The dishlickers
If horse racing is the sport of kings, greyhound racing is the sport of brickies labourers, and that’s why we love it. Fast, dirty, unpredictable, sometimes profitable, and always a lot of fun. If you’re keen to have a crack at the dishies but don’t know where to start, stick with me and I’ll run ya through the basics.
What is Greyhound Racing?
Greyhound racing is a competitive sport in which greyhounds are raced around a (usually oval-shaped) track, chasing an artificial lure. The sport’s origins can be traced back to hare coursing, the pursuit of live hares by greyhounds either for sporting or training purposes. Coursing has declined significantly in popularity since the 19th century with the introduction of greyhound racing, and associated betting activity which is what we’ll be focusing on here.
australian greyhound racing is a well-established and professional sport in Australia, which is one of eight countries with a significant greyhound racing industry. With roughly 300,000 greyhounds going around in 40,000 or so races in every major state and territory of Australia (except ACT) each year, there are plenty of opportunities to have a bet.
How does it work?
In Australia, the vast majority of greyhound races have eight runners, before scratchings. Races are generally run on an oval-shaped track over distances ranging between 250m and 780m, there are a couple of straight and circle shaped tracks that host race meetings in Australia, but these are much less common than oval tracks.
There are a few important components that make up a greyhound racing venue. These are:
The sand track itself, which the greyhounds race on.
The inside rail that the lure runs on.
The lure, an object made of foam, plastic, and fabric, designed to mimic a rabbit or other small animal, this is what the greyhounds are chasing, and what makes them want to run to the line. The lure is attached to a steel arm that is pulled by a cable along the rail and around the track. This is controlled by the lure driver.
The outside fence that keeps the greyhounds on the track.
The starting boxes (pictured below). Up to eight greyhounds are loaded into their corresponding box before the race, with a small roller door closed behind them. As the lure runs past to begin the race, the box lids (at the front of the boxes) are sprung open either automatically, or manually by the box attendant, releasing the greyhounds from the boxes and allowing them to chase the lure and begin the race.
Each greyhound is assigned a box number at random before the race meeting. The boxes are numbered the same way at all venues in Australia, with the 1 box on the inside, and the 8 box on the outside. The greyhounds wear a coloured vest (known as a ‘rug’) that corresponds with their starting box so that they can be identified during the race. The box colours are the same for every race in Australia and are as follows:
1: Red
2: Black and white stripes
3: White
4: Blue
5: Yellow
6: Green
7: Black
8: Pink
The number worn by a greyhound will always correspond with their box number, except in the case of reserves, which is explained below.
Some races will have two nominated reserve runners that will only join the race in the event of a scratching (when a runner is taken out of the race due to injury or other unforeseen circumstances). These greyhounds retain their reserve numbering (9 & 10) and colours, but will fill the vacant box(es) left by the scratched runners. Reserve colours are as follows:
9: Green and white stripes
10: Red, white, and blue stripes
This is the only time that a greyhound’s number won’t correspond with the box they are starting from. You’ll be able to tell where they’re running from as the bookies will always list the box number in brackets next to the runner’s name. For example, a greyhound wearing the green and white rug (#9), jumping from box 2 will be listed as:
9. Dyna Aviator (2)
Let’s Talk about the boxes
While this isn’t meant to be a guide for quitting your job and making consistent profit betting on the greyhounds, it is worth talking a bit about the boxes, as the box your chosen greyhound starts from matters A LOT.
Every man and his dog (heh!) will have their own theories and opinions on which boxes they like, which they don’t and probably a long list of reasons as to why they think that. Beware of asking the question too, once you get some blokes going on this, they won’t shut up about it until they’re red in the face, so show caution in your or you could end up being verbally punished for the rest of the afternoon.
For example, I reckon I could have put a deposit down on a house in Bondi with the amount of times I’ve done my dough on short priced favourites from box 8, don’t even get me started. I see the pink and I run, but you’ll make up your own mind.
This is very, very general advice and every track has its own quirks and biases so please do not take this as gospel. It should be noted too, that greyhounds are living, breathing creatures with their own quirks too, and some of them like one box or another for whatever reason. The best way to assess a greyhound’s suitability for a certain box is to read into its previous form, or watch replays of its previous races.
Some brief notes on each box are below:
Box #1 – If the greyhound in box 1 is fit and healthy, and a quick beginner (more on this later), you’re on the road to riches backing the cherry. At most tracks, box 1 produces the most winners, and it’s no surprise why. This box has the easiest access to the rail, and at most tracks, the most chances of avoiding trouble.
Box #2 – Almost as good as box 1, but not quite. The greyhound from box 2 has a good chance of getting to the rail first and making it to the first turn in front if it can stay out of trouble, and/or the runner from box 1 is a bit slower to get going.
Box #3 – The greyhound in box 3 does face some disadvantage. It’s not very close to the rail, and there’s a good chance of getting into some trouble early with 5 runners on its outside all trying to get to the rail early. Early speed, or a longer trip can overcome some of this disadvantage though.
