Advertisement
If you have a new account but are having problems posting or verifying your account, please email us on hello@boards.ie for help. Thanks :)
Hello all! Please ensure that you are posting a new thread or question in the appropriate forum. The Feedback forum is overwhelmed with questions that are having to be moved elsewhere. If you need help to verify your account contact hello@boards.ie

how to pick a dog!

  • 24-02-2005 4:51pm
    #1
    Closed Accounts Posts: 1,639 ✭✭✭


    hey all,
    this forum doesn't have too many visitors so i don't expect too many replies. but for the few of you who occasionally appear, you may be able to help me.

    im heading to the racing in dundalk this saturday (for fun) but havn't got a clue about greyhounds. horse maybe, but dogs.. noo
    what should i look for when picking? does form etc really matter? does the number of dog give an advantage? what else should i know? .. or is it all just luck? :)
    all help/tips appreciated


Comments

  • Closed Accounts Posts: 823 ✭✭✭MG


    Look for the dog that takes a leak just before the race*



    * This tip may be utter tripe but it's a conversation starter. Or killer.


  • Registered Users Posts: 2,934 ✭✭✭egan007


    usually the #1 way is to look for a word lie 'fast' 'swift' or 'lightening' in the name

    like

    Donegal Rocket
    or
    Dublin Ramjet

    ....can't go wrong ;)


  • Registered Users Posts: 814 ✭✭✭Raytown Rocks


    I was told once to keep an eye out to see if any particular dog keeps doing "jobby's" before being put into the traps. Usually means he's excited and keen to run. Not sure how true it is ( not really into the dogs) but maybe keep an eye out for this as well when placing money on dogs based on form and check one against the other( i.e pooing dog V form dog)


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 2 DangerZone


    How to spot a winner

    There is obviously no guaranteed way of finding winners but, for a newcomer to greyhound racing, the task must seem quite daunting. Six greyhounds may all seem the same to the novice but there are many factors to take into consideration before risking any hard earnt money.

    The following is by no means a formula for a life of riches and luxury but, offered purely as a guide to help the novice punter or, indeed, the more experienced dabbler who may have fallen into bad habits and feels the need for a refresher course.

    Over the years, there have been all sorts of so called fail-proof statistical systems but the only way one can relistically hope to show a profit at the end of a specified period is to study each and every greyhound’s form in any given race.

    What to look for

    There are five main points to base any selection on. Class, current form, early speed, trap draw and, above all, value for money. The following will guide you through each subject and, hopefully, when you have practised the formula you will be a winning punter or, at least, one that doesn’t leave the mortgage money behind every time you visit your local greyhound track.

    Remember, though, greyhounds are not machines and, like their human counterparts, do have the occasional off day. Some are more consistent than others, though, and you quickly learn which greyhounds and what types of races you are most likely to win money on.

    A Greyhound’s class

    When a young greyhound first embarks upon its racing career, it must undergo a series oftime trials to assess ability as a racer and which course he or she is likely to take when they actually start races. This is generally based on the best time he achieves in trials, which are basically, two or three runner racing but without any legalised betting.

    Providing a greyhound obtains a sufficiently fast time, which will vary from track to track and, of course, over various distances, the racing manager will enter it in whatever grade he feels would give it a fair chance of winning against greyhounds with near or equal ability.

    The grade is really the racing manager’s estimation of any particular greyhound’s ‘class’ at any particular time.

    A typical grading system would be to give a prefix for a particular distance, for instance, a 475 metres race at Walthamstow has an A prefix and 640 metres an S prefix. The letter is followed by a number which gives the grade, or class, of the race. An A9 event would be the lowest, for instance and an A1 the highest.

    When deciding on ‘class’ punters can either follow the racing manager’s assessment or compile an index of their own as they become more experienced.

    The ‘Form’

    If you have found a runner who you feel is better class than the others, study his most recent form carefully. Has he been recording times fast enough to enable him to win in a lower grade? Has the ability to lead or, if he seems to be a greyhound who comes from off the pace, has he been unlucky in recent outings?

    There are, of course, no hard and fast rules in working out or deciphering current form and it is very much personal opinion which will decide the direction you may take. Most races will comprise of runners of near equal ability but a greyhound who has consistently recorded faster times than the others but, for one reason or another, has failed to win would be a natural choice if we could be assured that every greyhound enjoyed a trouble-free run.

    This is where the trap draw if of vital importance - it is, in fact, one of the most telling factors when coming to make your selection. If you have managed to narrow the race down to two runners, perhaps even three (anymore and you should not even consider having a bet) that you feel have a realistic chance on your assessment of class and current form. You should only bet if one of these is drawn for a trouble-free run. For instance, say one of your choices has shown its best form from trap six and is drawn in trap four with fast starters either side, it will probably struggle to find a clear passage.

    Should it be drawn in six again and have a slower starter going from trap five, he would probably be sure of finding a clear run into the first bend and, therefore, have a realistic chance of showing his best , or near best form.

    It is equally true that a greyhound who has appeared unfavourably drawn in recent races would almost certainly benefit when he is again granted a draw that is more favourable to his style of running. Many races, particularly ones over four bends, are won by whichever greyhound leads into the first bend. A study of the racecard will help you decide which greyhound, in a trouble free race, would have the best chance of leading.

    In the case of an early paced type, you have to decide whether he can clear his rivals by the first bend or is he more likely to be crowded or bumped. Or, will a strong finisher turn close enough to the leaders and have a realistic chance of finding a way to challenge later in the race? As the novice punter begins to visit a track more regularly, they will learn where particular greyhounds seem to race - near the rails, in the middle, or out wide.

    All of these items can work in your favour but each and every one need to be answered before you can confidently have a wager.



    Found this for good info - British Greyhound Racing Board.


Advertisement