Greyhound Racing Betting
CONTRARY to popular belief, the greyhound racing industry has not gone to the dogs.
Far from it, despite the scandal of live baiting that threatened the sport, the industry has come down hard on the perpetrators and has reformed its monitoring to ensure issues like this are stamped out far more quickly.
And that give punters a cleaner, more enjoyable sport to wager their hard earned on.
Did you know greyhounds are actually believed to be the first purebred canine, dating back to the Ancient Egyptians?
With speed and a dead eye, greyhounds were used for hunting and, as soon as 100 years ago, a barbaric sport called coursing, which involved setting them onto animals.
It took until the 20th century for the first greyhound race involving a lure that was not alive.
That was in the USA, but the sport soon caught on in Australia and today, there are tracks all over the nation, with thousands of race meetings every year.
The greyhound industry is obviously kept alive by the punters dollar, a devoted circle of bettors who love the thrill of the chase and the opportunity for an exciting event that provides quick dividends.
And it is very easy to place a bet on the dogs.
Just head online, sign up with one of our recommended bookmakers, make your deposit and you’re ready to rock.
Best bookmakers to bet on greyhounds with
We at bettingsite.com.au only recommend the best, most reputable bookmakers out there and we’ve done extensive research to whittle them down to six of the best.
Take the time to check them out, each is unique in its offer, with special bonuses, enhanced odds and feature race specials, make sure you look at opening accounts up with each one to ensure you get the best variety of promotions to go with the most competitive odds and not to mention those sign up bonuses.
Popular greyhound betting markets
If you’re going to have a crack at the greys, you need to know how to bet, right?
Here is a long list of some of the most popular bet types you will find at our recommended online bookmakers when you are looking to place a bet on the doggies.
- Win
- Place
- Each way
- Quinella
- Exacta
- Duet
- Trifecta
- First four
- Daily double
- Running double
- Quaddie
- Multis or parlays
- Futures
Things to know and insider tips on betting greys
There are two things you need to consider before you even think about placing a bet on a greyhound race.
Number one is can you actually afford to punt? We at BettingSite.com.au absolutely love a bet on the dogs as much as the next bloke, but we practice responsible gambling and encourage all our readers to ensure they don’t let their betting get out of control.
Number two is that you simply must remember that you’re betting on animals. The human control is gone once those boxes spring open and the lure flies past. It is mother nature at her best and she can be a cruel beast at times.
It only takes an injury or a dog that’s even slightly of colour for your money to fly down the drain.
Just be wary.
- Know your dog: What is your dog’s form like? How does it fair at the track? What about the distance? How about its opponents? How old is the dog? All of this matters when betting on greyhounds.
- Red and pink: It seems like dogs from these two boxes win every second race. If your dog is a fast starter, these are the two dream boxes. Box one is the shortest path home, while box it is good for those runners who have early pace that can cross to the rail.
- Good priced favourites: If you’re savvy, you can really clean up on the dogs. Those $2.90-$4 favourites are rolled gold when they are out of good boxes. Keep them safe.
- Follow the market: Has the dog been slammed moments before the race? Jump on. Punters know their stuff and if they are dictating the market, there is obviously something in it.
Five big greyhound races
Like we said, there are thousands of greyhound races and race meets each year, but only a select few capture the imagination of the wider public.
Here are the biggest and best.
Melbourne Cup | |
---|---|
Locale | Sandown Park, Melbourne, Victoria |
Distance | 515 metres |
Prize money | $600,000 |
Adelaide Cup | |
Locale | Angle Park, Adelaide |
Distance | 515 metres |
Prize money | $75,000 to the winner |
Perth Cup | |
Locale | Cannington, Perth, Western Australia |
Distance | 520 metres |
Prize money | $150,000 to the winner |
Golden Easter Egg | |
Locale | Wentworth Park, New South Wales |
Distance | 520 metres |
Prize money | $250,000 |
Australian Cup | |
Locale | The Meadows, Melbourne, Victoria |
Distance | 525 metres |
Prize money | $250,000 to the winner |
Greyhound track details
There are dozens of tracks across Australia.
Here is a list of the best of them:
Victoria tracks |
---|
Sandown Park |
The Meadows |
Cranbourne |
Queensland tracks |
Albion Park |
Gold Coast |
Rockhampton |
Ipswich |
Townsville |
New South Wales tracks |
Wentworth Park |
Gosford |
Richmond |
Nowra |
Young |
Lismore |
Goulburn |
Wagga |
Dapto |
Bulli |
Casino |
Bathurst |
Maitland |
Adelaide tracks |
Angle Park |
Gawler |
Western Australia tracks |
Cannington |
Mandurah |
Northam |
Tasmania tracks |
Hobart |
Launceston |
Devonport |
Australian Capital Territory tracks |
Canberra |
Northern Territory tracks |
Darwin |
The five best Australian greyhounds of all time
Brett Lee
Not the highest earner of all time, but this fella is certainly Australia’s most well known.
His pace on the track was as quick as his Australian fast bowler namesake’s thunderbolts and he had a record to back up his legendary status – 30 wins and five places from 38 starts. He was simply remarkable.
Fernando Bale
Retired to stud only last year, Fernando Bale earns nearly $1.3 million throughout his remarkable career – more than any other greyhound. Won 35 races from his 44 starts and is a true legend of the industry. Some say he was the best of all time and it is hard to argue.
Bold Trease
Four Sandown Cups in a row is enough to make any dog a legend, but Bold Trease captured the heart of the greyhound community, perhaps more than any other dog. Just a battler from Warrnambool, Bold Trease started its first race jumping eight lengths last and then winning by eight lengths and, as they say, the rest is history. When it was all said and done, he won eight feature races and was unplaced just 12 times in 104 starts. Remarkable.
El Gallo
Rated by some as the best dog since Brett Lee, El Gallo fell just short of the then Australian prize money record in 2009. A career built on both longevity and plenty of wins, El Gallo claimed 44 wins from his 71 starts to go with nine placings. If you backed him, more often the not, you were coming home a winner.
Brother Fox
One for the history books, this 1980s bad boy simply blew his competition away. In his 12 wins, the closest an opposing dog got to him was four lengths. He was simply too quick for them.