An exciting new era for the sport of greyhound racing in the NSW Hunter starts today with The Gardens Greyhound Club assuming responsibility for operations at The Gardens complex.
The first race meeting at the complex under the control of The Gardens Greyhound Club takes place this Friday afternoon (4 July, 2014).
The Gardens Greyhound Club will manage all racing and trialling conducted at The Gardens. It will also oversee the venue’s commercial operations.
The new club has an open membership structure which allows anyone from the community to become a member.
Chairman of The Gardens Greyhound Club, Brett Lazzarini, said the immediate challenge was to ensure The Gardens becomes one of the premier greyhound racing venues in Australia.
“A new era begins on Friday and we enter into a new arrangement with confidence, excitement and positivity,” Mr Lazzarini said.
“The Gardens is vital to the continued growth of greyhound racing in NSW. The Gardens complex also has great potential to generate secondary income and the board of the new club intends to work not only to improve existing facilities but to also explore commercial opportunities that may exist for diversification and future growth.
“We are looking forward to a positive future for The Gardens and we welcome new members to join us.”
Mr Lazzarini is part of a four-member board established to oversee the new club.
Each member of the board, which was established after a six-month tender process overseen by APAC Probity Advisory and Auditing Consultants, has extensive experience in greyhound racing and sports administration, venue management and commercial operations.
Greyhound Racing NSW Chief Executive Brent Hogan said he was delighted with the formation of The Gardens Greyhound Club and wished the new club every success for the future.
“The Gardens is a hugely important venue for greyhound racing in NSW that will stage more than 100 TAB meetings and be utilised by thousands of participants and fans of the sport in the 2014/15 racing season,” Mr Hogan said.
“It is wonderful to see such a talented group of people coming together to form this new club that will be open for all sections of the greyhound community to join.
“The club has enormous potential to grow and thrive as it moves forward. We wish everyone involved with The Gardens Greyhound Club a very successful future.
“I would like to acknowledge the GBOTA for its efforts as interim operator of The Gardens for the past year, ensuring that racing was able to continue uninterrupted throughout this period.”
The Gardens Greyhound Club commences operations at the venue from today (1 July, 2014).
Racing at this Friday’s meeting starts at 3.47pm.
