Becoming a Greyhound Owner

Who looks after my greyhound?

Your trainer will house, train and take look after the day-to-day care of your greyhound. 

How much does it cost to buy a greyhound?

The cost of buying a greyhound varies greatly depending on their breeding, racing experience etc. Buying experienced racing greyhounds with form on their card (i.e. previous trials and races by which you can judge their grade and performance) can vary from about €2,000 up to €10,000 or more, depending on their success and potential. 

Buying a greyhound as a pup or sapling is a more affordable option but it does mean a little more time waiting for them to get racing ready. You also do not have racing experience to help inform your decision, but who knows, you may have the next Derby winner on your hands! The cost of pips varies depending on their breeding but you can expect to pay between €600 to €2,500. 

How much does a greyhound's upkeep cost?

This can vary as each trainer will have their own fees and terms and is something you will need to negotiate with them. As a guide, this usually ranges from €55 to €100 per week. There may also be additional expenses for vet fees and travel - again check with your potential trainer. 

Can I expect to make money from owning a greyhound?

Owning a greyhound is something that people do out of love of the sport or a social hobby or pastime. You will not always be on the winner's podium and sometimes your losses may outweigh your victories but with a little bit of luck you may earn a few quid along the way.

How many people can I have in my greyhound syndicate?

There's no limit on the numbers you can have in your syndicate, however, we would recommend that that you keep the numbers at 20 or less as managing a larger syndicate may be more difficult. 

Can I opt out of a syndicate if I decide to?

A greyhound syndicate should be considered a business agreement or a partnership. In a business partnership, an agreement would be drafted upon formation. Similarly a greyhound syndicate should do likewise and set out the agreement for such eventualities e.g. a member must sell their share of the greyhound to the existing members for the original price paid. 

If you are listed as the agent for the syndicate leaving will require a change of ownership to be registered with the Irish Coursing Club as keepers of the Greyhound Stud Book. 

How often will my greyhound race?

This is ultimately a decision for your trainer, who will have the knowledge and experience of your greyhound's form, welfare and general health. Generally, a greyhound would run approx. once a week for 4 or 5 weeks and then take a little rest. 

How long is a greyhound's career?

Greyhounds typically race from 15-18 months old up until they are 4 or 5, but can continue racing longer than this. The length of their career will be determined based on the best interests of the greyhound, sometimes unfortunately injury or ill-health may force a much earlier retirement.

Increasingly more and more veteran races are being added to the racing schedule to accomodate older racing greyhounds. The IGB's Strategic Plan 2018 - 2022 aims to extend the racing life of greyhounds from 4 to 6 years. 

What happens if my greyhound isn't as fast as I had hoped?

So your new greyhound may not be a future Derby champion but there's still plenty of options for racing at your local Greyhound Stadium. Different race grades cater for different speeds and your greyhound will be graded with suitable competitors. You can learn more about grading by clicking here. 

What happens if my greyhound gets injured?

An appointed Track Vet is in attendance at all racing and Sales Trials. You can learn more about track maintenance and welfare here. 

If your greyhound gets injured, your trainer will take all necessary steps to ensure your greyhound's welfare before returning to racing. If the injury is career-ending, then your greyhound will receive all proper treatment before retirement. 

Who decides our greyhound's name?

Your syndicate can name your greyhound. If your greyhound already has a name, your syndicate can rename the greyhound by submitting the neccesary forms and payments to the Irish Coursing Club. 

You can check the ICC website to see if a name is available. 

Looking for ideas for naming your greyhound, click here to read more about it. 

Prizemoney - how is it paid and what deductions are made?

Your prizemoney will be paid directly into the nominated bank account.

Syndicates must ensure that they have opened a society/club bank account in the registered syndicate name into which all winnings will be paid. Your local bank should be able to assist you with this. Alternatively, the prize-money can be paid into the account of the person authorised to act on the syndicate’s behalf as agreed by the syndicate members as stated on the Registration form. A copy of this registration form which can be obtained from the Irish Coursing Club must be included with the bank/credit union form. Find out more about the Prizemoney payments here.

2% of all winning prizemoney is deducted and donated directly to the Irish Retired Greyhound Trust. 

If your trainer is a Public Trainer, then a 10% deduction will be made from prizemoney and paid automatically to your trainer, there may also be a breeder deduction.  A number of prizemoney incentives are also on offer. For more information on this please click here to visit the Incentive Scheme page. 

What is the difference between a Public Trainer and Private Trainer?

Public Trainers can hold unlimited numbers of greyhounds once they have suitable facilities. They must submit details monthly of their greyhounds in training to the IGB Regulations Department and they automatically recieve a 10% share of prizemoney for the greyhounds they train. Owners can designate the other 90% to their Private Trainer if they wish, see prizemoney above for more details. 

Private Trainers can hold up to 4 greyhounds for reward. Unlike the Public Trainers, they are not required to submit details monthly to the IGB Regulations Department but they are required to inform them or a Racing Manager if a greyhound enters or leaves their kennels. Owners cannot nominate their Private Trainer to receive prizemoney.  

How do I register my greyhound?

The Irish Coursing Club are the keepers of the Greyhound Stud Book in Ireland and all greyhounds and owners must be registered with them. 

Click here to learn more about registering your Greyhound

Is there someone who can help me to form a syndicate and get started?

Yes, Matthew, our Syndication Executive, is on hand to guide you through the process. He will help you to understand the process, advise you on budgets, finding a trainer and help in your greyhound search. Email Matthew on ownership@igb.ie now to get started.