1 - Race Grade
On this page, I mention famous greyhound races held annually in the United Kingdom and their associated track venues and compare Irish and English greyhound grades with American and Australian grades. I also explain how to use the Greyhound Predictor Software Program to simulate dogs that have been 'raised or lowered' in racing grade. Please note: we now include some general information on greyhound racing speeds!
Grade of Race?
In the U.K. an 'Open Race' (greyhound raceform statistic OR) represents the highest standard of racing grades. In America all top class contests are known as RSA's or SA's (Racing Secretaries A Class) seen at special meetings like the 'Night of the Stars'. In Australia the very best competitions are classified as 'Group Races' and are generally referred to as FTA's (Free to All's).
Greyhound Predictor v2.0 lets you predict dog races run at all standards of 'middle-distance' grades!
UK Open Racing
Major Greyhound Racing Events and Race Venues:
Out of all Category One greyhound classics run each year, the English Greyhound Derby (Wimbledon) first held at the White City Stadium, London in 1927 - won 29/05/09 by Kinda Ready trained by Mark Wallis based at Harlow - and the Irish Greyhound Derby (Shelbourne Park, Dublin) first run in 1934 - won 12/09/09 by College Causeway trained by Pat Buckley in Ireland - are respectfully still considered today, the two most important races that all uk trainers and owners want to win.
Other National 'dog derbies' held in the British Isles include the Scottish Derby (Shawfield) - won 11/04/09 by Cabra Cool trained by Pat Buckley (Ire) - first held at Carntyne, Glasgow in 1928 and the previously held Welsh Derby (Swansea) first run in 1928 at the old White City, Cardiff.
Famous British greyhound race events include the English St Ledger - originally run in 1928 at the old Wembley Stadium, The Grand National and Oaks (Wimbledon), Irish St Ledger (Limerick), Irish Cesarewitch (Mullingar), Irish Guineas, Masters (Waterford), Scurry Gold Cup, Gold Collar - previously staged since 1933 at the now demolished Catford Stadium, London - now run over the new 590m distance at Belle Vue (Manchester), Blue Riband and Prestige (Hall Green), Champion Stakes, Essex Vase (Romford), Eclipse, National Sprint (Nottingham), Cesarewitch (Oxford), Irish Champion Stakes, 600, Tote Gold Cup and Easter Cup (Shelbourne Park), Irish Laurels (Cork), Irish Sprint Cup (Dundalk), Irish National Sprint, Cox Cup (Newbridge), Tipperary Cup (Thurles), Arc (Swindon), Golden Jacket, (Crayford), All England Cup (Brough Park), Sussex Cup, Olympic, Regency (Hove), Grand Prix (Henlow), Classic (Sunderland), East Anglian Derby (Yarmouth) etc.
Other famous UK races include: The Cock o' the North (Belle Vue), The Boxing Day Marathon (Oxford), The Fret Not Stakes and Dorando Marathon - won in 2009 by Bubbly Eagle trained by Ted Soppit based in Durham - both run on dog derby night at Wimbledon Stadium, London. The 2009 T.V. Trophy was held 24/06/09 for the very first time at Newcastle greyhound track and won by Midway Skipper trained by Henry Chalkley at Henlow.
International greyhound events staged annually include the Anglo-Irish International (Dundalk), Festival of Racing (Lifford), Galway Festival (Galway) and occasional American-Irish Challenges.
There are also 'special meetings' like the annual Trainers Championship (TC) held last year 17/03/09 at Sheffield greyhound stadium and won by leading greyhound trainer Charlie Lister (Unattatched). Other types of 'Invitational races' (IR's) include The Select Stakes (Nottingham), Dransfield Invitation (Sheffield) and the odd Showdown (Match Racing).
Minor Open Events
Important Category Two and Three UK Open Class races (OR's) include: Northern Flat, Gorton Cup (Belle Vue), Midland Flat (Hall Green), Kent Derby, Silver Salver (Sittingbourne), Peterborough Derby (Peterborough), Guy's and Dolls, Kent St Ledger (Crayford), St Mungo Cup (Shawfield), Corn Cuchulainn (Harolds Cross), Birmingham Cup (Perry Barr), Brighton Belle (Hove), Coronation Cup, Golden Sprint (Romford), Golden Jubilee 509, Pride of the West (Swindon), Pall Mall, Trafalgar Cup, Oxfordshire Gold Cup (Oxford), National Oaks (Nottingham), Regal Gold Cup (Sunderland), Northumberland Plate (Brough Park), Summer Derby, Warickshire Oaks (Coventry), Peterborough Derby, Fengate Collar (Peterborough), Golden Muzzle (Portsmouth), Golden Crest, Super Paws (Poole), Henlow Derby (Henlow), Steel City Cup, Yorkshire Oaks (Sheffield), Yorkshire St Ledger (Doncaster), Midland Gold Cup (Monmore Green) and many other 'one offs' and minor cup and trophy events.
