Types of Greyhound Races Explained
When learning how to bet on greyhounds, its essential to be able to understand all the different types of greyhound race. By understanding exactly how the races work, how the grades are categorised and how those grades are used to set the different levels between races, you can improve as a bettor and make informed choices. This guide will tell you absolutely everything you need to know about greyhound races. We will start be explaining what makes one race different from another – explaining all the different distances, surfaces and ages of the dogs – as well as giving an explanation of hurdle racing, handicap racing, and how the grading system works. Then at the end we will lay out to you which races are the best to bet on and the best bookmaker for finding a large selection of races. If this sounds like something that interests you, read on now for absolutely everything that you need to know.
How Do Different Types of Greyhound Race Differ?
On the face of it, it initially appears like all types of greyhound races look more or less the same. This couldn’t be further from the truth however – with races being different from one another in three key ways. The first is distance, the second is the type of surface and the third is the age of the greyhounds. This combination of factors is what makes each race completely unique. In the subsequent three sections, we will break down exactly what we mean by each of these categories, providing in-depth guides to these crucial differences. Read on now if you would like to learn more.
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Distance
Distance plays a key factor when categorising different greyhound races. For each track the official lengths may differ but they can usually be split up into Sprints, Middle, Stayers and Marathon. These are categorised on the racecard by letters – D for Sprint, A for Middle, S for Stayers and E for Marathon. Sprints are usually under 300 metres, while middle races are around 450 to 550 metres. Stayers races go between around 600 to 700 metres, while marathon races start over 800 metres and go up to a whopping 1100 metres. Certain dogs will do better depending on the length of the race.
Surface
How greyhounds race is highly dependent on the surface of the track. As the track is always outside, the weather conditions can affect the make up of the race, and how fast greyhounds will run. All greyhound tracks in the UK use a sand surface now, although before they used a grass track. When it rains, the track can get sloppy, favouring dogs that are stronger in stayers races. Additionally, there is the potential of waterlogging, leaving the inside of the track vulnerable. On the other hand, in hot weather, the track gets very hard, allowing the greyhounds to run fast and usually break records.
Age
The age of a greyhound categorises which race he will go in. Any greyhound under 24 months of age is catagorised as a puppy, and will be required to take part in puppy races. Greyhounds are usually considered to reach their prime around 30-36 months, although some consider the difference between 21 and 30 months to be good for backing sprint dogs. If you are looking to back a dog over a long distance, such as a marathon race, experienced dogs, usually over three or even four years, are a more sensible choice. A greyhound’s age will be clearly written on its race card.
Greyhound Hurdle Racing
Hurdle racing was one innovation introduced in the twentieth century to get audiences to keep coming to greyhound races. Its basically the same as greyhound racing except it requires the dog to jump over hurdles. As it requires a certain level of skill on behalf of the greyhound, it has allowed certain dogs to really dominate the field – making this a good race to back the favourite on. Classic greyhound races include the Champion Hurdle (held on the same evening as the Greyhound Derby), the Grand National and the Springbok. Its still quite rare to see on daily races, but you can almost always find it when betting of virtual races.
Greyhound Racing Grades Explained
It is crucial to have Greyhound racing grades explained if you are to succeed at betting in this sport. The best dogs are in the top grade while newbies will be put in lower grades. This grade is then combined with the length of the race to determine what exactly a race is. For example, a low-grade stayers race would be categorised as S4. Once you understand this lingo, it becomes easier to place knowledgeable bets depending on the quality of the dog. This will be combined with a seeding system. Dogs that stick close to the rails are seeded as “rails”, while others that are wide runners are known as “wide” seeds. Then those who stay in the middle are categorised as “middle” seeds. This knowledge then determines where in the line up they will be placed, as to determine a fair and open race. To learn more about what the grades mean, take a look at the table we have created for you.
| What Do All The Classes Mean? | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| A Class | D Class | S Class | M Class | P Class | H Class |
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Handicap Racing
Simply put, handicap racing is used to make a race more interesting. This is where greyhounds of differing abilities can run together, each with an equal chance of winning. Here the traps will be staggered, thus giving the slower dogs a head-start. The term used to refer to a dog which has no advantage, is to be running off scratch. These races split the dogs into different qualities, including their pace, how fast they get out of the trap, previous results, and their staying power. We would recommend betting on these races, because the chances of a high odds greyhound winning is high!
How Do Dogs Move Between Grades?
Like most leagues, dogs move up in the grades by winning races. A greyhound that has just started as known as a maiden, and usually has to win an open race before it can be put in the grading system. From there it is simply a question of winning more and races in order to make it to the top. Then the top greyhounds in each grade will qualify for the top races, such as the English greyhound derby. If you really know the situation on the ground, its really beneficial to bet on lower grade matches – once you get to that top grade it really can be anyone’s guess.
Which Greyhound Races are the Best to Bet On
We hope you have enjoyed our guide to greyhound races. When it comes to making your own mind up as to what the best race is, its worth considering that there is no one particular race that has an advantage over another. Rather, through the infinite combinations of different races, one can find the exact race where they feel they have the advantage. You may find that hot surface sprint races are the best for figuring out which dog is the fastest, yet the opposite may be true, and you will be more successful with wet and windy marathon races. A good idea is to experiment with small amounts of money on different races until you can find the one that works well for you. Then once you become familiar with a small niche, you can really use your knowledge to get a one up over the rest of the competition.
Which Bookmaker Offers The Biggest Diversity of Greyhound Races?
Now that you know all about the different types of greyhound races available to bet on, and the key differences between those races, it is essential that you find the perfect bookmaker to help you realise your journey. The bookmaker that we have chosen for you below not only offers an amazing selection of race types that guarantees you a great time betting on the dogs, but the odds levels are pretty high too, practically maximising your value. If you are interested, why don’t you just sign up and get an account now? All you have to do is click the button provided to you below. As you can see from the table we have provided, the welcome bonus they have is very tasty, giving you a little something to play with when you make your first greyhound bet. To compare offers across the site, take a look at our unique bonus page.