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.
A trap is the starting stall from which a greyhound exits when the race starts. UK and Irish greyhound racing uses six traps, numbered 1 to 6 from the inside rail outward, painted in standard colours (red, blue, white, black, orange, black-and-white-striped).
Why traps matter for predictions: trap position can carry a measurable bias at each track, depending on bend tightness and the layout of the first bend. At sharp tracks like Romford, inside traps (1–2) often have a meaningful advantage because the dog reaches the rail quickly. At wider tracks, outer traps may not be penalised at all.
TrapStats includes a rolling 180-day trap × track win rate as a feature in the prediction model, with sample size as a confidence signal — so the model only leans on the bias when there's enough evidence at that specific track.