Greyhound Racing Glossary

Plain-English definitions for the terms you'll see on racecards and across TrapStats.

• BSP (Betfair Starting Price)

  The Betfair-exchange-derived starting price, calculated from the bets matched at the moment the traps open. Typically more generous than industry SP.

• Dead Heat

  When two or more dogs cannot be separated at the finish even on photo review. Winning bets pay out at proportional reduced stakes.

• Each-way Bet

  Two bets in one: a win bet and a place bet for half the stake each. The dog must finish 1st or 2nd (or sometimes 3rd) for the place part to return.

• Expected Value (EV)

  The average return per unit staked on a bet, given your estimated probability and the offered odds. Positive EV means the bet is profitable on average.

• Forecast Price

  A pre-race estimate of the SP, published by Timeform or the racing media. The TrapStats model uses forecast price (not post-finish SP) for forward bet decisions.

• Going

  The state of the racing surface — soft, standard, fast — affecting times and which running styles are favoured.

• Grade

  The class of a greyhound race, indicating quality of the field. A1 is the highest grade; D-class races feature less competitive dogs. Open races and handicaps have their own codes.

• Handicap (HP) Race

  A race where dogs start from staggered traps (or with adjusted yardage) so that, in theory, every dog has an equal chance. Mostly seen in UK greyhound racing under the HP grade code.

• Kelly Criterion

  A formula for sizing bets that maximises long-run geometric bankroll growth. Used at TrapStats in a fractional, capped form to defend against probability mis-estimation.

• Non-runner

  A dog declared for a race but withdrawn before the off. Bets on a non-runner are voided and stakes returned.

• Photo Finish

  A finish so close the result is determined by reviewing a high-speed image of the line crossing. The official result waits until the photo is examined.

• Race Distance

  The length of the race in metres, from trap opening to finish line. UK greyhound distances range from ~265m (sprints) to 800m+ (marathons). Sprint, standard and stayer dogs specialise differently.

• Racecard

  The published list of runners for a race, with trap numbers, dog names, trainers, recent form and forecast prices. The bettor's primary reference document before the off.

• SHAP Values

  Per-feature contributions to a machine-learning model's prediction. SHAP decomposes one prediction into how much each input feature pushed the output up or down. Used in the TrapStats 'Why this pick' panel.

• SP (Starting Price)

  The official decimal odds at which a greyhound went off at the start of the race, set by an industry panel from on-course bookmaker prices.

• Trap

  The starting box from which a greyhound exits at the beginning of a race. Numbered 1 (innermost) to 6 (outermost) in standard UK and Irish racing.