Box #4 – The greyhound in box 4 will generally have to be a very good beginner to bounce quickly in front of the others and stay out of trouble. There’s a good chance the greyhound will get jammed up from box 4 without a very good start. You’ll wanna hope that your runner is a very fast beginner, or sharp as a tack to navigate its way through the field if you’re backing the blue rug.
Box #5 – See Box #4, probably needs even more luck.
Box #6 – See Box #5
Box #7 – Not the worst box to be drawn in, and if the greyhound is smart, it can use the wide draw to avoid trouble early, and get around the field mid-race with some speed. The main danger from box 7 is the greyhound losing sight of the lure with other runners in the way, so you are relying on some luck here, but as I said, not the worst.
Box #8 – Despite my personal distaste for runners drawn in box 8, a lot of punters, much smarter than myself, fancy the extreme wide draw in certain cases. Box 8 can keep your runner right out of any trouble if they are smart (or fast) enough. This box presents some of the same risks that come with box 7, but can be overcome by a talented runner.
Again, this is by no means meant to be a comprehensive guide to profitable punting on greyhound racing, and there are many, many factors that go into a race beyond the box draw. The starting box should only be one part of your analysis when trying to find a winner in a greyhound race.
What about the tracks?
With approximately 65 greyhound racing venues operating around Australia, I couldn’t possibly list the quirks and biases of every track there is and you’re largely on your own to figure that out for yourself, but do keep me in the loop, please. I’m getting tired of two minute noodles.
Some very broad advice is that certain tracks with a tight turning radius, and a short straight, make it difficult for slower starters, or greyhounds that are drawn wider to make their way around the field and wider tracks, or those with longer straights suit runners with some decent mid/late race burn. You can find more info about each track in a few locations, a Google search, or chatting to other punters who follow the dogs closely will help you find what you need.
The Importance of early speed
As you might have guessed from the previous section on starting boxes, early speed is very important in a greyhound racing and as a rule of thumb, the shorter the distance of the race, the more important it is. You have to remember that greyhounds are much, much lighter than horses are, and therefore, they are far more susceptible to being checked (bumped) out of contention by another runner than horses are.
Good early speed allows a greyhound to bounce out of the boxes quickly (or ‘ping the lids’) and get to the rail, right behind the lure, avoiding the other greyhounds smashing into each other as they scramble to get in front. Some greyhounds naturally run just off the pace, or in the back of the field, finishing very fast, and they do get up often, but the simple fact is that those greyhounds face much more risk of getting into trouble and being checked out of the race.
TAB and some corporate bookies are kind enough to provide us with a speed map for greyhound races in Australia, to see where a certain greyhound is likely to end up in the field shortly after a race begins. This is based on the greyhound’s recent performances and sectional times.
As you can see in the example below, most runners in this race are reasonably quick beginners and it’s likely that most of the field will be trying to lead. This could lead to some squeezing and bumping early on. Personally, the greyhounds drawn wider (especially #7) would appeal to me here, and I’d hope that it was able to jump smartly and quickly and cross the field to lead. This isn’t a certainty however, with plenty of speed drawn on the inside of box 7.
Any other important stuff?
Speed maps are a good tool, but just like the box draw, they are only one part of the picture. When trying to find a winner, you should always analyse the speed map along with recent form, and replays of previous races to confirm what you’re seeing. This will give you a ton of other information about a runner and how you can expect it to perform, including (but not limited to):
The greyhound’s previous times, especially at this track and distance (this is important!)
The greyhound’s ‘box manners’ (how straight the greyhound runs early, to avoid being checked or squeezed out)
How smart the greyhound is to navigate through the field if it can’t find the lead early
The greyhound’s stamina, and whether it has been tried at this racing distance
Whether or not the greyhound has raced at this track previously
Whether or not the greyhound has raced in the same conditions (ie weather, day/night etc.)
The greyhound’s win/place strike rate
What kind of bets can I place on a greyhound Race?
Fortunately, as a well-established and popular sport, there are many different types of bets that you can place on a greyhound race. If you’re already familiar with horse racing, you’ll have no trouble as basically any bet you can place on a horse race, you can also place on a greyhound race.
There’s your standard win or place markets (fixed odds or tote), exotics such as quinella, exacta, trifecta, or first four, as well as quadrella and running double. These will be explained in another article, so I won’t list the details of each here, but rest assured that there are plenty of chances to strike gold or do your arse on the greyhounds.
Conclusion
Greyhound racing has a rich history in Australia as the ‘working man’s’ racing code and maintains that same image today. With quick, frequent, and exciting races, the greyhounds can be a great way to dust off that cash that’s been burning a hole in your pocket.
Personally, I’d recommend visiting a track in the flesh, greyhounds are seriously fast, and it really is a genuinely impressive spectacle that can’t really be fully appreciated on TV.
Good luck punting on the dogs, and if you have any questions, just ask (someone else, ‘cause this is all I got).
It’s also worth mentioning that these beautiful athletes often require a home when they are finished racing, and they make the best pets in the world (there’s one on my lounge right now). I couldn’t be more enthusiastic about recommending them to anyone as a pet. Most states’ racing bodies will run their own adoption program, as well as a heap of independent programs too. A quick Google search will point you in the right direction. If you want more info, please do hit me up about this.
Love always xoxo
MR