There are 'Open Races' for both Puppies and Veterans and are represented in the formlines by a standard race prefix: (P) = Puppy and (V) = Veteran.
UK Puppy Events include: The English Puppy Derby, English Puppy Oaks and Juvenile (Wimbledon), Irish Puppy Derby (Harolds Cross), Irish Puppy Oaks, National Puppy Stakes (Shelbourne Park), Irish Produce Stakes, Munster Puppy Cup (Clonmel), Juvenile Classic (Tralee), Puppy Derby (Newbridge) Puppy Cup (Romford), Puppy Classic, Produce Stakes (Nottingham), Westmead Puppy Derby (Henlow), 58th T-Y-O Produce Stakes (Swindon), Puppy Derby and Cesarewitch (Peterborough), Northern Puppy Derby (Sunderland), Midland Puppy Derby (Monmore), Manchester Puppy Cup (Belle Vue), Breeders Forum Produce Stakes and Gymcrack Puppy Championship (Hall Green) etc. Veteran races include the famous Senior's Derby (Peterborough).
All of these 'Open Class Competitions' attract the very best quality of greyhounds and overall represent the top UK standard of dog racing class.
Hurdle Racing
Other standard prefixes that always precede the race grading and indicate to the type of greyhound race include:- (H) = Hurdle and (CH) = Chase - two extra hurdles are added. Sometimes trainers may give a dog a 'hurdle handslip' - the dog isn't started from the traps but is released or 'hand slipped' usually along the straights - in order to slowly introduce them to jumping hurdles. Please note: that any runner previously having a hurdle trial or handslip, and was then switched back to race on the flat, is always a good sign to look for, as the hurdles tend to concentrate a dog's mind on it's racing and therefore sharpens them up!
The first race over hurdles took place at Belle Vue (Manchester) at it's opening meeting held on 24th July 1926 and was won by Melksham Autocrat. Famous UK hurdle races include the English Grand National - originally run in 1927 at the White City Stadium (London), Springbox, Champion Hurdle, Sherrys Prince Hurdles (Wimbledon), Irish Grand National (Harold's Cross), Christmas Hurdle (Oxford) etc.
Greyhound Racing Speeds
The very best of these 'canine racing machines' are capable of clocking greyhound speeds close to 40 mph / 65 km/ph! Although, the very fastest speeds may only be achievable on first class greyhound circuits (galloping tracks) with big track circumferences, long racing straights and wide sweeping cambered bends!
The fastest time recorded over a distance of 515 metres or 563 yards is 28.88 seconds by Australian "wonder dog" Brett Lee trained by Darren Mcdonald from Peacedale (Victoria) in the final of the Adelaide Cup, a Group 1 race held at Angle Park (25/01/01), South Australia, (track circumference 457 metres) this represents an average racing speed around the track of 39.87 miles per hour!
Interestingly, the fastest UK racetime for 515 metres is 29.20 seconds set by the "brilliant" Barnfield On Air trained by Samuel Poots (Unattached) in the final of the 2007 Sussex Cup Final, a Category One race run at Brighton and Hove greyhound stadium (track circumference 455 metres) and represents an average cruising speed of 39.44mph!
Alternatively, the quickest time in the UK achieved over a distance of 480 metres or 525 yards was recently recorded (13/02/10) in the 'Peggy Puppies' at Monmore Green (track circumference 419 metres) and is 27.60 seconds set by Farley Blitz trained by Barrie Draper (Sheffield) and represents an average speed of 38.91 mph.
The Irish national record for 525 yards or 480 metres was set by Catunda Harry trained by Owen Mckenna, who became the first greyhound to dip under 28 seconds on an Irish track, when recording 27.99 seconds - equivalent to an average speed of 38.37mph - in a heat of the Ballygodoon stud Puppy Stakes run at Limerick 17/06/07.
The quickest ever time recorded in the Irish Greyhound Derby, held at Shelbourne Park (Dublin - track circumference 425 yards) over 550 yards = 503 metres was recently achieved 05/08/09 by 2009 Irish derby champion College Causeway trained by Pat Buckley (Ire) when recording the sensational time of 29.21 seconds in the 1st round - equivalent to an average racing speed of 38.51mph.
Top greyhound acceleration speeds along the straights close to 45 miles per hour / 72 km/h have reportedly also been achieved!
Graded Racing
The vast majority of races held at greyhound tracks worldwide are known as 'Graded Races' (GR) and for the benefit of the 'Predictor' have been divided into 3 middle-distance race grade categories:-
U.K. - Top Grade - (A1 - A3) equilavent to American dog grades (A, AA, B) and Australian greyhound grades (1, 2). Many of these "top grade dogs" will also compete in major events and are capable of averaging speeds between 38-39 mph.
