10 - Racing Lines
In this section, I explain how to read the greyhound formlines to find out the correct racing line of a greyhound and will be discussing the advantages and disadvantages of these race lines and how they may vary from track to track depending on the different types of artificial lures used.
Greyhound Racing Lines
Greyhound Predictor Software allows you to select a Standard Racing Line or to Define your Own and offers an amazing 16,384 individual racing lines!
All combinations of the following 4 dog racing track positions can be entered and simulated.
Rails - All runners racing on the 'inside' of a greyhound track are known as 'railers' and always have the advantage of running the shortest route around a circuit. This ability for an 'inside tracker' to hold the rails position in a race is extremely important, as they benefit when other dogs are crowded (crd) or badly baulked (b blk) to their outside, therefore, these "paint scrapers" avoid trouble in a race, by slipping through along this inside racing line! however, unlike all other racing paths 'tight railing dogs' may not always maintain their maximum racing speeds around the bends, due to the acuteness of this particular running line!
Middle - Greyhounds 'moving off' the inside rail and running more of a middle course around a track are better placed to maintain their maximum speeds throughout a race, although middle track running dogs generally run a little further in distance, than inside runners and are generally considered 'easy to pass' as they allow chasing dogs, plenty of 'racing room' to overtake or pass them both on the inside or outside of the racetrack!
Wide - Dogs running a wide course are usually favoured by wet racing conditions and often benefit in races when trouble occurs involving the inside runners. However, these wide running dogs race on the outer racing line of a track and therefore, have to run much further in racing distance compared to 'inside' and 'middle' running greyhounds and for this reason generally lose a little ground around the bends!
Very Wide - Some greyhounds naturally run a very wide racing line! this is always considered an 'inferior racing-line' as any greyhounds, racing on the 'outside perimeter' obviously lose many lengths around the corners and run much further in distance compared to other racing routes. However, very wide dog racers are also favoured by wet racetrack conditions and often avoid trouble in a race, by taking this extremely wide route, although occasionally these very wide runners may end up racing on the wrong side of an outside hare rail!
All racing dogs chasing artificial hares or mechanical lures will generally follow their own natural running paths, although, this will always depend on whether a greyhound chases an 'inside' or 'outside' running hare!
In American and most Australian racing tracks an inside hare rail is generally used and therefore, dogs tend to run much closer to the rails. Alternatively, the vast majority of racing in the U.K. takes place behind an outside hare and therefore, dogs generally run further out in the middle to wide areas of the racetrack, this is most noticeable watching greyhounds racing out of the turns and running along the straights!
Now check your racing newspaper.
To find out the correct racing line of a greyhound you should always read the raceform comments!
In English racing form the following abbreviations relate to racing lines.
Rails = rls, Rails to Middle = rls-mid, Middle to Rails = mid-rls, Middle = mid, Middle to Wide = mid-w, Wide = w, Very Wide = vw.
Now select Standard Racing Line or Define Own.
If you have selected a Standard Racing Line then a standard race line for each trap position will be highlighted on the Track Screen and will display the default racing line for each trap or post position.
Please note: if you have selected Define Own the Track Screen will highlight each position and ask you to choose any combination of either rails, middle, wide or very wide racing lines for the following seven Greyhound Predictor Track Positions:-
- Position at Entrance to Bend 1?
- Position at Apex of Bend 1 and 2?
- Position at Exit of Bend 2?
- Position at end of Backstraight?
- Position at Apex of Bend 3 and 4?
- Position at Exit of Bend 4?
- Position at Finishing line?
You've now completed all the form data required for Trap Number 1. If you've made any mistakes when entering the greyhound statistics, the 'Predictor' lets you go back and select any question again, in order to alter any 'stat' that may need to be changed!
The 'Race Simulator' requires you to enter this dog into the traps, to do this simply highlight Enter at the bottom of the Stat Screen and Press Spacebar to continue.
Please repeat the above procedure for all remaining trap runners. As soon as the last dog has been entered into the 'Race Predictor' the track will appear to you.
Next Page: Race and Conclusion
