Going to the dogs

After years in the doldrums, business is booming at the country's 70-plus tracks.

And with Damon Albarn - Britpop rock group Blur's frontman - among racing greyhounds' new owners, a night out at the dogs is suddenly the trendy thing to do.

Nationally, the sport pulled in about four million spectators last year - second only to soccer.

And big sums are bet - more than £245m by punters at tracks around the country.

Off-track, the sport attracted a staggering £1.2bn total stake last year - second only to the horses.

Oxford Stadium in Sandy Lane confirmed the national picture with business booming.

The number of spectators at the track had been in decline since 1990, despite big sums of money poured in to improve facilities.

But Gary Baiden, Oxford Stadium's racing manager, said things started looking up about this time last year.

"By the end of 1997, figures started rising quite dramatically - attendances and Tote turnover," he said.

"We're talking about a ten per cent increase in attendance in 1997 and so far for the first four months of this year it's between 15 and 20 per cent." The track, which boasts smart facilities including bars and a 200-seater restaurant, stages midweek evening meetings on Tuesdays and Thursdays as well as Friday afternoons and the main Saturday fixture.

Mr Baiden put greyhound racing's new popularity partly down to the return of the 'feel-good' factor - after years of recession hitting the number of people willing to spend hard-earned cash on a flutter.

Other factors are the better facilities for punters, and the fact that the cost of a night out at the dogs compares favourably with many other ways of enjoying yourself.

Admission to the main Saturday meeting at Sandy Lane costs £3, including a programme - less than a third of the cost of watching Oxford United at the Manor.

Groups of 12 or more can enjoy a Tuesday or Thursday evening at the track for just £5 - including vouchers for a meal, a drink and a £1 stake at the Tote.

"I think people are realising that what we are offering is a good night out that's not too expensive - which a lot of places are these days," Mr Baiden said.

More than 3,523,700 people attended National Greyhound Racing Club tracks last year, plus more than 600,000 at minor tracks

The Tote turnover was £76.65m

The total on-course betting was £245.3m

The total off-course betting was £1.22bn

There are 35 NGRC tracks hosting 64,762 races Other tracks, 36 Menu proves a

sure-fire winner THERE'S a new recipe for success at Oxford Stadium - chicken and chips in a basket.

The popular seventies meal is whetting appetites of greyhound racing fans in the 1990s.

Attendance figures at the Sandy Lane venue are going through the roof.

Punters who place their bets on Tuesday and Thursday night are promised five good things - admission, a racecard, a £1 bet on the Tote, a pint of beer or lager and chicken and chips.

Coach parties from across the south are taking advantage of the night out in Cowley, which costs just £5, and say they will keep coming back for more.

The special offer often attracts at least 600 race-goers.

Catering manager Michael Taylor said: "Chicken and chips is a seventies meal but it is proving very popular in the 1990s and attracting lots of people to greyhound racing." On the right track Claire Barnett and her pal Katharine Alexander, both 25, from Abingdon, said it was their first visit to Oxford Stadium on Thursday (April 23) but they were enjoying the racing - and the food.

Claire said:

"I don't know too much about greyhound racing but I'm willing to learn. The bar area is very comfortable and it's a good atmosphere." "We didn't come here expecting to win lots of money, we just came to have a good time. It's cheap and cheerful and it's a bit different."

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