A–M: Greyhound Betting Terms
Accumulator. A single bet combining selections from multiple races. All selections must win for the bet to pay. Returns compound with each winning leg.
Ante-post. A bet placed before the day of the race, often weeks in advance. Ante-post bets typically offer longer odds but carry withdrawal risk — stakes are lost if the dog does not run.
BAGS. Bookmakers’ Afternoon Greyhound Service. The afternoon racing programme broadcast into betting shops and available for online betting, typically running from late morning through to early evening.
BEGS. Bookmakers’ Evening Greyhound Service. The evening equivalent of BAGS, covering evening meetings at tracks across the UK.
Best Odds Guaranteed (BOG). A bookmaker promotion where the punter receives the higher of the price taken and the starting price. If the SP is greater than the early price, the bet is settled at SP. Available at selected bookmakers on eligible greyhound meetings.
Bumped (Bmp). Race comment indicating the dog made physical contact with another runner. Bmp1, Bmp2, Bmp3 specify which bend the contact occurred at.
Class drop. When a dog is relegated to a lower grade after poor results, placing it in a weaker field. Often creates value if the dog was outclassed at the higher grade rather than genuinely declining.
Closer. A dog that races from behind and finishes strongly, typically making ground in the final stages. Identified by race comments such as RnOn and FinWl.
Combination forecast. A forecast bet covering all possible first-and-second permutations among three or more selected dogs. Three selections produce six bets; four produce twelve.
Crowded (Crd). Race comment indicating the dog was hemmed in by surrounding runners, restricting its ability to run freely. BCrd denotes badly crowded.
Dead heat. When two or more dogs cross the finish line simultaneously and the photo-finish cannot separate them. Winning bets are settled at half stakes (or the relevant fraction) at full odds.
Decimal odds. Odds expressed as a single number representing the total return per unit staked, including the stake. For example, 4.00 means a one-pound bet returns four pounds total.
Drifter. A dog whose odds lengthen (increase) as the race approaches. Indicates money moving away from it or towards other runners in the market.
Each-way. Two bets in one: a win bet and a place bet at a fraction of the odds. In standard six-runner greyhound races, place terms are first or second at one quarter of the win odds.
Early Pace (EP). Race comment indicating the dog showed speed in the initial phase of the race.
Early price. The odds offered by a bookmaker before the race starts, as opposed to the starting price returned at the off.
First sectional. The timed split from trap release to the first bend, measuring early speed in isolation.
Forecast. A bet predicting the first and second finishers. A straight forecast requires the exact order; a reverse forecast covers both orders.
Form figures. A sequence of numbers on the race card showing the dog’s finishing positions in recent races, reading left to right from earliest to most recent.
Fractional odds. Odds expressed as a fraction, such as 5/1 or 7/2. The first number is the profit relative to the second number staked.
Front-runner. A dog that leads from the traps or the first bend. Identified by race comments Led1, QAw, and EP.
GBGB. Greyhound Board of Great Britain. The regulatory body governing licensed greyhound racing in the UK.
Going. The condition of the track surface, affected by weather. A fast surface produces quicker times than a slow or heavy surface.
Graded race. A race where dogs are grouped by ability level, from A1 (highest) to A11 (lowest). Most routine UK greyhound races are graded events.
Implied probability. The probability of an outcome as suggested by the odds. Calculated by dividing 1 by the decimal odds. For example, 4.00 implies a 25% chance.
In-play. Bets placed after the race has started. Rarely available for greyhound racing due to the extremely short race duration.
Kennel form. The collective recent performance of all dogs trained by a specific kennel. A kennel in form produces an above-average percentage of winners across its entire string.
Maiden. A dog that has not yet won a race at the track. Maiden races are restricted to first-time or non-winning dogs.
Middle runner (M). A dog seeded to run in the middle of the track. Drawn into traps 3 or 4 in graded racing.
N–Z: Greyhound Betting Terms
NAP. A tipster’s strongest selection of the day. Short for Napoleon. Sometimes used informally to mean any best bet.
Non-runner. A dog withdrawn from a race before the off. If no reserve replaces it, the race runs with five dogs and Rule 4 deductions may apply to winning bets on remaining runners.
Odds-on. Odds shorter than evens, meaning the potential profit is less than the stake. For example, 4/6 returns less than the amount risked.
Open Race (OR). The highest category of competition at a track, above graded events. Trap draws in open races are randomised rather than seeded by running style.
Overround. The bookmaker’s built-in margin. The sum of implied probabilities across all runners in a race exceeds 100%, and the excess is the overround — the bookmaker’s theoretical profit.
Patent. A named multiple covering three selections across seven bets: three singles, three doubles, and one treble.
Place bet. A bet on a dog to finish in the first two (in a standard six-runner race). Can be placed as a standalone bet or as part of an each-way wager.
Price boost. A bookmaker promotion temporarily enhancing the odds on a specific selection, usually with a maximum stake restriction.
Quick Away (QAw). Race comment indicating the dog broke fast from the traps.
Railer (R). A dog seeded to run close to the inside rail. Drawn into traps 1 or 2 in graded racing.
Ran On (RnOn). Race comment indicating the dog finished strongly, gaining ground in the closing stages.
Reserve. A dog listed as a potential replacement if a declared runner is withdrawn before the race. The reserve inherits the vacant trap number.
Reverse forecast. A forecast bet covering both finishing orders: A first / B second, and B first / A second. Costs two unit stakes.
Rule 4. A deduction applied to winning bets when a non-runner shortens the odds on the remaining field. The deduction percentage depends on the withdrawn dog’s price at the time of withdrawal.
Sectional time. A timed split for a portion of the race — first bend, middle bends, or closing section — as opposed to the overall finishing time.
Seeding. The classification of a dog’s running style (railer, middle, wide) that determines which traps it is drawn into in graded racing.
Slow Away (SAw). Race comment indicating the dog missed the break from the traps.
SP (Starting Price). The official odds returned for each dog at the moment the race starts, derived from on-course bookmaker prices. Bets not taken at a fixed price are settled at SP.
Steamer. A dog whose odds shorten (decrease) as the race approaches. Indicates significant money backing the dog, suggesting market confidence.
Straight forecast. A forecast bet naming the first and second finishers in the exact order. Pays a computer-generated dividend based on the SPs of the two dogs.
Tissue price. The initial odds estimate compiled by a bookmaker’s handicapper before the market opens. The tissue serves as the starting point for the public market.
Tote. Pool betting system where all bets on a specific outcome are pooled, a deduction is taken by the operator, and the remainder is shared among winning bets. Dividends are declared after the race.
Trap draw. The starting position allocated to each dog, numbered 1 through 6. In graded racing, the draw is determined by the seeding system.
Tricast. A bet predicting the first three finishers in exact order. A combination tricast covers all permutations of selected dogs in the first three positions.
Value bet. A bet where the odds offered exceed the punter’s assessed probability of the outcome. Value does not guarantee a win — it indicates a positive expected return over a large sample.
Very Quick Away (VQAw). Race comment indicating an exceptionally fast start from the traps — faster than QAw.
Void bet. A bet that is cancelled with the stake returned. Typically occurs when the selected dog is a non-runner or the race is abandoned.
Wide runner (W). A dog seeded to run on the outside of the track. Drawn into traps 5 or 6 in graded racing.
Yankee. A named multiple covering four selections across eleven bets: six doubles, four trebles, and one four-fold. At least two selections must win for any return.