An introduction to greyhound racing

Greyhound racing as a sport is thrilling, especially trackside, the atmosphere and anticipation built around the spectacle of watching six greyhounds displaying athleticism and agility in equal measure whilst hitting speeds of up to 40 mph in the process.

Origins

The origins of the sport come from the coursing field, where you’d find two greyhounds chasing a live hare, with the objective being to turn the animal first. A one-time feature event in the United Kingdom was the Waterloo Cup run at Altcar near Aintree, though the practice is now illegal. However, the sport is still hugely popular in Ireland and a regulated event, the feature each year being the Clonmel Festival, that sees up to 40,000 spectators flocking to the Tipperary town each February for the three-day meeting.

As the interest in coursing fell away in this country, the popularity in greyhound racing grew, with the iconic Belle Vue Stadium in Manchester, which remains operational today, staging the first licenced meetings in 1926.

Independent (flapping) and Licensed greyhound racing run simultaneously alongside one another and, whilst the former has declined markedly in the last decade, licensed racing under the GBGB (Greyhound Board of Great Britain) banner remains one of the most popular spectator sports in the UK today, with 22 registered stadiums hosting racing under Rules at the time of writing.

Signature Competitions

The sport boasts its signature competitions, the biggest being the Greyhound Derby, first run in 1927 at White City. In recent year’s the event has switched venues, but still amounts to the ultimate test of a racing greyhound with six tough rounds taking place during early summer at Nottingham’s Colwick Park. Alongside the Derby sit the prestigious Oaks (for bitches) & St Leger (run over six bends).

Race types

UK and Ireland have different classifications depending on age and capabilities of the runners. In this country, there are graded, minor open, and category three, two & one events run over distances of between two and eight bends, with category one events the most prestigious and offering the biggest prize-money. Hurdle racing still features but to a reduced extent, the Champion Hurdle (run at Central Park) and Springbok (for novice hurdlers) being the most prestigious races in that code, whilst handicap racing brings graded runners from the same track against each other in receipt of staggered starts judged on their ability, often making for some of the most exciting finishes.

Graded racing forms the bulk of what is offered on a daily basis, with contracted trainers providing runners for one particular track - many of the meetings are televised for Bookmakers Afternoon Greyhound Service (BAGS). The racing manager or handicapper has a job to rival dogs against each other based on their qualifying trials or recent form, with the grades ranging from A1 to A12 depending on the capabilities of the dogs on offer at each track. A greyhound’s running style/ traits are usually defined from the schooling track, and add further detail to the assessment of a dog’s ability. The racing manager must decide whether each runner is a rails, middle or wide runner and position the dogs in the correct trap accordingly.

Star Names

Star names of Greyhound racing’s past include Mick The Miller, Scurlogue Champ and Ballyregan Bob. Recent heroes such as Westmead Hawk, to name but one, means the sport will continue to maintain its fundamental appeal.