Welcome to the last edition of Greyhound Monthly Victoria for 2017. This issue covers the world’s richest and prestigious greyhound race, the Melbourne Cup and I congratulate Aston Dee Bee, his breeder/owner Ray Borda, and trainer Seona Thompson on the greyhound’s great run, as well as the team at Sandown Park for their hard work in making the night happen.
Greyhound Racing Victoria’s 2016-17 Annual Report was tabled in the Victorian Parliament on 19 October 2017 and it, along with a short video of the year in review are available online at grv.org.au/annualreport.
Tyson Trump was just two months shy of his third birthday when he made his long-awaited TAB track debut on Healesville Cup day (September 10). His trainer Peter Craig (pictured with Tyson Trump) reveals the pathway that led to his greyhound’s two-length win that day as a red-hot $1.60 favourite.
It was another busy month in the sport around Victoria. On 12 September, Horsham Greyhound Racing Club’s new track was officially opened by the Mayor of Horsham Rural City Council after a redevelopment that used mainly local contractors and suppliers.
Many successful race dogs have been accepted into the Greyhound Adoption Program and been adopted by Victorian families.
Recently crowned Victorian Metropolitan Trainer of the Year, Robert Britton says there’s no such thing as “feeding better” by paying more for your greyhound’s food.
It was a very busy August for GRV and the sport, both on and off the track. One of the month’s highlights was the Victorian Greyhound Awards, held on 18 August at the Sandown Greyhound Racing Club. I congratulate all the winners and recipients on their achievements, particularly our new Hall of Fame inductees Jan Wilson, Barry Smith and El Grand Senor.
Great care and vigilance must be taken in the feeding and training of greyhounds to ensure they are free of prohibited substances, including that any prohibited substances are not administered ‘accidentally’.
There perhaps has never been a more important time for Victoria’s greyhound racing participants to try to shape their own destiny, and I encourage all participants and our industry’s stakeholders – if you haven’t already – to please read and respond to the Department of Economic Development, Jobs, Transport & Resources’ (DEDJTR) draft Code of Practice for the Keeping of Racing Greyhounds.
Thirteen Victorian greyhound racing clubs will host The TAB Great Chase Community Days to support local disability organisations during August, September and October.