Antepost

Dogs of War
Finding Winners at the Greyhounds
The keenly fought battle waged between bookmakers and punters is eternal and has been recognised as an integral part of greyhound racing since the doors opened for the first National Greyhound Racing Club fixture at Bellevue in 1928.

Naive punters subscribe to the theory that on-course layers require only a supply of chalk/marker pens and a deep satchel to carry home their winnings each meeting.

So that bookies can utilise an edge over punters, the natural order of the process in gambling is that the scales are weighted in their favour, courtesy of a percentage take-out.

Theoretically, this effectively means that the prices that appear on a bookmaker's board are, in practice, calculated to provide them with a clear margin of profit. For example, if the percentage of odds for a particular race totalled 120 percent in a book where each of the six greyhounds was laid to lose exactly £100, there would be an automatic £20 profit.

Of course, this scenario simply does not occur, and it is commonplace for a bookmaker to lay only two or three greyhounds in a race.

Betting percentages vary from race to race and track to track; an acceptable margin for the starting price (SP) return is around 115 percent, although 125 percent-130 percent returns have sadly become commonplace.

The one definite concession a punter has is that, unlike the bookmakers who have to quote a price for every runner in every race, they can pick and choose and play/bet only when it suits.

Old Days
The old-fashioned breed of layers, who operated between the 1940s and '60s, enjoyed the halcyon days of bookmaking; stadiums were invariably packed to near capacity on a regular basis and punters were undoubtedly less informed.

The biggest hurdle to their profession during the past 30 years has been inflation, the fact that a large percentage of punters were playing in much bigger stakes years ago in comparison to what they do now, spiralling costs, a massive increase in the number of meetings staged, and a gradual demise of the genuine doggie people in the game.

This equates to a situation whereby the layers do not have a license to print money, and, indeed, how many new bookmakers are coming into the sport now?

Form/Class
Personal experience dictates that it is a fairly straightforward task to select a respectable percentage of winners by studying form, following trends, watching race videos, and using one's discretion. However, making a conversion of picking winners into hard currency is an altogether different proposition.

The main criteria in the relentless pursuit of finding winners is form, of which a full understanding will come only with knowledge and, of course, experience.

When assessing any race, it is paramount to place the six greyhounds in an order of merit and try to obtain a perception of the gap between the fastest and slowest in the field. This can vary quite dramatically between graded and open racing.

Times
Times are universally regarded as one of the most important factors in winner-finding, and without them the sport would be unable to operate. In graded racing, the difference between the best A1 runner and worst A10 runner can be 2.00 seconds - 25 lengths.

A good performance on form, backed up by a fast time on the clock, is invariably the recipe for success. Always remember that a greyhound will reproduce his best time only when granted suitable race conditions.

As far as open racing is concerned, it is very useful to gain a yardstick for the times at each distance from track to track. For example, try to discover what 28.70 seconds for Walthamstow's 475 metres equates to at Hove's 515-metre trip.

The Betting Market
The betting market is often a source of clues. However, don't be put off when a greyhound you fancy takes a walk in the market, especially if the opening show is around 140 percent. The modern breed of punters are too shrewd too play at those figures unless, of course, the oddsmakers have still managed to make a rick.

The trend at some tracks nowadays is for the layers to chalk up an opening show that leaves them with plenty of room to manoeuvre, thus giving themselves plenty of time to get a feel of the market. A 5/4 favourite that drifts to 7/4 invariably arrives at a price that is a more accurate assessment of its chances. The fact that a dog is uneasy in the market is in no way a clear sign that there are negative vibes in the ring.

The ebb and flow of the ring exchanges will prompt price fluctuations, so the importance of being a good reader of the market cannot be stressed enough.

Distance
The distance of the race is undoubtedly one of the most important ingredients, especially where open races are concerned. Make no mistake, a greyhound will not perform to its true merits if racing over an inadequate trip.

