Greyhound Racing Stag Do

A greyhound racing stag do is a night at the dogs with the lads. Cheap entry, food and a drink, a flutter on every race, and a race every 15 minutes or so. There’s barely time to finish your pint before the next one’s off.

Think of it as the cheaper, quicker cousin of a day at the horse racing. Less glamour, fewer top hats, but a lot less queuing and a lot more racing. You can do it during the day at some tracks, but I’d go for an evening meeting every time.

It’s cheap. Entry is usually low, and packages with a meal and a drink keep the cost under control. That makes it a good shout for a group with mixed budgets.

It’s easy. Nobody needs to know anything about dogs. Pick by name, by trap number, or by which one looked most confident in the parade. Your guess is as good as the bloke with the form guide, and probably more fun.

And it’s quick. Races come thick and fast, so there’s always something to shout about. Tracks are usually less crowded than a big race meeting, which makes it easy to grab a table as a base and come and go as you please.

At some tracks you can sponsor a race and name it after the groom. He then presents the prize to the winning owner and dog, while the rest of you crowd on to the podium behind him. It makes a cracking group photo, especially with the stag nervously handing over a trophy and hoping the winner behaves itself near his shoes.

It isn’t available everywhere, so ask the track when you book. If they don’t do it, a sweepstake with a ridiculous trophy bought online does a similar job.

• Get a package with food. Most tracks offer packages that include a meal, and it saves trekking to the food stand between races.
• Set a betting budget. Small stakes keep it fun. Decide your limit before the first race and stick to it.
• Run a sweepstake. Draw dogs out of a hat for each race so everyone has a runner, including the lad who won’t bet.
• Check the dress code. Most tracks are relaxed, but some restaurant areas ask for smart casual. Fancy dress rules vary, so ask first.
• Arrive early. Get there before the first race to grab food, a table and a race card while it’s still quiet.
• Plan the next stop. Racing usually finishes at a sensible hour, which leaves the rest of the night free.

Head into town for a pub crawl afterwards, or spend the day at go karting first. Plenty of UK cities have a track nearby, so have a look through our stag do destinations to build the weekend around it.