Why women go to the dogs

3:25pm Monday 29th September 2008

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This Thursday, Coral Brighton and Hove Greyhound Stadium will host its annual ladies’ night – though it turns out going to the dogs is not such a male-dominated pastime as you may imagine. Ruth Addicott meets some of the women regulars and finds out what a night at the races has to offer.

It is Tuesday night at the dogs in Hove, just moments away from the first race and excitement is mounting. Suddenly the lights are dimmed, a hush descends over the ground and the familiar strains of Europe’s The Final Countdown burst from the speakers. They’re off.

As the hare – or, more accurately, the electric sock – picks up speed, the greyhounds are in hot pursuit. The cheering intensifies and, even for a non-gambler, it’s impossible not to be impressed by the speed of the dogs as they pound past.

While a win is never guaranteed, one thing you can be certain of at a night at the dogs is plenty of characters.

There’s tough-talking “Chelsea gal” and dog owner Sheila, who has been a regular since she was five, and resident bookie Charlie, who’ll only use the right-hand entrance and has to face north when he’s doing the prices.

Then there’s Trevor, drawing on a fag, whose racing know-how makes up for his lack of teeth, and Bill, the parking attendant, still doing his bit at 83.

Coral Brighton and Hove Greyhound Stadium is one of the oldest dog tracks in England, dating back to 1928, and is regarded as one of the fastest and safest tests of racing greyhounds in the UK.

In the 1920s, the races were originally run by former hare-coursing dogs owned by members of the aristocracy, which is ironic given dog-racing is now one of the few true working men’s sports still alive.

Love it or loathe it, greyhound racing is a lifeline for many of the regulars – some of whom have been going all their lives.

With increased competition from online betting, however, and the recent closure of Walthamstow dog track after 75 years, the pressure is on to bump up numbers.

The sport has always attracted more men than women and judging by the turnout outside on the terraces, tonight is no exception.

Put off by the cold, most of the women spectators are watching the action from the restaurant, enjoying a prawn cocktail and a glass of Pinot in the process.

There are hardened regulars among the women, though, who are more involved, working the floor – ensuring the night goes without a hitch. (There have been times when the hare has stopped mid way and spectators have got more than they bargained for with a streaker sprinting around the bend.) Sue Watson has been a familiar face for 37 years. She owns six dogs and works at Coral’s as a Tote messenger‚ walking around taking bets from the tables in the restaurant.

Sue has handed out a few big wins in her time, her favourite being an elderly retired man who won £20,000 in the jackpot. “He’d come down hoping to go home with a few pounds extra,” she says. “He just sat there staring at me in disbelief.”

Outside, observing events from the other side of the fence, is dog trainer Wendy Short.

Wendy looks after 40 dogs at the kennels (as well as three retired greyhounds at home). She regards them all as “part of the family” and feels strongly about their welfare, especially the re-homing initiative supported by the ground. She never places a bet but is a genuine dog lover who has worked in kennels for 30 years, becoming a trainer in 1988 then going on to win a handful of trophies. “They make absolute smashing pets,” she says.

Further along the track, in the cut and thrust of it, is bookmaker’s clerk Sheila Joel.

Sheila has been in the business 12 years (including five at Hove), and works six days a week with her husband and resident bookie Steve. Most nights, she is the only female bookie in the “betting jungle”.

“He compiles the odds and when someone places a bet, he calls it out and I record it in a ledger,” she explains.

Rarely a night goes by without someone saying “Can I have £10 on the hare please?”

but Sheila keeps her cool. “You paint on a smile even if you’ve had a bad result,” she says. Working with her other half inevitably has its moments and tempers have been known to fray from time to time. Their biggest gamble to date was when her husband accepted a bet to win more than £12,000.

“I threatened him with divorce if the dog won,” she recalls. “Thankfully, it lost.”

Not knowing how much they are going to win or lose from one day to the next is an ongoing pressure.

“It is like a rollercoaster,” she says. “We can lose a lot of money and it’s our living at the end of the day.”

There is always someone trying to get better odds but, as Sheila puts it, “It’s like going into Tesco and asking to have your tomatoes cheaper.”

With the odds changing constantly and a rush of bets coming in at the last minute, she has to be on the ball the whole time.

“I sometimes get in a pickle trying to add up the figures,” she admits. “My husband will ask me how much liability there is on a dog and I’ll shout back, ‘I don’t bloody well know’. And I’ll hear one of the bookies saying ‘another domestic’.”

Sheila is even trained in the dying art of ticktack – hand gestures which show the odds. (“You stick your right finger on the end of your nose for a two, and if you want £50, you bang one fist on top of the other.”) Sheila has also had to learn the lingo, shouting “ear-’ole” when the odds are 6:4.

“I would never say the word ‘ear’ole’ normally because I never drop my h’s,” she says. “I become a different person when I’m doing the floor because you have to shout quickly. I can walk into a posh restaurant and be a lady but at the dogs you have to be a bit like John McCririck.”

The racing lingo can sometimes prove a challenge for newcomers, too. Sue recalls being asked for a tripod instead of a tricast on one occasion.

While it’s mainly families and seasoned punters who attend in the week, Saturday nights draw a bigger crowd – from hen parties in pink, flashing Stetsons to groups of Elvis lookalikes. They also have their fair share of Albion players and celebs (actor Vinnie Jones, snooker player Jimmy White and local war-time singer Dame Vera Lynn, to name a few).

“It has always been, or is perceived to have been, a man’s world but more and more women are coming down now and realising it’s a great night out,” says Sheila.

“The dogs are wonderful – we can’t praise them enough.”

While the internet has helped attract more female enthusiasts by promoting interest, it has also had a negative impact, with online gambling reducing overall attendance and turnover dramatically. By hosting events such as the ladies’ night for the Butterflies Breast Care Support Group, organisers hope it will encourage more women through the doors.

Along with the other bookies, Sheila is anxious about the future. “Online betting is not going to go away so we have had to accept it,” she says.

“We’re hoping attendance will pick up. We wouldn’t like to see it get too much worse.

We’re passionate about the sport and passionate about the animals and it’s a job we would hate to give up. If we can ride the storm, we’ll be OK.”

• Ladies night is Thursday, October 2, doors open 6.30pm, first race is 7.30pm. Call 08457 023952 to book. Tickets cost £20 (including admission, racecard and a three-course meal). A donation of £6 will be given to Butterflies Breast Care Support Group. The theme is pink and prizes will be given to the best dressed male and female.
• For information on how to adopt a retired greyhound, call Brighton Greyhound Owners’ Association Retired Greyhound Trust on 01444 881788.