GREYHOUND RACING - THE HISTORY

Greyhounds were not always bred purely for racing - for thousands of years greyhounds have been bred to hunt, working with other dogs. Switching from hunting to racing has kept this aspect of their personality alive. The fastest breed of dog, greyhounds can reach a top speed of 45mph, and can average more than 30mph for distances up to one mile, making greyhound racing such a fast and exciting sport to bet on, and you can do it online. The 24dogs online betting service makes betting on UK races fun and simple.

The popularity of greyhound coursing in the UK increased greatly in the nineteenth century. The evolution from coursing to greyhound track racing began in 1876 at the Welsh Harp, Hendon, when six dogs raced down a straight track after a lure.

From these coursing meets, greyhound track racing would eventually develop. After an artificial lure was developed, which could be run by a motor, it was an obvious step to turn to track races for greyhounds, as this was much more a spectator sport than coursing. Around 1912, Owen Patrick Smith invented the mechanical lure. He opened the first race track (circular in shape) in Emeryville, California, and six years later he owned 25 tracks around the USA. The first track race in the UK opened in Manchester in 1926, with Catford opening not long afterwards in 1932. Where there is sport, people want to place bets on the outcome, and so betting on dog racing was born.

GREYHOUND RACING - THE FUTURE
Now the internet, dog racing and betting meet. In 2000, 24dogs was launched, the world's most comprehensive online dog racing and betting service. Study the form, watch the UK races online with 24dogs' replays, place bets - all from your PC. Betting on the results is made simple for newcomers and exciting for veterans. Comprehensive help with online betting means that betting on a UK dog race is possible even if you can't make it to the track. 24dogs brings you the excitement of the race track, and makes online betting easier than going to your local bookmaker.

24dogs, where UK dog racing and online betting comes alive...

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