Greyhound Races

For an ordinary working man a visit to horse races may be a rare occasion, though he may make bets most days of the week. But it is probable that he can easily go to dog races if he wants to.

Greyhound races flourish, particularly in big towns, for the sake of gambling - people bet on the races, as they do at horse races. In London there are a number of greyhound racing stadiums, and they operate in the evenings. The dogs are assembled in cages or "traps" on the track, an electric hare is sent at great speed round the track on a special rail, and the dogs are released from their traps, all at the same time, to chase the hare. The first dog past the winning-post is the winner. The breeding, training and racing of horses is a very expensive business which only the rich can afford; greyhound racing is relatively cheap, and therefore it is more a working-class sport. But, gambling is the main purpose, and there is very little sport in it.