Since a lot of horse bettors also bet on dogs, I thought that I would provide a brief article on betting the greyhounds that I recently read.
If you want to learn how to pick winners at the dog track, there are a few basics that help. Knowing the factors that predict which dog has the best chance of winning is the first step. There is no guarantee that the dog with the most going for it will win, but common sense and experience tells us that this is the dog that gives you the least risk for the biggest chance of a reward.
First, always take into consideration speed as factor with greyhounds. It matters more in shorter races. However, it is also a bigger factor in longer races. When you look at the dogs, if there are any whose speed figures just are not up to most of the other dogs, it is fairly safe to assume that they will not be able to keep up with the other greyhounds in the race either. They might be second or third for exotic bets like exactas, trifectas and superfectas, but it is doubtful that they will suddenly wake up and win.
Another factor to consider is class. When you risk money, it is best to risk it on what usually happens, and not what does happen once in awhile. Look for dogs that have been running in the grade of the race, or even better, in higher grade races. If they have been in faster races with better dogs, there is a really good chance that they will be better than today’s lower grade competition.
Form is another factor to consider. However, form is hard to explain and hard to find on a program. Basically, it is whether the dog is doing well right now. Dogs go in and out of form, running some good races and then running some so-so or even out of the money races, unless they are the cream of the crop at that track. Like horses, they have a cycle of wins and losses, although often it is much shorter than horses’ cycles.
I look for dogs who are getting better but have not peaked. I look back in the history of that certain greyhound and see what their form looks like over time. Do they get up to A and then drop back down to B? Or do they plateau at B and just run in the money enough to stay there without dropping down or getting graded off? With dogs, once they have climbed the grade ladder and dropped back down again and had a layoff, it is likely that they will repeat the cycle, and not exceed their highest grade.
There are other factors, of course. How is the kennel doing in general? Does the dog like its post position, if you look back over its races. What is the weather like? If it is raining, look back over the dog’s races to see if it comes in on a wet track.
When you are just starting out, it might seem overwhelming when you look at all the factors that go toward making one dog a winner. Starting with the basics i.e. speed, class and form is a good way to ease into greyhound handicapping. These factors are what most handicappers look for before placing a bet on a horse race. That is why many horse bettors also play the dogs!
Make small bets to win and place. Listen to more experienced handicappers. As always, do not risk more than you can afford to lose. And do not expect to learn the ropes overnight. It takes time and a lot of hard work to become a consistent winner at the greyhound track just like in horse betting.
More details can be found at http://www.racewhisperer.cu.cc/
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