Today’s Maitland meeting has been abandoned due to significant safety concerns about the state of the track.
Greyhound Racing NSW (GRNSW) inspected the Maitland track on Wednesday and found the racing surface to be unsafe and one that would jeopardise the welfare of greyhounds if racing took place. This left GRNSW no choice but to abandon the meeting.
GRNSW’s inspection found that the poor state of the track was due to a lack of ongoing track maintenance and a failure to follow instructions from GRNSW on how to prepare and maintain the track so it is suitable for racing.
Wednesday’s inspection followed a direction made last week by GRNSW to the Maitland club for track staff to undertake substantial remedial work to the track surface.
In abandoning today’s meeting at Maitland, GRNSW has expressed its disappointment that in its view the Greyhound Breeders Owners and Trainers Association (GBOTA) failed to prepare a safe racing surface at Maitland.
GRNSW would stress that today’s decision was not taken lightly, however, the regulator will always put the welfare of greyhounds first before considering any other factors in whether racing can take place at any track in NSW.
GRNSW will work with the GBOTA to ensure robust practices are put in place regarding track maintenance and that track staff are adequately trained on how to properly prepare a suitable racing surface that will not put greyhounds at risk.
