Greyhound Racing History: All You Need to Know
You can’t be an expert on this betting market if you don’t know greyhound racing history. Armed with the knowledge of the sport, you can make better decisions to improve your bets in the future. If you don’t know anything about how greyhound racing started and how betting grew up around the sport, then you are in exactly the right place. Spanning well over one hundred years, what you may discover about the sport will surprise you. In this guide we will tell you everything you need to know, starting with the exact date it started, before showing how it grew in popularity – going all the way towards its peak. Then we will mention the three biggest dogs in greyhound history, and even what is arguably the most famous greyhound race of all time. To finish our guide, we will finally give some thoughts as to how we think greyhound racing and betting on greyhounds will develop in the future.
Greyhound Betting History
To understand more about when did greyhound betting start and general greyhound racing history and the origins of the sport, you have to also understand its roots in coursing. Coursing is closely related to when did greyhound betting start – and other sighthounds – use their ability to see to chase and catch animals such as hares, rabbits, fixes and deer. Back in the day, it was common for all levels of society to engage in this as a means to hunt or to cull the population of animals in their local grounds. Hare coursing was also developed as a sport in and of itself, in which the first hound to catch a hare was declared the winner. The first modern coursing club started in 1776 in Swaffham, and the sport reached its peak in the mid 19th century – some events attracting up to 80,000 people. The decline of the sport is largely attributed to the rise of greyhound racing – which of course we will explain in the next section. Now coursing for sport is illegal in the United Kingdom, but is still played in the Republic of Ireland.
When Did Betting on Greyhounds Start?
By the turn of the 20th century, greyhounds were being bred exclusively for coursing, making the transition to racing quite a smooth one. While there was an attempt in 1876 to get greyhounds to run on a track it was pretty unsuccessful. The trick to getting greyhounds to succeed was the invention of the artificial lure in 1912, by an American called Owen Patrick Smith. The idea was to actually enjoy a greyhound sport, without having to see hares being killed. By 1926, the sport was introduced in the United Kingdom by another American named Charles Munn, who helped develop the Greyhound Racing Association and held the first British meeting at Manchester’s Belle Vue Stadium.
Betting on the sport occurred almost simultaneously with the rise of the sport – including both tote bets and regular punts. After the 1960 gaming act, people could bet off-course, something that rose significantly in popularity after the rise of online betting in the 90s – making greyhound betting something millions of people across the world enjoy placing punts on.
When Did Greyhound Racing Peak?
Greyhound racing was, at one point, the biggest sport in the United Kingdom – enjoying audiences just as big as football. Its hard to believe now, considering the popularity of the Premier League, but in 1946 there were 34 million paying spectators in 1946. Additionally, there were over 77 registered tracks and 200 independent tracks in the entire country, with thirty three in London alone. After the end of the 50s however, the switch in UK betting to betting off-course, including the rise of casinos and moral objection to the sport have led to its decline. Now there are only 27 stadiums left.
The Three Most Famous Dogs in British Greyhound Racing History
It might seem far-fetched today, but there was a time that greyhounds enjoyed the same popularity we might extend to footballers or rugby players today. What’s most interesting about the three most famous dogs in greyhound betting history is that only one is from the so-called Golden Age of Greyhound racing in the 30s. The other two were from the 80s, widely considered to be the last great era of the sport. In the next three sections, we will talk about the three mighty dogs in greyhound history – Mick the Miller, Scurlogue Champ and Bellyregan Bob. Read on for everything you need to know.
Ballyregan Bob the greyhound
Mick the Miller the greyhound
Scurlogue Champ the greyhound
Mick the Miller
Without a shadow of a doubt, Mick the Miller is the most important greyhound of all time. Born in Ireland, the three year career of the dog is the most celebrated in the sport. His achievements include winning the English Greyhound Derby three times as well as enjoy a great nineteen win streak. Additionally Mick the Miller is the only dog to have won the treble of the Derby, the Cesarwitch and The St Leger. Mick the Miller is also a rare dog to enjoy great fame after racing, even enjoying a career in popular films. He was stuffed after his death and can still be viewed at the Natural History Museum at Tring in Hertfordshire.
Ballyregan Bob
Once holding the World Cup record for recording 32 consecutive wins from 1985 to 1986, Ballyregan Bob inspires awe in any punter who had the chance of seeing him live. This is a dog that won the Olympic at Brighton, the Test at Walthamstow and the Essex Vase in Romford all within the same year. Winning greyhound of the year in 1985 and 1986, Ballyregan Bob was characterised by an unbelieve six bend speed which saw him break 16 track records. This was a dog you’d be sure to bet on – winning 42 out of his 48 races.
Scurlogue Champ
Scurlogue Champ is an iconic dog, known for lagging far behind in many races before somehow making the ground – sometimes up to thirty metres – back and becoming a winner. Handled by the legendary Ken Peckham for most of his career, he is renowned for winning the Cesarewitch in 1985 and the BBC Television Trophy in 1985 and 1986. Scurlogue Champ has one of the best records in greyhound betting history, registering 51 wins from 63 races, managing to set twenty track records in the process. Due to his unique style of racing, Scurlogue Champ captured the hearts and minds of anyone who saw him race.
Biggest Greyhound Race of All Time
Much like Christiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi playing at the same time today, the greyhound racing world was blessed with Scurlogue Champ and Ballyregan Bob existing at the same time in the mid-80s. The two dogs had the chance to race against one another at Wembley Stadium in 1985, making it the most anticipated race in British greyhound racing history. At first it looked like Scurlogue Champ was playing his usual game – staying behind to pip Ballyregan Bob, who had started leading from the off, at the post. Sadly, in an iconic and tragic moment, Scurlogue Champ pulled up and didn’t finish the race, giving Bob the win in a track record time.
What Will Happen To Greyhound Racing in The Future?
With growing concern about the way greyhounds are treated, combined with a general lack of interest and the shuttering of popular sites such as Wimbledon Racecourse, things aren’t looking great for the future of greyhound racing. Nonetheless, while its absurd to think it will ever regain the popularity of the 40s or even the 80s, the support for greyhound racing in tight-knit working class communities remains strong, thus more or less ensuring it will remain popular for millions of people. If you want to get in on the fun, head to the homepage now to find the best bookmakers online.