Greyhound Racing
Greyhound racing dogs have form in a similar sense to racehorses. They peak at certain periods, have good racing seasons and bad, or as is the case with younger greyhound racers, may not yet have reached their peak and have room for improvement. The trick is learning to spot which greyhound racing dog has a better chance over its competitors and placing your bets on that one.
Generally a running dog will reach its peak at two - two and half years old. A bitch will peak at around three. Usually once this point is reached improvement is rare so it pays to make a note of the age of the dog.
Dogs to look out for include ones that have run probably five or six decent races and then seem to have hit a low point. Assuming the animal is within the right age bracket the chances are that it will once again pick up and prove a winner. However, if the poor form has been noted over a longer period of time then it is best to avoid placing any significant money.
Main points, in addition to the above, to consider include class, current form, early sped, trap draw and not forgetting - value for money. Consistency is always a good indicator although it must be remembered that dogs have off days too.
Greyhound Racing Class
A young greyhound undertakes a series of time trials to assess its ability and once a pattern has been established - usually over a series of tracks and courses - the racing manager will then enter it into races where he feels its ability will give it a fair chance of winning. This grading is what is called class - and can vary at any time dependent on the manager's opinion. However there is nothing to stop you from grading a dog personally using past records and win/lose timings.
Current Form in greyhound racing
Current form refers quite literally to the current performance of a dog. You may consider a greyhound to be running in a race has better form than the average dog… perhaps he is used to running at a higher class, or has recently received an injury. However, current form, in the same way as class, is a matter for personal opinion, and will boil down to either your, or the manager's, ability to pre-empt the dog's chances.
Trap Draw
This is of vital importance when assessing the chances of a greyhound. Dog will perform better when using one trap over another and if your choice is most likely to win using trap 6, and for this race has been allocated trap 1, you need to take into account that the risk has been increased of its losing, or coming 2nd or 3rd.
The significant number of races, although by no means all, are won by a greyhound that leads into the first bend. If his speed from the trap to the bend is hampered, then the chances are you are onto a loser.
More about Greyhound Racing
Page Last Updated: 11/03/2009