Race night
Your first race night at Romford
Your dog has been entered, you have been told the race, and now you are not sure what time to turn up or where to stand. Nobody writes this down for new owners. Here it is for Coral Romford Stadium, our home track.
Timing
When to arrive
Romford races in the evening on Wednesdays, Fridays and Saturdays, with daytime meetings on other days of the week. An evening meeting has twelve races and the first is off a little after six. The exact time moves about from meeting to meeting, and the stadium says plainly that its schedule is subject to change, so check the card for the night or ring them on 01708 773 444 before you set out.
We will tell you which race your dog is in as soon as the entry is confirmed. Races are roughly a quarter of an hour apart, so if she is in the eighth you do not need to be there for the first. Aim to arrive an hour before her race. That gives you time to park, get in, find the paddock and watch a couple of races so that the pace of the evening makes sense before yours comes round.
Your dog will already be there. Greyhounds go to the track with the trainer well before racing starts, are checked by the track's vet, and wait in the racing kennels until their race. You will not see her arrive, and that is normal.
Getting in and getting close
The pass, the paddock and where to stand
The owner's pass
Romford issues registered owners with an Owner's Pass, and says it comes with benefits at the stadium. It does not publish the list, and what is included changes, so we will not guess at it here. Ask us when your dog is first entered and we will tell you what the pass gets you that night.
The paddock
Before each race the six runners are brought out and paraded, so you see your dog in her jacket, led round with the others, before she goes to the traps. The racing kennels behind that are not open to the public, owners included. That is a welfare rule, not a slight, and it is the same at every track.
Where to stand
Trackside, by the rail, as near the finish as you can get. The race is over in about half a minute and you want to be where you can see the traps open and the line at the same time. The stands are warmer. The rail is better. Go to the rail for your own dog and the stands for the rest.
Afterwards
What happens after the race
The dogs are caught up at the pick-up, walked back, cooled down and checked over. Your dog goes back into the racing kennels and comes home with the trainer at the end of the meeting. Do not wait at the kennels for her and do not expect to take her out to the car park for a fuss. She is working, and she goes home the way she came.
If she wins, there is a presentation. You will be asked down for it and there will be a photograph, which the stadium can supply afterwards if you order it from reception. Have a look at the race-day photo on this page and you will see why owners bother.
If she does not win, which is most nights for most dogs, you will still hear how she was. Whether she ran her race, whether she was clear of trouble, whether the trainer thinks the grade or the trip is right. That conversation happens the next day as a rule, once she has been looked over at home. Run money and any prize money come off your bill, and the costs page shows how that works.
Bringing family and friends
Bring them. Watching your own dog parade is a large part of the pleasure of ownership, and it is better shared. Children are welcome at Romford, but anyone under 18 must be with someone aged 21 or over, and the stadium runs a Think 25 policy, so bring photo ID if you are likely to be asked.
The car park is small and first come, first served. The stadium's own advice is to come by other means where you can, and it is worth taking. Disabled parking has to be booked in advance by telephone. General admission has no dress code. The restaurants are smart casual, which at Romford means smart jeans and trainers are fine and football shirts, jogging bottoms and baseball caps are not. If you want a table for the night, book it in advance rather than hoping.
These details are the stadium's and were correct when this page was written. They will change without asking us. If something here does not match what you are told on the night, the stadium is right and we will fix the page. Anything about your dog, ask us.