Greyhounds WA has celebrated 50 years of racing by naming Miata the greatest greyhound in its history, alongside honoring several other iconic figures in the sport.
Since the inception of greyhound racing in Western Australia on December 12, 1974, the sport has grown significantly, becoming a cornerstone of the state’s racing industry.
However, no period captivated fans more than 2011 to 2013, when Paul Stuart’s greyhound, Miata, dominated with 42 wins from 51 career starts.
“It’s still hard to believe that a dog I could have in my backyard could end up being, in my opinion, the best greyhound of all time in WA,” Stuart told TABradio.
“It’s a massive achievement on her part, and it’s tremendous for her to receive this recognition. She will always be remembered as such a remarkable dog.”
In 2010, a young Stuart advertised Miata’s litter, sired by Bombastic Shiraz and Winsome Bluebird, for just $4,000 each.
“There was a litter of 10, and I was still living in Sydney at the time. Once they hit three months of age, I sold half to raise funds to move back home,” Stuart said.
“That’s when I decided to train dogs full-time. The entire litter turned out to be very good, and several of the pups I sold performed well.”
Among them, Miata stood out as exceptional. Greyhounds WA even pledged $5,000 to cerebral palsy funding if she could break the track record in her early starts.
She achieved this milestone in her third race, then repeated the feat twice more over the next two weeks, raising $15,000 in donations.
During her peak, Miata held track records across three distances—530m, 642m, and 715m—at the old Cannington circuit, records that were never surpassed.
“She just loved to race and was a true competitor. Even though she was a bitch, she had an alpha, confident nature among other dogs,” Stuart explained.
“Like top mares in horse racing, she had an arrogance about her and believed she was superior. That attitude set her apart.
Her sister, though talented, was more nurturing and lacked Miata’s relentless drive. Miata would consistently outpace her by half a second because of that will to win.”
In addition to Miata’s recognition, WA’s top distance runner honor was also awarded to her, while Sandi’s Me Mum was named the greatest sprinter.
Hall of Famer Linda Britton received the title of leading greyhound trainer, and Gary Wilson was recognized as the sport’s top personality.
