Greyhound races are fun to watch since it has fast action that keeps fans on the edge of their seats. Unlike horse races, greyhounds are not ridden by jockeys as they run on their own towards the finish line.
The race uses an artificial lure in front of the participating dogs. This is to keep them running in the right direction throughout the race. Since it is impressive to watch greyhound races, there are a lot of people who have grown fond of betting on it too.
When people bet on greyhound dogs racing on Sportsbet and other top online sportsbooks, they often look for the interesting events. For those who haven’t seen any greyhound race yet, here are some popular races to check out:
English Greyhound Derby
This is recognized as the most prestigious greyhound race in Britain. The English Greyhound Derby had its first run in 1927 at the White City Stadium before it was moved to Wimbledon Stadium in 1985. In 2017, it was moved to the Towcester Greyhound Stadium, to Nottingham in 2019, and then back to Towcester in 2021.
So far, there are only four greyhounds that have won the race twice. Meanwhile, trainer Charlie Lister OBE has won the event seven times already.
East Anglian Cup
This race started in 1947 back when the stadium was run independently. Since then, it continued to be a major race on its independent calendar. It has been held at the Yarmouth Stadium in Norfolk since then. However, some changes had to be implemented on it after the venue earned a National Greyhound Racing Club status. In 1975, the race was officially inaugurated and made its first run with new rules.
This race runs over a distance of 462 metres and has a £15,000 purse for its winner. All of the dogs that have won it have clocked in under 30 seconds. The most remarkable trainer for this race is Charlie Lister OBE who has bagged home the title twelve times.
Melbourne Cup
The Melbourne Cup is the most prestigious greyhound race in Australia. This is the final event of the Superdogs series which is held over a course of three weeks. This race which has over $1 million dollar prize is run over 515 metres on the sand surface of the Sandown Park in Melbourne. There are only three trainers who have earned the title thrice.
Select Stake
Formerly known as the Betfred Select Stakes, this event is known as one of the much-anticipated events in English greyhound racing. Since 1996, this race has been hosted at the Nottingham Greyhound Stadium every July over a distance of 500 metres. However, the race started in 1952 at the Wembley Greyhounds Stadium but was only moved to Nottingham after the old venue was closed.
The contenders of this race are all chosen by sent invitations and not through a sequence of qualifying matches. So far, the prize purse for the winner is worth up to £10,000.
Association Cup
Established in 1965, the Association Cup shared a long history of greyhound racing and has managed to be one of the most prominent dog races in the world. This race used to be held at Harold Park but was moved to Wentworth Park in 1988.
In 2012, the race became a part of the Golden Easter Egg Carnival where it is considered as one of the highlights of the Egg Final night. There, fans can witness some of the best Australian dogs compete for the title.
These are just some of the races that people would have to learn more about before betting on the greyhound dogs racing on Sportsbet. When people learn more about this sport and the excitement it brings, people can be more eager to wager on the possible outcomes of these too!