Betting on the English Greyhound Derby Online
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Everything Kiwi Punters Need to Know About the English Greyhound Derby
Here are a few historical highlights from the Derby's reign as one of Britain's top sports. For New Zealand punters, it's a chance to learn about a classic of the sport.
- Trap 2 is the best trap in English Greyhound Derby history, producing the most elite winners.
- Four greyhounds have achieved the ultimate glory twice: Rapid Ranger, Mick the Miller, Patricia's Hope, and Westmead Hawk.
- Charlie Lister OBE holds the record for most wins as a trainer; a remarkable seven victories.
- Taylors Sky set the fastest time at Wimbledon with a scorching 28.17.
As one of the biggest events on the greyhound racing calendar, the English Greyhound Derby continues to captivate fans worldwide. Accessible via live broadcast and online streaming, the competition enjoys widespread popularity as a distinguished British sporting spectacle.sports tournaments like this attract serious attention. In 2022, the Derby was televised by Racing Post Greyhound TV, ensuring even more viewers could tune in.
With VIP boxes and a trackside restaurant, the tournament offers all the trimmings of a high-class event. The gala itself even features live entertainment. Enthusiastic patrons can expect to pay around NZ$60 for general admission, with trackside seats, which sell out fast, costing more. This makes it a popular event for those who enjoy the thrill of the race.
A Look Back at the English Greyhound Derby's History
The first greyhound race was held at the stadium not long before the inaugural Derby kicked off. Over the years, greyhound racing cemented its place in British culture, and dedicated racing leagues were formed.
With Entry Badge crowned as the first champion, his trainer walked away with the £1000 race prize. Today, the modern Derby boasts a prize purse of £175,000. Much has changed since the early days when Entry Badge famously crossed the finish line first at the inaugural Derby.
Who Has Sponsored the English Greyhound Derby?
The impact of the war in 1940 saw the event finals relocated to Harringay Stadium. By 1973, the Derby secured its first sponsor: Spillers, a well-known pet food company. That same year, Patricia's Hope achieved a second Derby victory, becoming one of the few dogs to win the event multiple times. By 1980, the prize money had surged to £35,000, and the event’s popularity continued its upward trajectory.
In 1983, the Daily Mirror stepped in as the event's new sponsor. Whisper Wishes was the final winner to cross the line at White City Stadium in 1984, marking the end of an era.
In 1985, the event moved to Wimbledon Stadium, and over the next three decades, the English Greyhound Derby prospered with Sporting Life co-sponsoring in 1990, William Hill taking the sole sponsorship role by 1998, and Blue Square, another bookmaker, taking over sponsorship in 2006.
Bookmaker William Hill later returned to back the event at Wimbledon Stadium and remained the main sponsor until 2016, making it one of the most popular online sports betting sites.
By 2017, the Wimbledon stadium was closed for redevelopment by the site's owner, and the Derby relocated to Towcester Racecourse for five years. By 2019, Towcester's closure caused event organizers to schedule the event at Nottingham Greyhound Stadium and betting on greyhound racing tournaments continued.
The pandemic shuttered the 2020 Derby until Towcester Greyhound Stadium reopened in 2021, and the event joined a list of sports tournaments to restart operations.
Why is the English Greyhound Derby Popular to Bet On?
With a rich history steeped in English tradition, the English Greyhound Derby attracts gamblers from across the globe. As one of the most exciting major greyhound racing tournaments, the event offers bettors a chance to wager on possible winners. Bookmakers compete to attract a vast number of English Greyhound Derby gamblers by offering incentives and promotions.
Free bet opportunities attract new customers who open accounts to place a wager on which dog may win. Bettors are lining up to take advantage of the free bets, which are increasingly becoming one of the best aspects of wagering on the outcome of the event.
In fact, sportsbooks even enhance the attractiveness of greyhound racing online tournaments with additional incentives. The best greyhound racing championships attract more wagers.
Betting on the Derby is highly competitive, and sportsbooks offering event coverage may edge out less popular betting establishments. Here are a few reasons why betting on the tournament is so popular.
- With short races, the event offers immediate gratification for bets on the outright winner, which is declared in about 30 seconds
- The speed and down-to-the-wire finishes ramp up the event's excitement
- Viewers are on edge to see which dog will prevail. With multiple rounds of fast-paced thrills, betting on the Derby is a bonus.
How to Bet on the English Greyhound Derby?
Prior to betting on greyhound racing tournaments at online sites, it's essential to understand the racing structure. Six greyhounds run in the finals after progressing through the heats to the last race. These six dogs have competed against nearly 200 greyhounds. For most dogs, the odds of winning are long.
Greyhound races take a short amount of time. In the final, the dogs only travel 1600 feet. However, there are a few ways to wager, including the following.
Outright
Gamblers take a chance on choosing which dog will finish first at greyhound racing championships. By betting on a dog as the winner, the selected competitor must win for a bettor to collect any money from the best online bookmaker. It's a simple wager, but if the dog finishes in any spot but first place, the bettor loses.
Forecast Betting
In forecasting, the gambler chooses two dogs, which may finish in the first and second spots. It's commonplace to select a winner based on the trap the dog is placed in at the start of the race.
If picking the dogs in traps 2 and 3 to win first and second, the gambler's forecast must precisely match the outcome for the bettor to win. Reverse forecasting is similar, except the dogs may come in first and second in either order.
The Best English Greyhound Derby Betting Sites in 2026
With the excitement surrounding the 2022 English Greyhound Derby, more than one online sportsbook offered incentives to attract new and seasoned bettors to wager on which dog may finish first.
With a variety of ways to wager, bettors accessed some of the top sportsbooks on the internet to take a chance on choosing the outright winner or forecasting which two or three may cross the finish line first, second, or third.
An event nearly a century in the making, the modern English Greyhound Derby is favored at top-tier sportsbooks, which offer competitive odds for the fast-paced dog racing championship. Let's look at a sportsbook that has supported the Derby for years and attracted gamblers to wager on the event.
William Hill
With a long history aligned with the English Greyhound Derby, bookmaker William Hill offered bettors favorable odds based upon the dogs likely to win the finals in 2022. Using a complex system for analyzing probabilities, the sportsbook's incentives attracted gamblers interested in betting on the event.
Unibet
Unibet is another well-known sportsbook favored by bettors to wager on the Derby. The online betting site provides event live streams for the Greyhound Derby, around-the-clock live chat, and a casino bonus offer.
