounds in the history of the sport and what they achieved on the track.
Westmead Hawk
The English Greyhound Derby is the most prestigious race in the sport. Winning this race once is hard enough, but to do it twice is quite an achievement. Westmead Hawk managed that feat as he was successful in 2005 and 2006.
Connections of Gaytime Hero will be hoping their 2023 Derby winner can replicate Westmead Hawk’s success when he features in the race this year. The defending champion is likely to find it much tougher this time around, as there is set to be a stronger list of entries, with King Memphis the +1400 favorite for those looking to place a greyhound bet on the race.
DERBY REWIND ⏪
— Towcester Racecourse (@TowcesterRaces) May 11, 2023
The greatest – Westmead Hawk 😍
🏆 2005
🏆 2006
Will we ever see the like again❓ A greyhound forever immortalised into our sport’s history books.
Check his first Derby triumph at Wimbledon 1⃣8⃣ years ago ⬇️
📹 @RPGreyhounds#GreyhoundDerby2023 🏆 pic.twitter.com/qD0zbrfEGu
The dual Derby winner was immensely popular due to his unique racing style. He was often slow out of the boxes, which meant he gave his rivals a big advantage in the early stages of his races. Nick Savva’s runner was able to make up for the slow start as he finished his races very strongly, finding an extra gear around the final couple of bends.
Rapid Ranger
Charlie Lister holds the record for the most wins as a trainer in the English Derby as he was successful on seven occasions. Rapid Ranger provided him with two of those triumphs, coming out on top at Wimbledon in 2000 and 2001.
The 2001 Greyhound of the Year also qualified for the finals of the Scottish and Irish Derby in what was an illustrious career on the track. In the 2001 Derby final, he led the field from the start to the finish.
Rapid Ranger attempted to become the first greyhound in history to win the English Derby three times in 2002. He won his opening two heats but unfortunately for his connections, he was beaten in the third round.
Mick The Miller
With 51 victories in 68 starts, Mick The Miller had a remarkable career on the track. He is regarded as the most famous greyhound in history. Just like Red Rum was able to do in horse racing, he helped promote greyhound racing to the wider public.
Mick The Miller is the only greyhound to have won the English Derby, Cesarewitch, and St Leger, three of the Classics in the sport. He was versatile over a range of different distances, and he had some impressive winning streaks throughout his career. Most notably his 19 consecutive wins.
#GreyhoundFact
— Greyhound Racing Victoria (@GRV_News) February 4, 2019
Born in 1926, Mick the Miller was England’s greatest racing Greyhound. His three year career included a winning streak of 19 races in a row. In his heyday, he was a household name that was admired as much as any other English Athlete. 🏆🐾 pic.twitter.com/PR6vpnP7w9
The greyhound has featured in films, books, and he has had stands in stadiums named after him. He is a true icon of the sport.
With more prize money, strong competition from Ireland, and talented greyhound trainers involved in the sport.
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