Greyhound Bets
The most popular way to bet is on the track's own tote. The types of bets available on the tote are:
Win only
choosing a greyhound to be first past the post
Place only
choosing a greyhound to be either first or second
Forecast
Picking two greyhounds to finish first and second. A popular bet is a Reverse Forecast which means your choice can be first and second in either order.
Trio or Trifecta
Very much the same as a forecast but, as the name implys, punters have to pick the first three home.
Combinations cover two, three or even four greyhounds. For instance, punters can choose three greyhounds and place a forecast combination, which is six bets in one. If any of the three greyhounds fill first and second, the bet has been successful.
Various novelty pools in which sizeable sums of money can be won are conducted at all the major tracks belonging to the NGRC.
The Plum. This is a pool run on two consecutive races. For the first race you are required to nominate in correct order the trap numbers of the dogs that will finish first and second. If successful, you must then exchange your winning ticket for one nominating the first and second, again in correct order, for the second race. Since there are 30 ways in which six dogs can finish first and second, your average chance of success in doing both will be 1 in 900. You can also make any one of a variety of combination bets, and here are a few examples.
Two Twists. By taking out four tickets on the first leg on two unspecified dogs, e.g. 3 and 5, so that the combinations 3 – 5 and 5 – 3 are each covered twice. If either combination wins, this will enable you to cover, say, dogs 1 and 2 in either order for the second leg, because you will have two winning vouchers to exchange.
Six by Six. Total outlay for this is the cost of 36 tickets. You decide on three dog numbers from which the first and second will come in each of the two races. This will give six possible combinations in each race, so you must take out six tickets on each of the combinations for the first race; e.g. you fancy any two from dogs 1, 2, and 3 in the first leg, and any two from dogs 4, 5, and 6 in the second leg.
Take out tickets on the first race as follows:
Comb Comb Comb Comb Comb Comb 1 2 1 3 2 1 2 3 3 1 3 2 6 tickets 6 tickets 6 tickets 6 tickets 6 tickets 6 tickets
In case of success, exchange as follows:
Comb Comb Comb Comb Comb Comb 4 5 4 6 5 4 5 6 6 4 6 5 1 ticket 1 ticket 1 ticket 1 tickets 1 ticket 1 ticket
Fancy with the Field. This is when you think you know the winner of each of the two races and want to win the Plum if successful, irrespective of which dog finishes second. Twenty-five bets are involved, and naturally you hope for an outsider to finish second each time; e.g. you think number 1 will win the first race, and number 2 the second race.
Take out tickets on the first race as follows:
Comb Comb Comb Comb Comb 1 2 1 3 1 4 1 5 1 6 5 tickets 5 tickets 5 tickets 5 tickets 5 tickets
In case of success, complete as follows:
Comb Comb Comb Comb Comb 2 1 2 3 2 4 2 5 2 6 1 ticket 1 ticket 1 ticket 1 tickets 1 ticket
The Duella. The only difference between the Plum and the Duella is that in the latter, to win, your two dogs must finish first and second, but not necessarily in the correct order. At six-dog tracks there are therefore only 15 x 15 =225 possible winning combinations, instead of 900.
Three by Three. This covers three different dogs in each race to finish in any order in the first two places, a total of nine bets; e.g. you think the first two places in the first race will be filled by two of the dogs numbered 1, 3, and 5, and in the second race by two of the dogs numbered 2, 4, and 6.
Take out tickets as follows:
Comb Comb Comb 1 3 1 5 3 5 3 tickets 3 tickets 3 tickets
If successful, complete as follows:
Comb Comb Comb 2 4 2 6 4 6 1 ticket 1 ticket 1 ticket
The Quinella. This is a real money-spinner requiring the correct forecasting of the two dogs which will appear in the frame in three different races, usually the third, fifth, and sixth races on the card. Your two dogs can finish in either order as in the case of the Duella. There are 15 x 15 x 15 possible winning combinations in a six-dog race, a total of 3,375 combinations.
3 x 3 x 3. For this system choose three dogs for each of the three races. Two of your three dogs must be in the frame in each of the three races to win. A total of 27 bets is involved, e.g. first leg fancies, dogs 1, 2, 5, second leg fancies, dogs 2, 3, 4, third leg fancies, dogs, 4, 5, 6.
Take out tickets as follows:
Comb Comb Comb 1 2 1 5 2 5 9 tickets 9 tickets 9 tickets
9 tickets 9 tickets 9 tickets
If successful, exchange for second leg:
Comb Comb Comb 2 3 2 4 3 4 3 tickets 3 tickets 3 tickets
3 tickets 3 tickets 3 tickets
If successful, complete as follows:
Comb Comb Comb 4 5 4 6 5 6 1 ticket 1 ticket 1 ticket