Racing Legends: Mick the Miller – A Household Name

Mick the Miller, born on June 29, 1926, in the small village of Killeigh, County Offaly, Ireland was a prolific greyhound and esteemed as the most known greyhound of all time.

 The runt of a litter of twelve, he began life as just another pup at Millbrook House, the home of local priest Fr Martin Brophy. But fate, determination, and a remarkable dose of natural talent would turn him into a global sporting icon, remaining a household name for nearly a century afterward.

Mick was originally bred for hare coursing, but a man named Moses Rebenschied wanted to run him in the greyhound circuit at Missouri. Unfortunately, a tornado hit St. Louis killing 27 of his greyhounds and he took it as a sign to stay away from owning greyhounds.

Mick’s early days weren’t without hardship. He caught distemper - an often-fatal disease at the time due to the lack of vaccines. Fr. Brophy brought him to veterinary surgeon Arthur Callanan who nursed him back to health. Mick's early racing career in Ireland was impressive - he won 15 of his first 20 races and even equalled the world record for 500 metres.

But it was his journey across the Irish Sea that would secure his place as a sporting legend. In 1929, Fr Brophy brought Mick to London to compete in the English Greyhound Derby at White City. Mick’s very first trial stunned the racing world - he equalled the track record, and in his first heat, he shattered the 30-second barrier for 525 yards, a first in greyhound racing.

He won the Derby that year, despite a dramatic false start and re-run in the final just half an hour after the first run of it! Within months, Mick became a household name. Crowds of 40,000 or more gathered to see him race. Offers to buy the dog flooded in - he eventually sold for 800 guineas, more than the cost of a London house at the time.

Mick’s record was awe-inspiring. He won back-to-back English Greyhound Derby titles in 1929 and 1930, the Cesarewitch, the Welsh Greyhound Derby, and the St Leger. At his peak, he won 19 consecutive races and set six world records - some of which stood for over 40 years. His total tally included 51 wins from 68 races, and he earned nearly £10,000 in prize money, an enormous sum at the time.

 In 1931, at five years old Mick was back to attempt a third English Greyhound Derby success. Although, he was beaten in earlier rounds throughout the 1931 Derby - unlike his unbeaten status in the previous two years - he ran the race of his life to win his third successive Derby win. The race was disappointingly taken away from him as it was declared a no race. Just half an hour later he competed for the second time, placing fourth. Though he lost the re-run, his courage and comeback efforts endeared him to the public like never before.

After retiring from racing in late 1931, Mick lived out his days as a stud dog in Norfolk. He appeared at events, posed with celebrities, and became the first true media star of the greyhound racing world. His races were attended by royalty - King Alfonso XIII of Spain among them - and he appeared in newsreels, magazines, and even a film based on himself, Wild Boy (1934).

Mick passed away in May 1939, just shy of his 13th birthday. His owner donated his body to the British Natural History Museum in London. In 1990 English author Michael Tanner published a book, Mick the Miller - Sporting Icon of the Depression. In 2011 the people of Killeigh erected a monument on the village green to honour their most famous greyhound.

Nearly a hundred years after his first race, the name Mick the Miller still echoes through sporting history - proof that some legends never fade.