Illustration by Leon Edler Zinedine Zedog stood poised at the edge of the greyhound track, 23kg of muscle and nerves. Her narrow black chest rose and fell. Zedog was built for speed – ears pinned back, eyes forward, tail low. A cluster of Frenchmen pressed against the rail of the Romford race track, fists clenched. “Come on, Zizou!” one shouted, voice cracking. “ Allez Zedog!” another roared. The gates clanged open and the pack burst forward in a blur of canine and sand. For a second, it looked like chaos – legs tangling, bodies jostling. Zedog ran hard, her black coat slashing a line across the track. Greyhounds can reach speeds of 72km per hour, the velocity putting a huge amount of pressure on their slim bodies, straining as they take each bend. “ Allez , allez! ” the Frenchmen screamed, voices driving the dog forward. But it wasn’t enough. By the first bend Zedog was already chasing, and by the final turn she was well behind.…