Greyhound betting remains incredibly popular throughout the UK and it’s hard to match the thrill of picking a winner at the track. Despite having a one in six chance of success, it does have the tendency to be an unpredictable sport and we’ve outlined three ways of improving your consistency when betting on the dogs.
1. Always Check the Best Recorded Time
Timing is everything in greyhound racing and the best recorded time [or BRT] is a vitally important factor in selecting a winner. The Racing Post’s greyhound website is one of a number of sources which provides in-depth detail of previous runs and a BRT figure can be found next to each of the six competitors. This is based on previous outings at the track and also on runs over this particular distance. Greyhounds who are stepping into competitive action for the first time will not have best recorded time nor will any dog who is making their debut at this distance. Always make sure that the BRT is a relatively recent effort and consider any greyhound who has recorded their best-ever time in the last couple of weeks and is fresh from that performance. There may only be a couple of seconds between two competitors but that can make all the difference in the home straight.
2. Early Pace is Important, Particularly in Sprints
Every dog has its own style and it’s imperative to try and plot the pattern of the race before placing a bet. Split times are important and these will help tell us the story of previous outings. These calculate the time from the traps to the finishing line, the first time around and are an excellent indicator of how quickly a dog can break. Some greyhounds will routinely get off to a flying start and that is a huge benefit. Getting your nose in front helps avoid trouble on the first bend and it also increases the chances of success. Split times aren’t available over the shorter distance as the winning post is only passed once but look for any dog with early-pace [EP] or a greyhound who has the habit of getting quickly-away [QA]. Over the shorter distance, early pace is vital and can often be the key to success in sprints. The majority of meetings will stage a number of races over the shorter trip and each of these contests can be found in William Hill’s dedicated greyhound betting page. Tracks such as Harlow, Hove and Towcester regularly host sprint racing throughout the week.
3. Never Overlook an Upwardly Mobile Greyhound
Greyhounds are graded according to their ability and there are a number of different levels at which each dog will be permitted to run. Standard races range from A11 to A1 with the latter being the top grade. Some competitors will remain at a particular level throughout their career but the majority will hop between different grades in accordance to their recent performance. There isn’t a huge amount of difference between each grade and a dog who is victorious in an A9 event will often step up to A8 with relative ease and win successive races. It does get tougher and each greyhound will eventually plateau but a dog in good form is unlikely to be stopped by a small increase in competition.
There are a number of factors to consider before placing a wager on the greyhounds but using these three techniques should help consistency when making a selection. It is an unpredictable sport and a crowded first bend can put pay to even the most well-researched bet; however, the thrill of selecting a winner and out-thinking the bookmaker can be hard to beat.