Degree of outside input vital to future of greyhound racing

Last Sunday night’s Produce Stakes final was a good example of why a degree of outside input is crucial to the future of the greyhound racing, if it’s going to make any appeal to punters.

The night itself was good: as one might expect, the crowd didn’t compare with years gone by, when it required hard work and intent to get from the stand to the bookmakers tent, but it was very good by more recent standards.

Insofar as such a thing exists when animals are racing, the final of the Produce Stakes looked something of a formality, with Amazing Dude expected to successfully complete his unbeaten run through the stake. He’s a real talent, and that was reflected in the odds as short as 1-5 with the off-course bookmakers.

To balance the book somewhat, the others were available at fancy prices all the way up to 33-1. The outsider of the field, in the firms’ books, was Haughty Slippers - and here’s where one of the great issues is highlighted.

Let’s be honest, no-one in their right mind believed that 33-1, or any other like-price, would be chalked up on the boards at the track and, thus, those who fancied any greyhound apart from the favourite knew the right thing to do was to back it off course.

For example, those who were aware of the off-course prices were not going to take returned odds of 7-1 about Haughty Slippers, never mind the opening show of 4-1. That applies to all of the other runners, apart from the favourite.

With those odds clearly uncompetitive, and 1-5 of little or no appeal to most backers under any circumstances, the only way the bookmakers were going to take a decent bet was to take on the favourite. And, after what was a value-free hour and a half or so, suddenly things came to life.

Odds of 1-5, became 1-4, and continued to drift, all the way to 4-7. In the circumstances that looked a huge price, and it duly proved irresistible to many punters. Relative to what had gone on for the rest of the programme, the bookies took decent bets and, with the dreaded inside trap to aid, they got a result. Ballybough Mondo ran a brilliant race to land the spoils for trainer Murt Leahy and owner Pat Carroll.

Although beaten, Amazing Dude became a value bet and, to some degree, the on-course bookmakers should be credited for taking a chance. The shame is that it was a gamble, more than a bookmaking move as, based on the prices of the other runners, it could only ever be a one-dog book. There was little other value on the card – a study of the returned over-rounds gives a clear indication of that.

While there was one genuine piece of value at Clonmel, news of Droopys Nidge’s unfortunate withdrawal prior to the quarter-finals of the English Derby was preceded by what may have looked like value, but certainly wasn’t.

One bookmaking firm offered enhanced odds about the brilliant tracker but, it must be added, when news of his withdrawal came, all bets struck at those odds were refunded.

That was somewhat unfortunate and coincidental, but it has become something of a fact of betting life that the exchanges were first to react. Once word leaks or news breaks in such circumstances, there’s an inevitable clamber to take advantage. We just need to remind ourselves that what looks too good to be true, usually is.

Leaving that aside, it’s unfortunate for connections. Whether or not he’d have gone on to win the stake is irrelevant, but it’s a shame to lose opportunity due to injury. Hopefully, he’ll be back for the Irish Derby.

At Curraheen Park, the Rockybay Munster Hurdle has been delayed by a couple of weeks, and will now start on Friday July 3. The Burgess Puppy Cup, for July ’13 whelps and younger, is also on the horizon. The stake has a winner’s prize of €2,400 and is open to 24 pups. The heats will take place on Saturday July 11, with entries closing the previous Tuesday.