Dags, do you like Dags? (Wimbledon, London)

Member Name: djwhite1982

Product:	Wimbledon, London
Date:	11/08/09 (18 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: A cheap night in London!

Disadvantages: Food isn't great!

I stumbled across the one lonely review for Wimbledon Dogs, and, being a bit of a fan of a night there, I decided it could do with another review, especially given the age of the previous one.

For anyone that has never been dog racing, please dispel any unfounded opinions you may have about what you imagine a night there to be like. I'm fairly confident you'll be pleasantly surprised. .

WHAT'S IT ALL ABOUT?

The concept is pretty simple, but just in case I'll give you a quick run down. A night at the dogs involves about 12 races each containing 6 dogs. As a "punter" you place bets on whichever dogs take your fancy, which for the most of us will be based on the names. Then, sometimes you get lucky and the dog you bet on comes in a winner and you win a few "beer tokens" to supplement your night. There are various options of how you can enjoy a night of the dogs as you will see below (WHAT CAN I DO THERE).
I have no knowledge of dog racing and gambling on greyhounds, however I have found that the chances of you winning as a novice, aren't that much different to if you would class yourself as en expert. Its not uncommon for the outsider dogs (those with the long odds who have been judged unlikely to win), to romp home a winner. Which makes the experience all the more enjoyable as you do genuinely have good chance of winning a few pounds
A lot of people are put off because they don't like to gamble, however I do know quite a few people who have never gambled before and had a really good time. The minimum bet is currently £2, so you can have a bet on each race and only spend about £20, and thats assuming you're really unlucky and don't win at all. Betting on the dogs is never going to land you a fortune as the returns are really small, but what you do get for your money is an excellent atmosphere, which is really what makes it so much fun.

TIME & BOOKING

Race nights are held on Tuesday, Friday and Saturday and usually kick off around 7.00 pm and go till about 10.30pm. This will vary depending on what night you go. Its not necessary to book in advance, however in order to get the best deals this is recommended. Advance tickets can be purchased online from www.lovethedogs.com.

GETTING THERE

Unfortunately its not the easiest of places to get to, however its not quite as difficult as it may seem. If you are going by rail then the nearest station is Earslfield (accessible form Clapham Junction) which is a 10 minute walk from the ground. Its basically straight down Garratt Lane so you shouldn't get lost, but if you prefer there's a taxi rank outside. Alternatively there is Wimbledon station for rail & tube (district line), and the 493 bus will take you outside the stadium. As you'd expect there's also a taxi rank outside Wimbledon station. Your other option is Tooting Broadway on the Northern Line which is a 15 min walk away, or you can hop onto a 44, 77 or 270 bus towards the city (you may need to ask the bus driver to give you a shout as the stadium will not be visible from the bus). Alternatively if you are planning to drive there is plenty of parking outside the stadium and this is free for customers.

WHAT CAN I DO THERE?

Before booking you will need to decide the level of enclosure you want to visit. Your options include visiting the restaurants, staying trackside, or splashing out on an executive suite (however this is for a minimum of 20 people). The restaurant prices start form about £20 for 2 courses, and you will get a table which overlooks the races and the ability to bet from your table. Unfortunately I have never taken this option so I can't comment on the quality of the food and service, however from a personal point of view, if you are going dog racing, I think the best part is soaking in the atmosphere trackside, and so I would recommend this option

TRACKSIDE

If you choose the trackside option this entitles you to access to a number of different areas in the stadium. There is a bar, betting & food area which you enter first where you can do all the obvious. As a trackside customer you can also go out into the stadium and watch the dog racing in open air next to the track. This is great in the summer, and of course, very popular with smokers as its outside so you can smoke and have a drink! You also get access to the higher floors inside where there are more bars & betting stations and a huge glass viewing stand. There are lots of seats for you to watch the action, which are staggered up in tiers for great viewing, although these do fill up quickly and aren't very suitable to any groups larger than about 4. There is however some more seating at the back of the area for larger groups, although you will have to stand up and head to the balcony to watch the races.

COSTS

If you book in advance, and there are more that 6 of you there is a "trackside super six pack" deal, which is a good value package. For £10 this entitles you to entrance and a program (usually £5 I think), £3 drinks voucher, £5 fast food voucher & £2 betting voucher. If you are going to visit the dogs then chances are you are going to have a drink, bet and have something to eat - so this deal is worthwhile. I will warn you now that the food isn't too good as its basically the kind of thing you could expect outside a football stadium. Therefore you may prefer to eat before you get there, and in which case the voucher isn't such great value. They did used to do a voucher that was a little cheaper and did not include food, however this has been removed from the website for the time being.
Once your vouchers have run out, the prices inside are actually very reasonable. I can't remember exactly how much drinks cost but I do remember being very pleasantly surprised by the amount of change coming back to me. The bars are usually well staffed so there's not much of a wait to get drinks.

BETTING

For anyone who has never bet before, don't worry they are used to this, and the staff are pretty helpful. You will be given a programme on entrance so you can check the names of the dogs in each race and make your selection. If you prefer there are also lots of automated machines with no queues which are very simple to use. You can even feed in your £20 and place all your bets in one go so you don't have to keep returning to the betting stations. Outside by the actual track the betting is a little more serious and here the minimum is raised to £5, as opposed to the £2 inside.

SUMMARY

A night at the dogs is great fun for anyone that wants to do something a little bit different. I think its best enjoyed with at least 4 friends to really soak in the atmosphere, and if I were you I'd probably steer clear of the restaurant, although possibly that could be fun for a "work-do" or similar. Make sure you set yourself a budget for gambling though, and don't get to carried away, as its easy to get swept up in the atmosphere.

Summary: If you live in London, you should definitely visit at least once.