The trap draws open. The long, slender bodies of the greyhounds bolt out in pursuit of the taunting, mechanical hare as a thunderous cheer erupts from the roaring crowd. But over the years, that roar has gotten quieter. Dog racing, once a form of public entertainment more popular than the cinema, is on its last legs.

Dog racing, once a form of public entertainment more popular than the cinema, is on its last legs

‘At one time in the UK it was the second-most popular sport behind football,’ said Greg Cruttwell, director of a documentary film on the sport, Going to the Dogs . ‘It has a unique place in British sporting history and culture. In its time, when there were tracks all around the country, it played a very important part in community life.’

Greyhounds are among the first dog b

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