July 24th marks the 85th anniversary of when the first greyhound race in the UK took place.
Manchester’s Belle Vue Stadium was the venue and over 1,700 spectators watched as the galloping greyhounds graced the grass.
Now, 85 years on, greyhound racing is still flourishing with over 3 million people regularly attending greyhound meetings and watching in excess of 70,000 races a year.

Greyhound racing is a sport which focuses on the racing of greyhounds. In this kind of race, the dogs go after a lure – commonly an artificial rabbit or hare – on a racetrack until they reach the finish line.

It is said that placing bets on greyhound racing is relatively easy. Like in horse racing, greyhound betting focuses greatly on defeating the odds, bagging money, and getting entertained doing it.

For the initial step, a bettor must find a sportsbook or greyhound track wherein he can bet. After this, he must secure a form which lists the names of dogs and the kind of race they will be participating in.

The English Derby is the highlight of the greyhound racing calendar, a furious four-legged gallop around Wimbledon’s Plough Lane where avoiding a bump on the opening bend is essential if a dog is to have a chance of victory.

This year’s greyhound derby betting is dominated by Toomaline Jack, the race’s 10/11 favourite. So well fancied is he that online bookmakers have made a point of quoting odds which notionally exclude him from the field, a feature only available via the internet.