Sport & Fitness

Saturday night sees the final of this year's Blue Square Greyhound Derby, when Britain's second most-popular spectator sport dusts down its finery in anticipation of the most prestigious event on the calendar. With diners in the restaurant donning traditional black tie and a capacity 10,000 crowd bellowing the famous 'Derby roar' as the hare starts its circuit of the track, this is a reminder of what going to the dogs must have been like during the halcyon 1940s and '50s. Sadly, the event has been completely overshadowed by the shock news that the iconic Walthamstow Stadium is to close later in the year. Like its Epsom equine equivalent, the race is almost always won by the best animal of the year. The smart money is on Scottish Derby champion Tyrur Kieran and Barnfield On Air, reckoned the fastest hound in Britain… Andrew Shields