Cruse debut at Star Pelaw sees charity campaign commence

WESTFIELD CRUSE, who makes his racing debut in the second race at Star Pelaw on Friday afternoon, is running for a very worthy cause.

Trained by Jason Smith, the September 2024 son of Westfield Bullet and Westfield Jennie runs for bereavement support charity Cruse.

Greyhound News UK editor Matt Newman sadly lost his wife Laura last year and explained: "Cruse is a bereavement charity who I came across the day after my wife Laura passed last November. Jason (Smith) drove down from Yorkshire early on that Saturday morning to make sure that I wasn't on my own.

"I felt a pull to head down to Herne Bay which was one of Laura's favourite spots by the sea.

"There is a small bar on the pier cannily named Beer on the Pier, it was one of our favourite places for a cider (or four) on a summer's day and even at the end of November, it's a friendly place for a pint. 

"On the bar was a charity tin for Cruse. Pete who owns the bar and Adam who is one of the bar staff both raise money regularly for the charity, each running the London Marathon MyWay for the charity earlier on this year. 

"It seemed like fate had put the charity tin there to speak to us as Jason and I had a lightbulb moment at the same time.

"We had a litter who were 14 months old at that point but a bit backwards. Given the time of year, we were not going to be getting them on the track over the winter and run the guts out of them, but we decided there and then that one of the pups would run for the charity.

"Every penny of win and run money that he earns on the track will be donated to Cruse so it would be nice to see him stay sound throughout his career and pick up plenty of success."