New Tote deduction sparks boost in Derby final turnover

Tote turnover up at Towcester

Towcester Racecourse have reported a huge increase in turnover for the Tote on Star Sports/TRC Greyhound Derby final night.

3,500 racegoers packed into Northamptonshire track for a memorable night on Saturday and plenty of those took advantage of the deal on offer with the Tote.

A reduced Tote deduction of 10% was announced ahead of the Derby and that resulted in a 53% increase in turnover on course compared to last year’s Derby final night.

“Tote Turnover for the Derby final meeting was over £44k, which was 53% up on the Derby final card in 2024,” said Richard Thomas, CEO of Towcester Racecourse. 

“All turnover was at the track as we couldn’t get the off-course tote set up in time, which was disappointing given there were over 10,000 concurrent watchers of Gone To The Dogs - live! on YouTube who could have been offered a competitive direct Tote betting option.

“Throughout the Derby, the Tote operated at 10% deduction for the win and place pools and 15% for the forecast and tricast. Keeping the deductions at this level is imperative to test whether the tote will work off course.

“The Tote SP on Derby winner Droopys Plunge was £21.40 compared to a 10/1 industry SP, while the Tote SP for the whole card on Saturday was 53/1 compared with an industry SP of 34/1”

Plans are now being made to expand the Tote offering to the off-course market and Thomas is hopeful that will become a reality sooner rather than later.

He added: “Putting the off-course Tote in place is a priority to underpin the launch of a direct betting operation offering real value to punters. 

“Further testing on the presentation of racing from Towcester, together with a compelling 10% tote deduction is being planned as soon as the necessary permissions and infrastructure are in place.   

“The concept of a track professionally broadcasting its own racing and, at the same time, offering its own Tote betting product off course is not something that has been tried in the UK. 

“We have to continually come up with things like this to expose greyhound racing to a wider audience and show what an exciting sport it, as well as it being a value betting proposition.“

Following the huge success of this year’s Derby, Towcester Racecourse and Greyhound Racing UK are already looking ahead to next summer when they plan on putting on an even better show for the Derby.

Thomas continued: “By building on the experience and outcomes of this year’s renewal, the 2026 Derby is shaping up to have an enhanced experience for those attending and for those watching remotely.”