THIS son of Mutton Cutlet out of the bitch Burette was whelped in 1930, soon after greyhound racing had become established. Not only was he one of the fastest and finest dogs ever to run on the track or coursing field but he passed on all the outstanding qualities of his sire to a new generation of track greyhounds.
After reaching the last four of the National Breeders’ Stakes at Powerstown in 1932, he was purchased from Mr J.A. Byrne, his breeder, by Sir Herbert Merrett, chairman of Cardiff City Football Club as a present for his daughter, Miss Joan Merritt. Beef Cutlet’s first race was at Arms Park, Cardiff, a heat in the first round of the Glamorgan Gold Cup, which he won in a new track record, covering the 500yds in 28.41sec. He also won his semi-final, but came second in the final.
He was trained first by John Hegarty at the famous Waterhall kennels. Entered for the 1932 Laurels, he won comfortably in 28.47sec. The time was a new world record for 500yds and the Laurels final was only his seventh race on a greyhound track.
The dog was virtually unknown in England at the time and his victory caused a sensation in greyhound circles. He also took the Daily Mail Trophy. In May 1933, over a specially constructed course for the Hunt Cup at Blackpool, he won by eight lengths and actually covered 500yds in 26.13sec. That time still stands as one of the fastest times ever for 500yds and one which gave him an average speed of over 40 mph. He was quoted 7-1 to win!
At White City, Cardiff, which closed in 1936, he covered 525yds in 29.52sec, a tremendous time in those days, and then went to the White City, London, for the Derby.
In one of the greatest races ever seen, between the three outstanding dogs of the era, Future Cutlet, Beef Cutlet and Wild Woolley, he was left in the traps and beaten into second place in a close finish with Future Cutlet. Many who witnessed the race contend that it should have been declared a dead heat.
But justice was done, for the previous year, Wild Woolley had won by no more than a neck from Future Cutlet. In the For the Record Stakes at Wimbledon, where he had won the Laurels the previous year, Beef Cutlet reversed the Derby placings when he beat Future Cutlet by a short head in another thrilling race contested by five of the best dogs in training – Beef Cutlet, Future Cutlet, Goofy Gear, Brave Enough and Failinga.
Three dogs crossed the line virtually together but Beef Cutlet was judged the winner by a short head from Future Cutlet with Failinga in third place by only a short head. Beef Cutlet was to win the Welsh Derby, then run at the White City, Cardiff, and was once again beaten into second place, this time by Elsell in the Cesarewitch at West Ham later in the same year.
Beef Cutlet would have contested the 1934 Derby but he broke a hock when contesting the Midland Flat at Hall Green in July 1933 and was retired to stud.
Among the outstanding progeny he went on to sire were Laid’s Cutlet, Laughing Lieutenant, Epinard, Jesmond Cutlet, Loose Lead, Juvenile Classic and Junior Classic. One of the last of his offspring was the bitch Winnie of Berrow, who became dam of the Derby winner Narrogar Ann. She was to perpetuate her grand sire’s name for, when mated to Priceless Border in 1948, she was to whelp another Derby winner in Endless Gossip, one of the greatest of all time.
He was to sire Sally’s Gossip who, when mated to Hi There, produced Printer’s Prince, sire of the flying Yellow Printer and of Newdown Heather, an outstanding sire of modern track and coursing stock.
Beef Cutlet was from a litter that also included Queen of the Suir, one of the greatest bitches in the history of the sport. The great dog died in 1942, aged ten.