Greyhound Racing Terminology: Full Glossary

Greyhound racing has its own vocabulary — a dense layer of jargon that can make a racecard, a commentary feed, or a form guide feel impenetrable to anyone encountering the sport for the first time. Some terms are shared with horse racing; others are specific to the dogs. Some are self-explanatory; others require context that nobody thinks to provide because everyone in the room already knows. This glossary covers the terms you will encounter most frequently when reading racecards, studying form, watching races, and placing bets on UK greyhound racing.

Track and Race Terms

BAGS — Bookmakers Afternoon Greyhound Service. The schedule of daytime greyhound meetings staged specifically to provide betting content for bookmaker shops and online platforms. BAGS meetings run from late morning through to early evening at multiple tracks.

Bend — One of the curved sections of the track. A standard 400-metre-plus race involves four bends per lap. Bend positions (recorded as numbers on the racecard) indicate where a dog was placed in the field at each turn.

Calculated time — The finishing time adjusted for going (track conditions). Raw finishing time minus the going correction equals the calculated time. This is the standard figure used for form comparison across different meetings at the same track.

Circumference — The total length of one lap of the racing circuit, measured in metres. UK tracks range from roughly 334 metres (Crayford) to over 450 metres (Towcester). A tighter circumference means sharper bends.

Going — The official assessment of track surface conditions, expressed as a numerical figure. Positive going indicates slow conditions (heavy surface); negative going indicates fast conditions (firm surface). Zero is the standard baseline.

Grade — The competitive level assigned to a race. Standard grades run from A1 (highest) to A12 (lowest), with separate designations for sprints (S), staying races (D), and hurdles (H). Grades are track-specific, not nationally standardised.

Graded race — A race where the field is selected and seeded by the track’s racing manager from the local pool of dogs. The majority of UK greyhound races are graded events.

Hare — The mechanical lure that the dogs chase around the track. UK tracks use either an inside or outside running hare (most use an outside Swaffham-type hare). The hare’s position and speed influence running lines.

Open race — A race open to entries from any licensed kennel in the country, not restricted to dogs based at the host track. Open races are categorised as OR1, OR2, OR3 (Category One through Three) or simply OR.

Racing manager — The official responsible for compiling racecards, assigning grades, seeding traps by running style, and managing the racing programme at a specific track.

Right-handed / Left-handed — The direction of the circuit. Right-handed tracks run anti-clockwise; left-handed tracks run clockwise. Running direction affects trap-draw dynamics and can influence a dog’s preference.

Run-up — The straight distance from the starting traps to the first bend. A short run-up (under 80 metres) increases the importance of trap draw; a longer run-up gives dogs more time to settle before the first turn.

Sand track — A racing surface made of specially graded sand. All UK GBGB-licensed tracks use sand surfaces, though the composition and maintenance vary between venues.

Split time — The time taken to reach the first timing point, usually near the first bend. Split times measure early pace and are one of the most predictive form indicators in greyhound racing.

Trap — The starting box from which a dog begins the race. Traps are numbered 1 (inside rail) to 6 (outside) and colour-coded: red (1), blue (2), white (3), black (4), orange (5), black-and-white stripes (6).

Betting Terms

Best Odds Guaranteed (BOG) — A bookmaker promotion that pays the higher of your taken price or the starting price. If the SP is bigger than the odds you accepted, you receive the SP. Available on selected greyhound meetings at participating operators.

CSF (Computer Straight Forecast) — A forecast dividend calculated by formula from the starting prices of the first and second dogs, offered as an alternative to the tote forecast pool.

Each-way — A bet in two halves: one on the dog to win, one on the dog to place. In six-dog races, standard place terms are 1/4 odds for first and second only.

Forecast — A bet on two dogs to finish first and second. A straight forecast requires the correct order; a reverse forecast covers both permutations; a combination forecast covers all permutations among three or more selections.

Overround — The bookmaker’s built-in profit margin, calculated as the sum of all implied probabilities in a market minus 100%. A higher overround means a larger margin for the bookmaker.

SP (Starting Price) — The official odds at which a dog is returned when the race starts. Used as the default settlement price for bets placed at SP and as the benchmark for BOG promotions.

Tissue price — The initial odds set by the bookmaker or racing manager before any market activity. The tissue represents a preliminary assessment of each dog’s chance and typically appears when the racecard is published.

Tote — The pool-based betting system where payouts are determined by the total pool and the number of winning tickets, rather than by fixed odds. Tote dividends are declared after each race.

Tricast — A bet on three dogs to finish first, second and third in exact order. Combination tricasts cover all permutations. Tricast dividends in greyhound racing can be substantial due to the difficulty of predicting three positions correctly.

Racecard and Form Terms

Bend positions — A sequence of numbers on the racecard showing the dog’s position in the field at each bend during a previous race (e.g., 3-2-1-1 means third at the first bend, second at the second, first at the third and fourth). These reconstruct the race narrative without needing video.

Bmp — Bumped. Physical contact between dogs during a race.

Crd — Crowded. The dog was crowded by other runners, typically on a bend.

EP — Early Pace. The dog showed notable speed in the opening phase of the race.

Form figures — The sequence of recent finishing positions displayed on the racecard. A form line of 1-3-2-1 shows a dog that won, finished third, second, then won again over its last four starts.

MsdBrk — Missed Break. The dog had a significant delay leaving the traps.

SAw — Slow Away. The dog was slow to leave the traps — less severe than MsdBrk but still a negative factor.

QAw — Quick Away. A fast, clean break from the traps.

RnUp — Ran Up. The dog ran close to the inside rail throughout.

VW — Very Wide. The dog ran a wide racing line through the bends.

Fin — Finished well. The dog closed strongly in the final stages.

Bdblk — Badly Baulked. Severe interference that significantly impeded the dog’s run.

Btn — Beaten, followed by a distance figure (e.g., Btn 3L means beaten three lengths).

Running style — A dog’s natural preferred racing line: railer (inside), middle runner (centre), or wide runner (outside). Assigned by the racing manager and used to determine trap draw in graded races.

Greyhound and Breeding Terms

Bitch — A female greyhound. The sport’s standard terminology; carries no pejorative meaning in this context.

Dog — A male greyhound, when used to distinguish sex. Also used generically to refer to any racing greyhound regardless of sex.

Br / Ir — British-bred or Irish-bred, indicating the dog’s country of origin. A significant proportion of UK racing greyhounds are bred in Ireland and imported as youngsters.

Dam — The mother of a greyhound. Breeding information on the racecard typically lists sire (father) and dam.

Sire — The father of a greyhound. Sire lines influence a dog’s physical traits, including speed, stamina, and temperament.

Season — The reproductive cycle of a female greyhound. Bitches in season or recently out of season may show altered form. The racecard notes weeks since season (e.g., Ssn 8w means eight weeks since season).

Whelped — Born. The whelping date on the racecard (e.g., Jn ’22 for June 2022) indicates the dog’s age, which is a relevant form factor.

Kennel — The training operation where a greyhound is housed, fed, exercised, and prepared for racing. A kennel may house anywhere from a handful to several dozen dogs under one trainer’s management.

GBGB — The Greyhound Board of Great Britain (gbgb.org.uk), the regulatory body overseeing licensed greyhound racing in the UK. GBGB sets welfare standards, licenses tracks and trainers, and maintains official records.

Retired Greyhound Trust — A charity dedicated to rehoming greyhounds after their racing careers end. Works with trainers, tracks, and adoption centres to find permanent homes for retired dogs.

Schooling — The training process where young greyhounds learn to chase the hare, break from traps, and navigate bends before they are registered for competitive racing.