Audlem going to the dogs!

This past week, fifteen Audlem residents went to the dogs. Ann Tilling has sent us this report:-

"This week it was a friend's birthday and it was decided to help her celebrate by 'going to the dogs'. Most of us had never been before and it seemed like a good idea. It proved to be a very pleasant night out, though one we are unlikely to repeat often – it being amazing just how much one can lose betting. Of course doing ever wilder bets, accumulators and the like is perhaps not the cleverest way to gamble, and had I boringly stuck to backing the favourite each way in each race it all should have been fairly even at the end.

Belle Vue, a somewhat inaptly named circuit, runs a very slick, professional and good value for money evening. Shame about the PA system but that could have been a receiving rather than transmitting fault! It took not much over the hour to get to it round the M60 east and the place was welcoming.

There is, assigned to a group of tables, a Tote man who explains the different bets and takes your money – which you tend not to see again – except on the first race when my significant other, not a betting man, chose the first and second places correctly. These were chosen by the highly scientific system of name connections. The money won on this one race paid for all of his other bets and some of mine. Backing dogs with names that had Crewe Alex connections worked out about as well as Dario's selections this season!

I find I have a tendency to forget the maths as the evening progresses and bet on more dogs in each race. I didn't like watching them close-up as they paraded before the race as they all looked frightened – the dogs that is, not the handlers. Two of the dogs I backed did a Paula, admittedly just before the race – which is what she should have done perhaps – and another two seemed to only be able to work three legs.

It was a pleasant evening. Thank you Kate for sharing your birthday treat."

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