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Many of the people attending Greyhound Racing are those that can be classified as vacation fans. This is particularly true at southern tracks that are in operation during the winter months as in Florida and Arizona. Such fans may not follow greyhound racing closely but are interested in racing as entertainment during their vacation. These fans can enjoy the excitement of greyhound races even though their knowledge of the sport may be limited.

Betting is a part of the sport and inexperienced fans should not play the greyhounds blindly. Competent help in handicapping is available to all fans and it is advisable to follow the selections of a known handicapper. It is well to check handicapper's selections after each race to see which one Lady Luck is riding with that night. Regardless of how much any one person may know about handicapping the greyhounds it is an accepted fact in all betting that Lady Luck can be and is involved in the outcome in one way or another. If not, the percentage of correct selections would figure to be the same for each handicapper every night, and it is not the same.

Many persons that attend the races regularly use a known handicapper's selections. The handicappers as listed are well versed in the sport and are employed to give a selection service to be used by the racing fan. This can be considered a reasonable thing to do because the handicappers are operating in their vocation the same as any experienced person in a trade or profession. Many fans use the track or newspaper HANDICAPPERS' selections in making their bets when attending the races. Handicappers are employed by the track and by local newspapers in the track area; their selections for the greyhound races are printed for use by racing fans as a matter of information.

Such handicappers are very well acquainted with the sport and are well versed as to which factors best determine a greyhound's possibility of winning a race or being in the money. Even with their know-how it is well to point out thatthey do not always agree; there is still the element of personal opinion that comes into play. Also, there are times when the handicapper's selections miss entirely. When this occurs do not discount the handicapper's ability to make selections.

In this connection two points should be emphasized:

1. Always remember that greyhounds are free running and the starts, bumps, spills, and turns have a lot to do with the race; that first turn usually takes the heaviest toll.

2. As greyhounds are free running and self-grading, any greyhound in a race is a possible winner.

In the program the track handicapper's selections are printed at the bottom of the sheet for each race. Each selection gives the number of the greyhound picked for first, second, and third places in the race. At some tracks four places are picked. The most used names for track handicappers are CHARTMAN, RAILBIRD, and TRACKMAN. Combining the selection of two or more handicappers is listed as CONSENSUS, which implies the best selection by taking all handicappers' picks into consideration.

To use or not to use handicapper's selections is entirely at the option of the fan and the decision is that of the fan.