Going
The going is equally important, and it is vital to ascertain whether the racing surface is showing a bias to speed/stamina or railers/wide runners. Beware of wide runners during the winter months when the weather is bitterly cold; tracks are sometimes unable to water due to the fact that it could freeze and prompt a meeting postponement.

Tactics
The rhythm of the race is a key factor: How will the race unfold? Will the front-runners cut each other's throats? Is there a non-genuine greyhound in the race capable of slowing the race down? Some slow-starters can almost lose sight of the lure when pitted against the fastest early-paced greyhound to halfway in any particular grade.

Course Experience
The "horses for courses" factor is now acknowledged as being very important. In a nutshell, some greyhounds show their best form around tight circuits, while others prefer a big galloping circuit. Any astute punter will not have a maximum wager if his choice possesses the best form, but is far from certain to handle the contours of the track.

Draw
In graded racing, a big emphasis is placed on the draw. The makeup of the race is very often the difference between victory and defeat. Greyhounds are renowned for being trap specialists; they rely heavily on either trap 1 or trap 6 to show their true paces.

Age/Improvement
Age is another component to consider, and, basically, a greyhound is only as good as the current form it has been showing. This scribe's policy is to favour an improver that is upgraded, rather than support an out-of-sorts greyhound that is downgraded.

Puppies often quickly climb the grades, while veterans slip down the ladder at a similar speed.

Seasonal Bitches
One of the most popular methods is to support a bitch that is beginning to thrive after seasonal rest. The fairer sex can improve dramatically at around the 16th or 17th week following their break.

Hurdle Sharpeners
The sharpening up of graders via a hurdles spin is a tried and trusted method and has an uncanny knack of paying handsome dividends.

Weights
Paying particular attention to weights is an intricate process, though the practice can reap rewards if the necessary homework is undertaken. Bitches often hit form when approaching their natural racing weight following seasonal intervention.

Value
Obtaining value for your money is imperative; the quickest route to the poorhouse is to continuously take under the odds. If you have a strong opinion about a 5-1 chance, place a bigger bet than you would normally have on a 6-4 shot. Some punters make a point of never taking less than 2-1 on any particular fancy, which means that if their judgement is sound, they would need only to back one winner in three to at least break level.

Discipline
Always remember that there is always tomorrow. I know that it's easier said than done, but never go on a chasing mission when you've backed a few losers!

Antepost
I am firmly of the opinion that this type of betting is a great avenue for punters. The scenario of at least five off-course firms pricing up any competition is fantastic news for punters, especially when it is frequent for a number of major discrepancies to occur.

In Conclusion
Approach every race on its own merits and make a selection that is centred on your own opinion. In the long term, your success or failure will depend entirely on discipline, value, and sound judgement.

Stock Watch
Safe Play?
Gambling and sports betting group AsianLogic Limited (ALL) has been floated on London's AIM market with shares priced at £1.12 apiece. The listing gives the firm, which owns and operates eight online casino brands and two online poker rooms in Asia, market capitalisation of £123 million. The company has raised £44 million in the float, which it says will go toward buying other online gaming operations and stakes in rival businesses.

AsianLogic operates brands such as Megasport Casino, Dafa888, Asian Casino, Zipang Casino, and Tila Casino; all have a mostly Asian user base and their combined revenue is in excess of £3 million a month and growing.

However, if you are looking for an investment, ALL's software provider, Playtech, is probably of more interest. Another AIM-listed company, its share price has risen from £2.75 to near £4.00 in the past 12 months, and there is no reason to think that climb is about to level out.

Bet365 has recently taken its poker product to Playtech, while Totesport, which just moved to Alderney in order to advertise freely in the UK, is understood to be adding poker to its portfolio, using Playtech software.

With Playtech's revenue growing significantly month on month and more companies using its software, creating greater poker-playing liquidity, it's reasonable to think its share price will appreciate significantly during 2008.