13 Greyhounds / Betfair Education / 01 December 2008 / Leave a comment

Dogs expert Mark Sullivan takes a long, hard look at greyhound racing and how to make the most out of it.

You will notice that more often than not the main protagonists for the major races, over every distance, will be drawn from a respective pool of 20 or so dogs. They are obviously the best around at the distances they race over not only because in most cases they are the fastest but also the most consistent.

The Betfair-sponsored East Anglian Derby at Yarmouth is a perfect example. Farloe Reason, Ninja Jamie, Toosey Blue and Droopys Carvalho have been prolific this year and all are there battling for the honours.

Consistency is something that should be looked for in any runner, especially those that contest competitions. Anyone looking at backing to lay will be keen to pinpoint those dogs that, whilst perhaps lacking the cutting edge to secure major races, have enough ability and are suitably consistent to reach finals.

When considering a punt on a competition make a point of checking the run regularity of the participants. There may be a reason why some dogs race infrequently. It could be that they are infirm and will not stand up to the demands of two or three runs over a 7-10 day period.

Also make a note of dogs that have been hitherto campaigned in a series of one-off races, at a different track each time and without a prior trial. The chances are that type of runner is ungenuine and will maintain a high level of performance maybe once or twice before throwing in the towel. Hardly the sort to win a competition but perfect as one to lay after a sizzling first round run.