Greyhound racing is a form of racing where dogs race around an oval track after a motorized lure. Over 1000 years old, greyhound racing originated both in Europe and the Middle East where sight hounds were used to chase down small game such as rabbits.
The original greyhound racing was called coursing which involved chasing live bait around the track. This of course has been outlawed and today greyhounds only chase mechanical lures.
Betting Tactics
Placing a bet on a greyhound race is similar to placing a bet on a horse race. Animals peak in condition, and have good seasons and bad seasons as well as preferring certain tracks and weather conditions. Just as with thoroughbred racing, the key to successful greyhound betting is getting to know which dogs run better where and when, as well as having a good history of your dog as well as its trainer. This information to help one to make a successful wager can be found on the Internet as well as from people in the know.
Know Your Odds
Odds on races are created by the bookies who offer the wages on a particular race. The odds should be at least 1 to 2 to make it worthwhile. A favourite dog will come with higher odds, which means that it has a better chance of winning the race, although that also means that the payout will be less than on an underdog. Sometimes placing a bet on an underdog with low odds of winning a race will reward you more handsomely than placing a bet on the favourite.
Favourite dogs, for all their skill, may get caught up in trouble on the inside rail on one of the turns, and be unable to unleash their full potential. Keep an eye on the odds just before a race. If the odds on a dog changes drastically within a short time before the race starts, it may be a good idea to follow them as somebody in the know might have placed a large wager. Piggybacking on the back of this may prove to be very lucrative.
Online betting
Many punters places wagers on Greyhound racing betting days via various online sites. A number of these sites offer fixed odds, as well as a number of different types of wagers which can be placed on a race. Wages in range in complexity from such things as a win, which is best for beginners to the racing world, to quinella’s and trifecta’s which are wagered by more experienced punters. NZ betting sites also offer a variety of other services, such as streaming and podcasts of the actual race. These are especially useful when betting on smaller races at smaller local tracks, which may not be televised. Streaming races allows punters to follow the race in real time and possibly change their bets just before the race begins.
Racing tips
When placing a wager on your dog, take into consideration the individual dogs’ attributes. For example look at the dogs age. Male dogs peak around about the age of 2. Young dogs are usually called maidens and run in maiden races, which means that they are generally unproven and although fast may not be able to compete against a male dog in the prime of its life.
Backing a dog which starts later and runs the at the back of the pack early conserving energy, is usually a better bet than backing a dog which is too keen and runs out of fuel early.