U.K. - Middle Grade - (A4 - A6) equilavent to American race grades (C, D) and Australian grades (3, 3/4, 4). Many of these so called average-graded dogs regularly run at some of the very best greyhound tracks and can often be the equal of 'A1' graded dogs running at perhaps lesser not so good tracks. These racing hounds average speeds around a track between 37-38 mph.
U.K. - Low Grade - (A7 - A11) equilavent to American grades (E, F, and Maidens) and Australian grades (4/5, 5 and Maidens). Most dogs begin or finish their racing career's in these the lowest grades. Most runners competing in low grade races generally record dog speeds between 35-37 mph.
When fully fit 'graded runners' generally run more frequently then 'open racers' and usually compete in a race at least once a week, although twice and sometimes three times a week is not uncommon. However, any dogs thought 'over raced' will normally see a decline in racing form and may need a rest to freshen them up!
Occasionally other types of racing grades take place during a meeting, these grade statistics are once again represented in the formlines by a standard greyhound racing prefix, eg: (KC) = Kennel Championships, (KS) = Kennel Sweepstakes, (IT) = Intertrack Racing, (Hcp) = Handicap Racing and the very occasional (QS) = Quickstakes - 2 or 3 semi-finals take place with the final being held at the same dog meeting.
Knowing the grade of a greyhound race is extremely important as it is an approximation to the expected level of racing performance and therefore implies to the overall race standard. I personally consider a greyhound's grade should reflect past performances and will be relative to previously recorded racetimes!
All 'greyhound patrons' when studying graded race form, will constantly be asking themselves, the same age old question, as whether to back (or include in combinations) a good dog 'lowered in class' running badly? or a not so good dog 'raised in class' running well?
"If only I had a crystal ball" I hear you say!!
This is just one of the many decisions that face all 'greyhound punters', when trying to predict the future outcomes of tightly graded dog races.
I believe successfully predicting Graded Races (GR's), will invariably be more challenging than predicting Open Races (OR's) as generally 'the grader' grades the races very closely, with only minute differences in racetimes to choose between the runners.
Therefore, to obtain the best results from the 'Predictor' I suggest, you choose the very best races to predict, such as UK Opens, American SA's or Australian FTA's, as the runners in these, the highest standard of greyhound racing grades, are not only considered more consistent in race performances, but most importantly allow 'canine competitors' to compete with slightly greater differences in racing ability. This can be especially noticeable during the early rounds of classic competitions and thus theoretically makes the 'open grade' more predictable than the graded race. Although unfortunately for all of us 'racing punters' these differences in the dog's standards, will no doubt always be reflected in the individual prices quoted as the odds of a greyhound race!
For all registered Greyhound Predictors who wish to represent dogs 'raised in class' or 'lowered in grade', then one of the best ways to simulate a change in race grade, would be to alter a dog's best time! For example, if you consider a dog 'upped in class' - ie: for winning races or running well - then perhaps you should add on approximately 0.10 or 0.15 seconds to that dogs fastest time, as any greyhound running against marginally better class dogs, will theoretically have less chance of performing well against dogs of a 'higher class' or 'better standard', therefore up-graded dogs are perhaps less likely to obtain the necessary trouble free run, in order to reproduce their very fastest racetimes. Although, often to the contrary, certain 'strong improving greyhounds' may actually appreciate a quicker overall travelling speed throughout a race and will be towed along in the 'faster slipstreams' of other initially speedier racing dogs and will despite an up-lift in racing grade, continue to produce and even improve on their fastest or best racing times. For further information on entering times, see racetimes section.
Alternatively, if you wished to simulate greyhounds 'dropped in class' - ie: long losing runs or running badly - then surprisingly perhaps you may need to deduct approximately 0.10 or 0.15 secs. from that greyhound's fastest/best racetime, as all dogs raced recently at a higher standard, will theoretically when 'lowered in class' have a better chance of performing well, when running against perhaps lesser rivals with fractionally slower overall race and sectional times, therefore downgraded dogs maybe afforded more 'racing room' in a lower graded race, to achieve and perhaps even improve on their fastest/best racing times, and indeed yes, you may take off an appropriate amount of race-time from a dog's best time, that best simulates greyhounds racing that have been demoted or lowered in racing grade.
However, I should also like to mention in the interests of the 'Science of Greyhound Racing Prediction' that since it is generally thought the dogs themselves, remain totally unaware of the 'racing class' or 'dog grade' they are currently racing in or have previously competed at, you may therefore wish to simulate this by perhaps leaving the fastest/best time of a greyhound as it is, the choice is always yours!
Now check the racing formlines in your newspaper.
The greyhound statistic informing you the grade of a dog race is usually located to the left of the race length which is found in the top right corner of each race heading.
Now select the grade category and press spacebar to enter.
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