Every dog has its day — or so they say. And greyhounds racing at Drumbo Park, the new venture at Ballyskeagh, receive the five star treatment.

While awaiting their race the greyhounds are housed in numbered kennels — no number 13 incidentally — which are carpeted and air conditioned.

Then it’s out on to a track covered in the best sand money can buy, imported all the way from Fife in Scotland.

But let’s not pretend life’s always easy for these noble beasts. Once those traps open and the dogs race into bends at speeds approaching 40mph, occasional injuries are inevitable.

But vet Dan Flynn is on hand at the track to treat the sprains and strains, while nearby there is a heated indoor pool exclusively for the dogs which aids recovery from injury.

Greyhound racing is one of those sports in which religion and politics are left at the door.

As one ‘doggie man’ observed: “When you are at the track with your dog no-one will be asking whether you’re from the Shankill or the Falls.”

Drumbo Park racing manager John Connor was well versed in the sport even before taking up his current post.

A Queen’s University graduate in economics and accountancy and currently studying part time for a further degree, John is from a family with a deep love of greyhound racing.

“I’m really enjoying the challenge of being part of this new venture,” he said.

Irish League club Lisburn Distillery play on the football pitch in the centre of Drumbo Park but this is not a unique arrangement, with League of Ireland side Waterford United sharing their local track and the Connacht rugby team shacking up with the greyhounds in Galway.

John Connor said: “We have a good relationship with Lisburn Distillery so the arrangement works for both parties.”

Eleven bookmakers operate at the track on most of the three nights of racing — every Thursday, Friday and Saturday. There are also trials for the dogs on Monday and Tuesday, so it is very much a full-time operation.

Greyhound racing has an image as the working man’s sport. The average cost of keeping a greyhound is around £40 per week, but the cost of buying a dog varies greatly depending on its breeding. Prices start as low as about £200 with a well bred pup costing around £1,000. But for a dog with top notch breeding and decent form, prices in the region of £30,000 are not unusual.

Breeding is big business with stud fees for the top dogs running at about £3,000.

Dogs start their racing careers at 13 months old and are at the veteran stage when they reach about five years of age.

John Connor said: “Greyhounds are bred to race and that’s what they love doing.

“As soon as the dogs arrive at the stadium they know they are here to race and you can see they are really up for it.”

Drumbo Park is at a disadvantage to its southern counterparts.

“The southern tracks get funding from the Irish Government but we have to raise our own funds.

“That means coming up with finance for things like prize money.

“For the feature race here you can be looking at £500 for the winner. The first three dogs in each race win prize money,” explained John Connor.

Greyhound racing has strict controls. Each dog has a ‘passport’ — it’s own identification booklet without which it will not be allowed to race.

As well as this each dog has an identification stamp on the inside of the ear. There is also random drug testing of the dogs.

On arrival at the track each dog is weighed — a health measure to detect any major fluctuations in weight — and its identification booklet presented to officials by the owner or trainer.

Many owners also train their dog but there are also full-time trainers, some with over 100 greyhounds in their care.

Drumbo Park, which has live link-ups with Dublin tracks Shelbourne and Harold’s Cross, has been operating for over three months and everything at the track is state of the art.

The new venture has been rewarded by the large numbers attending, particularly on both Friday and Saturday nights.

John Connor said: “We have been very pleased with our attendance figures.

“People are viewing it as a great way to start a night out.

“The Ulster rugby team are just one of the many groups that have had a night out at Drumbo Park. A night at the dogs is proving very popular.

“We are particularly pleased with the number of women coming along.”

And who said it was a dog’s life?