In the world of greyhound racing, there are no better events to bet on than Group 1 features, with the sport’s superior canine athletes, all chasing the biggest winner’s cheques on offer. These group 1 greyhound races are also some of the most popular betting events, with the calendar having top-flight events all-year round.
Group 1 races showcase the best product the industry has — proven, fast, tenacious performers that punters can invest their hard-earned coin on.
In addition to this, Group 1 greyhound races also tend to produce bigger betting pools, often resulting in a more lucrative winning dividend if you are skilful enough to pick the winner.
With so many competitive chances often engaged in Group 1 races, there is often plenty of value to be found within the field and many runners can start over the odds based on their credentials simply because of the quality of the remainder of the field. This gives punters the opportunity to land some great prices about their selected runner, hopefully cashing in when their chaser crosses the line in the top spot.
Group 1 events are the biggest and best in Australia, with a full list detailed below:
While most of the best online bookmakers only offer fixed odds prices on day-to-day greyhound races around 15 minutes prior to the race being run, Group 1 markets are generally available much sooner, enabling punters to snag some excellent value when these early prices are released.
Many online bookies also release all-in markets for Group 1 greyhound events prior to the heats being run, with some extraordinary prices available for some of the series’ contenders. These markets are great for those who believe a certain greyhound will peak in time for the series and it is not uncommon for some highly talented dishlickers to be put up at ridiculously long quotes (view our greyhound odds comparison).
There are plenty of options to get good early markets on the dogs, with the bookmakers below some of the better options for Australians.
Unibet is one of the largest betting and gaming companies in the entire world. Unibet offers betting on greyhound racing across Australia, including fixed odds, and features form and animated speed maps which are available through its mobile app. Unibet have fixed odds markets available for all Australian Group 1 greyhound races which are often available days ahead of the feature.
Owned by Ireland’s biggest and most successful bookmaker, Paddy Power, Sportsbet offer great value for punters wanting to have a bet on greyhound races with fixed odds markets on Group 1 and feature races often open well in advance of the scheduled running of those events.
The popular bookie offer a range of special betting offers and promotions for punters with one of those being the ‘Sportsbet Owners Enclosure’. This promo gives eligible owners, trainers and breeders the opportunity to cash in and receive the best of the three Australian totes when betting on their greyhound.
Readers of Australian Racing Greyhound can take advantage of Sportsbet’s special promotions like PowerPlays, the Fold and early payouts.
Bet 365 is one of the favourite online bookmakers for greyhound betting, offering lucrative odds with their markets generally available at least 24 hours prior to each event.
They are also normally quick to release their futures markets featuring fixed odds for Group 1 and feature race finals and all-in markets for upcoming Group 1 series’. To allow you to snag some of the great odds on offer with these markets.
The online bookmaker, which has over 14 million customers worldwide, also offer 365 Mid + for those wishing to bet on the greyhounds, giving successful punters a winning payout of the middle tote plus an additional 5% for all tote win and place wagers.
This global bookmaker offers the biggest selection of futures options out of any Australian bookie. On top of the comprehensive Australian Group 1 races, some of the biggest global events, namely those in the UK and Ireland are also featured prominently in the Greyhound Antepost section at Bet 365.
It is very easy to place a bet with one of our recommended online bookmakers, with each one featuring both a website and mobile app for punters to choose from.
If it is the day of the race, the Group 1 event will be displayed as a normal race in the betting menu under the race number and the track it is being held at.
If you are wanting to place a bet on an upcoming Group 1 greyhound race early, these markets are often found in the ‘Racing Futures’ section of the bookmaker’s website or betting app.
Once you have found your market, simply select your runner and wager amount (presuming you have funds in your account) and submit your betting slip. Then it is as easy as sitting back and cheering on your runner when the bunny gets set in motion and the lids fly open.
Online bookmakers make it extremely easy to transfer money to and from your greyhound betting accounts in Australia and internationally, with a range of options available to choose from. The most common methods include Credit/Debit Card, Direct Bank Transfer, E-Wallets (NETeller, Skrill), POLi and cheques. Many of these methods deposit the funds automatically into your account, allowing you to start betting straight away, but most take a few days to process funds upon withdrawal.