How does Greyhound Betting Compare to Horse Betting?
Horse Racing has long been associated with betting, but greyhound racing also has a significant connection to gambling. You must go back to 1912 to find the introduction of greyhound racing as we know it today. Owen Patrick Smith was the man responsible for introducing the mechanical hare, which speeds around an oval track. Both the oval track and the mechanical hare were introduced to the United Kingdom, from the United States, in 1926 and it was in the mid-20’s that greyhound racing emerged as an entertaining way to bet.
Betting has always played a big role in greyhound racing and whereas in the early days it was only possible to place bets at the track, punters can now enjoy a wager online. If you would like to learn more about where to place a bet on the greyhounds, check out check out greyhoundbetting.co.uk. This website is home to a wealth of information and reviews of the best betting sites for greyhound racing. However, before placing a bet on the greyhounds, it is important to understand some of the differences between greyhound betting and horse racing betting.
Prior to betting on greyhound racing, you must be aware of the two different types of race, Coursing and Track. When track racing, the race takes place on an oval track but when coursing, the dog chases a mechanical lure, such as the hare highlighted above. However, although horse racing can be divided into two main categories, jump racing and flat racing, there are many additional categories including steeplechases, maiden races, and endurance races. So, there are more types of races to consider when betting on horse racing than greyhound racing and in many ways, that makes the latter easier to understand for gambling purposes.
When following the horse on which you have bet, you will need to look out for the colours worn by the jockey, known as silks. The different colours worn are used to represent a horse’s owner and help to make them easily identifiable to the commentators and spectators. However, when betting on greyhounds, the colours worn by the dogs are based on the traps in which they begin the race. There are usually 6 traps and the colours worn from each trap never changes, meaning once you know the trap number of the dog you have backed, you will know what colour to look out for during the race.
Both horses and greyhounds are graded to try and ensure competitive racing. Group One is the highest group a horse can reach but there are also many handicap races throughout the year. During a handicap race, the superior horses are given a higher weight, and this gives each runner an equal chance of winning. In greyhound racing, dogs can also move up and down the grades depending on performance. Most of the top greyhound racing around the world is graded, with the highest grade being A1. So, if a dog has recently dropped from A1 to A2, there is a possibility, despite being out of form, it could succeed due to being in a lower class.
Handicapping is also possible in greyhound racing but instead of using weight, the traps are staggered. The favourite for the race will be placed further back along the track than the outsider.
The number of runners also differs between horse and greyhound racing and this has an impact on betting. In the United Kingdom, the number of runners in a greyhound race is 6 unless there is a non-runner, and the dog cannot be replaced. In horse racing, the number of horses in a race can differ significantly and this changes the betting. There must be a minimum of two runners in a horse race but there can be as many as 40 in a single race. The more runners there are in a race, the more competitive the betting. Online bookmakers are more likely to accept each-way bets, paying up to four places, the more horses there are in a race. In greyhound racing in the UK, each way betting is available on only the first two places in a race and this never changes as the number of dogs remains the same.
In terms of bet types, horse and greyhound racing offer many of the same markets. However, the most popular type of bet being placed in greyhound racing is a Tricast. This is on offer in horse racing but is nowhere near as popular as it is in greyhound racing. In order for this bet to be successful, the first three dogs to cross the line must be predicted correctly. This is more difficult than simply predicting the winner but the rewards for winning are greater.
Overall, the types of betting markets available for horse racing and greyhound racing are similar and mean the same thing regardless of which of the two sports you are following.