How to Wager on Maiden Greyhound Races?

Question

Maiden races are probably the most difficult greyhound events to handicap, therefore I am looking for some expert advice, on how to Wager on Maiden Greyhound Races?

Answer 1

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Pay close attention to the details of the maiden's schooling races. All maidens must school at least twice and qualify to run on the track. Schooling races are events that the public cannot wager on but can use as a guide to a greyhound's ability. Often they are not full eight dog fields, which is a factor as the dog has much more room to run and less traffic to negotiate. Always check the number of dogs in the schooling races of maidens that look impressive. The fact that they ran with less than seven other dogs is huge.
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2

Use times to compare Maidens that schooled on the same day. Dogs just breaking in often school together or on the same schooling day. Times can be a useful tool to compare speed of racers that look to be equally matched. If they ran on the same day you can gauge somewhat which dog is faster, that is if both dogs got a clean run.
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3

Show up to the track early and watch the schooling races. These are the dogs that you will be wagering on in the future. Take along a pad and make notes. Do not depend on the chart writer's comments to help you make a decision when these dogs are Maidens. The chart writer is limited to sixteen letters due to space constrictions in the racing program. You aren't.
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4

If a maiden has barely qualified and shows little, make him beat you. Don't think that the light is suddenly going to turn on for a greyhound like this just because it may draw a one or an eight hole. Runners that have performed poorly can eventually improve, or they may just not have the ability to be a factor. Don't bet on dogs like this until they have begun to develop and make big strides.
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5

Look for maidens that originally schooled well but then failed to impress. Trainers will often take these dogs off the active list and school them some more after a short break. This does wonders for some greyhounds, who come back onto the track and turn things around. But when they do return, they have racing lines that show only their recent travails, and not the races that made them favorites a few races back. You can get a decent price with dogs like this.
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6

Give greyhounds a chance to adjust to the new routine. Dogs that school are taken directly from the kennels to be weighed and blanketed and then go right into the starting box. Once they are running in official Maiden races they are weighed in and spend time in what is known as the "ginny pit," a holding area where the greyhound waits before its race comes up. This often translates into a dog not running its best until it gets used to this new schedule, so dogs that won easily in schooling can be upset in their very first maiden race. Bet these dogs on their second or third times out.