Westpark Mustard

Famous British racing greyhound

Westpark Mustard

Sire| Newdown Heather
Dam| April Merry
Sex| Bitch
Whelped| July 1971
Color| white and black
Owner| Cyril Young (alias Cyril Scotland)
Trainer| Tom Johnston Jr.
Record
Longcross Cup
GRA Stakes
Awards
British and European Record holder
Other awards
1974 Greyhound of the Year

Westpark Mustard was a white and black racing greyhound in the 1970s. By Newdown Heather out of April Merry, she broke the British and European record of 19 consecutive victories held by Mick the Miller, when recording a 20th consecutive win on 28 October 1974.[1][2]

## Racing career

[edit]

Westpark Mustard was entered for the 1973 English Greyhound Derby but the race distance was too short for her.[3] She began to come to prominence over staying distances (longer distance races) and, on 7 January 1974, won the Abbey Cup at Wembley Stadium beating Myrtown by a head, the first win of the 20-race British and European record.[4]

The run was extended to five wins after she won the Longcross Cup at White City Stadium in February. Trained by Tom Johnston Jr., the bitch won another ten races, including winning the GRA Stakes and setting a track record at Brough Park over 725 yards. She had captured the public's imagination, and with the winning sequence standing at 15 she broke into season on 12 May.[4]

After seasonal rest, her connections entered her for several one-off open races, deciding to avoid the Gold Collar and Cesarewitch. Five open race wins secured the new British and European record feat of 20 successive victories, with the 20th win aptly named the Mick the Miller Record Stakes.[5][6] The record consisted entirely of open races.[2]

The winning sequence failed to extend past 20 wins following a series of unfortunate incidents that led to her being beaten at Shelbourne Park. Her owner, Cyril Young (who ran his greyhounds under the alias Cyril Scotland) was receiving criticism from the Scottish press for using an alias name, which upset him. Therefore, he decided to run the greyhound in Ireland. His trainer, Tom Johnston, had reservations about changing the greyhound routine, which proved true when Westpark Mustard failed to win her next race. To make matters worse, she was seriously ill after the race. After several more races, she was retired to stud with breeder Dave Murphy.[7]

## British & European record

[edit]

Date
(All 1974)  | Distance
(yards)  | Venue  | Trap  | Win distance (lengths)  | Starting Price  | Time  | Race

|
|
|
|
|
|
|

Jan 7  | 525 | Wembley | 4 | sh | 4-1 | 29.77 | Abbey Cup
Jan 18  | 700 | Wembley | 4 | 8 ½ | 4-7 | 40.58 | Stadium Bookmakers Stakes
Jan 22  | 650 | Romford | 1 | 4 ½ | 4-9 | 36.62 | Havering 600
Jan 31  | 725 | White City | 5 | 9 | 1-3 | 40.92 | Longcross Cup heats
Feb 2  | 725 | White City | 6 | 6 | 4-11 | 41.03 | Longcross Cup final
Feb 11  | 700 | Wembley | 1 | 10 | 8-13 | 41.27 | Ivanhoe Stayers Cup
Feb 15  | 725 | Harringay | 5 | 7 | 1-4 | 41.46 | February 725
Feb 23  | 800 | White City | 5 | 9 ¼ | 2-9 | 45.38 | G.R.A Stakes heats
Mar 2  | 800 | White City | 4 | 9 ¼ | 1-5 | 44.93 | G.R.A Stakes semis
Mar 9  | 800 | White City | 4 | 1 ¾ | 1-5 | 44.73 | G.R.A Stakes final
Apr 8  | 700 | Wembley | 4 | ½ | 4-11 | 39.90 | Stadium Bookmakers Stakes
Apr 23  | 550 | Perry Barr | 5 | 1 | 1-2 | 31.06 | Bookmakers Stakes
Apr 27  | 725 | Brough Park | 5 | 4 ½ | 1-3 | 40.94 TR | Ladbroke 725
May 3  | 700 | Wembley | 4 | 7 | 4-11 | 39.86 | Tyneside Stayers Stakes
May 7  | 700 | Walthamstow | 4 | 6 | 4-9 | 39.87 | Grand Prix Trial Stakes
Sep 10  | 725 | White City | 6 | 7 | 2-9 | 40.29 | Grantham Stakes
Sep 16  | 700 | Wembley | 3 | 9 | 1-10 | 39.96 | Denver Stayers Cup
Oct 14  | 700 | Wembley | 5 | 13 | 1-4 | 39.68 | Elite Stayers Cup
Oct 21  | 700 | Wembley | 5 | 16 | 1-10 | 39.71 | National Inter Track
Oct 28  | 700 | Wembley | 5 | 5 | 1-14 | 39.66 | Mick the Miller Record Stakes [6]

## Pedigree

[edit]

|  |  |  |  |  |  | Hi There

|
|
|
|
|
|
|

| Printer's Prince|

|  |  |
| Sally's Gossip

| Newdown Heather|

|  |  |  |  |
| The Grand Champion

| Pardee|

|  |  |
| Manhattan Heiress

| Westpark Mustard|
|  |  |  |  |  |  |
| Champion Prince

| Pigalle Wonder|

|  |  |
| Prairie Peg

| April Merry|

|  |  |  |  |
| Man of Pleasure

| Racing Millie|

|  |  |
| Millie's May

|  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |

## References

[edit]

1. ^ "Hall of Fame". British Greyhound Racing Board.
2. ^ a b Montague, Trevor (2004). A-Z of Sport, page 380. Little, Brown. ISBN 0-316-72645-1.
3. ^ Dick, Barrie (1990). Greyhound Derby, the first 60 years, pages 143. Ringpress Books. ISBN 0-948955-36-8.
4. ^ a b The National Greyhound Racing Club Book of Greyhound Racing. Pelham Books/Stephen Greene Press. 1990. ISBN 0-7207-1804-X.
5. ^ "Mick The Miller Stakes". Mick The Miller.com.
6. ^ a b "Remember When:October". Greyhound Star. 6 October 2019.
7. ^ "Monthly Greyhound Star (Remember When) October edition". Greyhound Star. 2012.