Tail carriage can be one of the most reliable barometers of tip-top racing fitness… the base of the tail of a really fit dog will often jut out a little and not lie flat on the buttocks. When any trap has won twice at the meeting you are attending, back it in the remaining races, stopping betting when it wins.

University graduate in statistics Roger Grey hounded bookies by publishing the book 100 Famous Greyhound Systems. Said the book blurb, ‘He has devoted many years of unique study to the compilation of this unique collection of first class greyhound methods.’ And it cost the not insubstantial sum of 40 of your English shillings, or two quid. Well, it was worth it; after all, Grey came up with a great new term for greyhound racing – he called it ‘greycing’.

There is nothing so clearly indicative of good health as a sleek glistening coat. A glossy silky sheen is the hallmark of a dog that is on its toes and ready to go… The way a dog carries his tail is an invariable indication of its physical fitness. It’s anything but a healthy sign if it hangs down straight, limp and loose.