Diamond dogs: Famous English Greyhound Derby winners
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With this year’s blue riband event fast approaching, we’ve picked out our favourite English Greyhound Derby winners from past renewals.
The sport’s most prestigious UK event was first staged at White City in 1927 before being switched to Wimbledon in 1985.
After that track closed as well, the Derby moved to Towcester and Nottingham, before settling back at the Northamptonshire circuit in 2021.
Numerous top-class dogs feature on the honours board, but these are a magnificent seven of the most famous Greyhound Derby winners:
Mick The Miller
Survived a near-fatal bout of distemper as a pup and won 15 of his 20 races in Ireland before being brought to England by Catholic priest Father Martin Brophy. Mick The Miller was then sold for 800 guineas, more than the cost of a house in London at the time! However, it proved a shrewd investment as he won £700 for his first Derby triumph in 1929 and changed hands again for 2,000 guineas before doing the double at White City 12 months later, in front of a 50,000 crowd during a run of 19 straight wins. Looked to have completed a hat-trick in 1931 when first past the post in the final, but it was declared a no-race and he was fourth in the re-run. Such was his fame that he appeared in films and after his death he was stuffed and stood in the Natural History Museum.
28 June 1930. Mick the Miller became the first dog to win the Greyhound Derby for a second time. His record stood for 42 years until Patricia’s Hope matched the double when taking the race in both 1972 and 1973, but Mick the Miller is still regarded as the greatest UK greyhound. pic.twitter.com/hgV6zCXcnI
— Prof. Frank McDonough (@FXMC1957) June 28, 2021
Patricias Hope
Sprang a surprise when landing the 1972 English Derby final at 7/1 for Clapton trainer Adam Jackson but went on to prove that was no fluke. Patricias Hope secured a Triple Crown that year by adding Scottish and Welsh Derby victories. Returned from a spell at stud to successfully defend his title at White City in 1973 under the care of Irish handler John O’Connor, picking up prize money of £12,500 for an event sponsored by Spillers and broadcast live on ITV.
Whisper Wishes
The final White City Derby produced a superb champion in the form of Charlie Coyle’s flyer. Whisper Wishes went into the decider on the back of four straight wins and the favourite was soon blazing a trail from trap four. Irish raider Morans Beef looked a threat when matching the leader’s scorching backstraight pace and then challenging off the fourth bend, but he couldn’t quite reel in the winner. A son of outstanding American sire Sand Man, Whisper Wishes was poetry in motion on the track and went on to have an incredibly successful stud career himself.
Some Picture
Followed up his win in the 1997 Scottish Derby by going unbeaten through the English equivalent at Wimbledon, clocking a sensational 28.23 in the final. One of a record seven winners for ‘Derby King’ Charlie Lister, Some Picture then tried to become the first greyhound to add the Irish Derby to his CV for a modern-day Triple Crown, which would have earned his connections a £100,000 bonus. He made it all the way through to the final but was off-colour on the big night and just came up short of a historic treble.
Some Picture – Greyhound Derby 1997 pic.twitter.com/MbUCktmdxd
— Greyhound Tales (@GreyhoundTales) March 5, 2020
Toms The Best
Nick Savva’s charge was successful in that 1997 Irish Derby decider and was then finished second to Larkhill Jo in the following year’s Scottish Derby at Shawfield. Toms The Best made no mistake at Wimbledon as he powered through to the final and romped home by four lengths as an odds-on favourite after hitting the front at halfway. He remains the only dog to win both the English and Irish versions and went on to have a succesful stud career.
The first greyhound in history to win both the Irish and English Derby… Toms The Best (a Paul Duffett picture) pic.twitter.com/phwOhMjROq
— Sports & Betting History by BestBettingSites (@CDCHistory) July 1, 2020
Rapid Ranger
Made a slow start to his racing career but then made great progress before being sent to Lister, who steered him to two English Derby triumphs. In 2000, Rapid Ranger stormed to victory by three and a half lengths from Rackethall Jet in the decider before finishing second behind Judicial Pride in the Irish Derby final. Following seven months on the sidelines, Lister prepared his charge for another trip to Wimbledon and, despite a rocky road to the final, he saved his best for the big night and beat Sonic Flight by more than three lengths. Came out of retirement to reach the third round in 2002.
Westmead Hawk
Became the fourth dual English Derby hero in 2005 and 2006 and really captured the public’s affection with his come-from-behind style of running. British Greyhound Racing Board chairman Lord Lipsey likened Westmead Hawk to Red Rum and credited him with rejuvenating a sport which had struggled to recapture the glory days of Scurlogue Champ and Ballyregan Bob. His incredible track craft and thrilling late surges wowed spectators. Also a Scottish Derby runner-up and Irish Derby finalist, the Hawk was so famous that he had a waxwork in Madame Tussauds. During a stellar stud career, he sired subsequent Derby winners Taylors Sky and Sidaz Jack.
DERBY REWIND ⏪
The greatest – Westmead Hawk 😍
🏆 2005
🏆 2006Will 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
— Towcester Racecourse (@TowcesterRaces) May 11, 2023
