History of Greyhounds

Greyhound racing, or greyhounds, is a sport that involves the racing of dogs from an old European breed.  

The greyhounds in the race run around a track over a designated distance in which they chase an artificial hare. The winner is the dog that passes the winning line first.

Traditionally, wagers are placed on these races, either at the track or with an established betting company. The sport has been a big part of the gambling industry for many years and, along with horse racing, is seen as a core product.

In 1919, Owen Patrick Smith in California in the United States opened the first official dog-track. 

It wasn't until 1926 that the oval, circular track was introduced in Britain by Americans Charles Mann and Major Lyne-Dixon. Together they launched the Greyhound Racing Association. The first British meeting on record came at Belle Vue in Manchester in 1926. A crowd of 1700 were in attendance for that meeting.

Just a year later, 40 tracks opened across the UK as it became increasingly popular among the working class men in the country.

There are 25 licensed greyhound stadiums today in the UK and most races are run with six greyhounds. Belle Vue remains strong in Manchester and still hosts some of the most prestigious races on the calendar, including the Laurels and the Oaks.

The Derby is the richest race in the UK. It was held at White City Stadium in London between 1927 and 1984. However, in 1985 it moved across the city to Wimbledon, which is its current home. The race has a minimum prize fund of £50,000 but in 2014 this will go up to £200,000 as trainers and owners across the UK and Ireland chase the lucrative reward.

There are three types of category races in the UK. Category One is the highest ranked of these and there has to be a minimum of £12,500 for a contest to gain this tag.

Graded racing makes up most of the daily action in this country. This is where greyhounds are put together according to their level. A grader assesses the performance of the dogs after each run and has the power to move them up or down in grade when they think they are improving or struggling at their current level. There are also handicap races where certain dogs receive a staggered start to give each runner an equal chance of winning.

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