How to Bet on Greyhound Racing

Greyhound racing seems to be the poor sibling to horse racing in the world of sports betting, with less TV coverage, less promotion on betting sites, and seemingly less interest from punters. But, it’s still a sport which many people can make a profit from.

Greyhound Racing

Firstly, you must understand greyhound racing in order to place a bet and it isn’t exactly rocket science.

In the United Kingdom, a greyhound or dog race, is contested between six greyhounds who each start from a different trap. They chase an electronic hare around a track with the winner being the greyhound who reaches the finish line first.

It can be an extremely fast and furious race, with not much time between the hare setting off and the greyhounds reaching the finish line. This is a good thing for those who like the adrenaline rush of a quick race, placing a bet and not having to wait a long time to see if you’ve backed a winner.

As mentioned before, a dog race usually has six greyhounds in six stalls each wearing different colours, which are:

1) Red
2) Blue
3) White
4) Black
5) Orange
6) Black & White Stripes

Types of races are differentiated by distance, with sprints, middle distance, stayers races, or marathons, and the age of a greyhound can also changes which category of race it can be entered into, with dogs under two years old being classed as puppies. There are also, although extremely rare, greyhound hurdles races.

How to Bet on Greyhound Racing

Just understanding the sport of greyhound racing is a good start but, as in any sports betting, there are certain things you must do to maximise your chances of winning.

• Study Form and Statistics – This may sound obvious, but form and other statistics can play a major part in the outcome of a greyhound race. Some dogs will have certain times of the year they are better, may perform better at a certain track, in certain conditions, or when drawn in a certain trap. Knowing this information will allow you to make informed and analytical decisions
• Check the Line – Dogs tend to run a certain way and this information can play a part in predicting how they will run in future races and indeed their chances of winning, depending on their draw. Some dogs run wide, some run on the rails etc. If you see patterns emerging, this can help to rate a certain greyhounds chances in a race. Rail runners will have the shortest distance but may not be able to get to optimum speed, whilst wide runners may have the furthest to travel but will avoid any trouble.
• Weather Conditions Play a Part – Weather can change the conditions of the track and alter the chances of dogs winning from a certain trap. If it’s raining and the course is extremely wet, it can be an advantage for front running dogs who will be able to use the conditions as an advantage, with other runners caught in the kickback behind. It may be worth not placing a bet for a few races at a certain meeting to keep an eye on how conditions are affecting races.
• Become a Track Expert – Obviously, it may be an impossible task to become an expert of every greyhound track but identifying trends and the types of races usually run at certain tracks can give you a bigger chance of making a profit. Try to become an expert at two or three different tracks and avoid betting on races at other tracks if it maximises profit potential. Identifying trends such as whether front runners usually win the race, or whether it’s the rail huggers or wide runners who have most success can give you an advantage before the hare even starts running.

Types of Greyhound Bets

As a beginner, it’s probably best to stick to a couple of the simpler betting markets such as win, each way, or forecast/Tricast.

• Win – This is pretty straightforward and means the punter is placing a bet on a greyhound to win the race. Prices are usually pretty short when it comes to greyhound racing, so it’s one of those sports where instant richness isn’t going to come unless you have an extremely large bankroll and go on a winning streak. But, profit is profit and that can be made.
• Each Way – You are betting on a greyhound to place, which is usually at a quarter of the odds for dogs who finish first or second. This is the case in a six dog race anyway. Four or less runners eliminates the each way side of the bet, because bookies only pay out for first place.
• Forecast/Tricast – You are essentially picking the dogs you think will finish first and second, for a forecast bet, or first, second and third in a tricast. You can select straight forecast/tricast, with you needing to correctly predict the finishing order, or reverse forecast/tricast, where you pick the selections you think will finish in the first two or three but in any order. The reverse forecast/tricast will cost more, as you need to cover every possible outcome but raises your chances of winning.

Multiple/combination Greyhound Bets

As in horse racing, multiple bets can be placed on greyhound racing as well. This can range from a win/each way double or treble, where you pick two or three horses in an accumulator to either win or place, to a combination bet such as a patent, trixie, lucky 15, or yankee.