Middle Distance and Distance Racing
Greyhound Racing NSW is pleased to announce exciting new changes to our programming which will see an opportunity for more middle distance, and distance racing throughout the State.
When GRNSW announced a record increase in prizemoney last month, it was also revealed that more competitive prizemoney levels for distance racing and more racing programming options were being worked on, and today's announcement is the latest stage of a stepped process.
GRNSW has been working on these new initiatives for some time, and this news is just a further step in accommodating greyhounds across all distances
Away from the additional week to week racing, GRNSW has also added a Middle Distance Cup to the calendar at Dapto. The event will be run with heats on November 14th and a final on November 21st. The Cup will be a listed event carrying Group 3 prizemoney of $25,000 to the winner. This will be the first of its type for NSW racing.
The Newcastle Cup in December will also be a listed event, but has now had its prizemoney raised to Group 3 level and similar to Dapto, $25,000 will go to the winner.
To see the full calendar head here
Vic Peters Classic
Four heats of the Vic Peters Classic were held at Wentworth Park on Saturday night, with first and second qualifying for next Saturday’s Group 1, $75,000 to the winner final.
It was NSW cult hero Feral Franky setting the tone in the heats, overcoming a check at the first turn to run down longshot Kid Candle, who ran the race of his life to make the pace to the home bend.
Feral Franky (pictured) stopped the clock at 29.78s but his final hopes were dealt a blow when he drew box five.
Second fastest Vic Peters heat winner was Mister Harlewood, from Victorian Jeff Britton's kennels, with a 29.87s, JODIE Lord’s Show Business (30.00s) and Peter Carr's Charlie Casey (30.10s) were the other heat winners.
The Vic Peters Classic box draw is: 1 Kid Candle, 2 Cawborne Marty, 3 Charlie Casey, 4 Show Business, 5 Feral Franky, 6 Western Envoy, 7 Mister Harlewood, 8 Weblec Jack, 9 Spearhead, and 10 Good Odds Harada.
Saturday also saw the first of the new early starts at Wentworth Park on Saturdays, with race one jumping at 6.05pm. The initial feedback has been tremendous with a strong crowd on hand for the night.
Watch Feral Franky’s Vic Peters’ heat win here
Peter Mosman Opal
The boys have the Vic Peters Classic, the girls have the $75,000 to the winner, Group 1 Peter Mosman Opal.
Fastest heat winner was Miley Nismo who subsequently came up with the rails draw for the final.
Miley Nismo, owned and trained by Nichole and Tony Mason of Brandy Hill in the Hunter Valley, led throughout to win her heat in 29.67s, running home in a very slick 11.63s.
Victorian raider Aston Peregrine, from the strong Paul Abela kennels, came from second in the middle stages to win her heat in 29.77s with Flossing, another Victorian, successful in 30.04s and Zipping Truvy from the Rob Tyler yard, coming from a long way back to score in 30.24s.
The box draw for the Peter Mosman Opal is: 1 Miley Nismo, 2 Zipping Truvy, 3 Start A Riot, 4 Flossing, 5 Aston Peregrine, 6 Really Unreal, 7 Mepunga Frankie, 8 Vouchers, 9 Fancy Francene, 10 Snazzy Ethics.
Watch Miley Nismo’s Peter Mosman Opal heat win here
Grafton Carnival
The annual Grafton Carnival reaches a crescendo this Wednesday with the highlight of the card the Taylor Family Clarence Valley Sheds Maiden Classic Final.
Seven heats of the event - a series which has launched the careers of numerous outstanding greyhounds in the past – were held last Monday, with the fastest qualifier for the $15,000 to the winner final, Tony Brett’s Aston Poker in 23.20s.
Other impressive heat winners were La Grand Quality (23.24s), Woodview Ace (23.29s), and Chevy Rock (23.35s).
The box draw for Wednesday night's Maiden Final is: 1 Demander Valley, 2 Chevy Rock, 3 Big Nose Johnny, 4 Twinkle Renae, 5 Aston Bintang, 6 Aston Poker, 7 La Grand Quality, 8 Woodview Ace, 9 Lightning VISION, 10 Porsche Cloud.
Wednesday's meeting also features finals of the 407m Village Green Hotel Sprinters' Cup and 610m Westlawn Finance Stayers Cup, worth $7000 and $6000 respectively to the winners.
Watch Aston Poker‘s Maiden Classic heat win here
Changes to Muzzling Laws
On the back of the exciting announcement that Tim CaHill has become the inaugural ambassador of the Greyhound As Pets NSW program, GRNSW was delighted last week with the news from the Office of Local Government changing the laws around muzzling of greyhounds.
Effective from July 1, greyhounds who are registered as pets will no longer be required to wear a muzzle while on a leash in public.
The move is part of the NSW Government’s commitment to improving living standards and rehoming rates for greyhounds.
Greyhound Racing NSW sees these changes as important to the rehoming of retired greyhounds, and it is tremendous news for the well-being of our animals.
There has always been a stigma attached to a greyhound wearing a muzzle in public, and now the public will see that greyhounds are relatively quiet, placid and gentle animals.
This announcement and change to the laws will greatly assist the Greyhounds As Pets program and all other rehoming programs and initiatives in the future.
For full details of the Office of Local Government announcement go here.
Odds and Evens
Greyhound Racing NSW was part of a three code launch of a new TAB product last week - Odds and Evens - which will in part fund the Million Dollar Chase.
GRNSW Chief Executive Officer Tony Mestrov was on hand for the announcement where it was confirmed the Million Dollar Chase will have a strong regional focus in 2019, and the series will kick off at Gunnedah on August 31.
The final of the Million Dollar Chase will be run on October 18, the night before The Everest is run at Randwick.
Watch Mystic Riot win last year’s Million Dollar Chase
Fundraising Auction this Saturday night at Wenty
A number of fundraisers have been organised to help the survivors of a tragic house fire in SINGLETON at the end of last month.
Three young siblings were killed in the fire, with their mother Kara Atkins, and their eight-year-old sister Bayley, pulled through a window by neighbours and surviving the tragedy. Kara is the niece of well-known Tamworth trainer and GBOTA member Tony Atkins and his wife Robyn, who run the Tara Greyhound Equipment company.
One of the fundraisers has been organised by Ash Thomas, who has donated a pup by Aston Dee Bee out of Thinkalot, to be auctioned at Wentworth Park this Saturday night. Along with the pup, the costs of getting it to the track ready to race are included. There will also be numerous other items for auction on the night.
There will also be a fundraising event held at The Gardens on Black Top night in August to raise funds for Kara and Bayley.
Head to thedogs.com.au for more details
GAP News
With a new Ambassador in Tim CaHill on board, and a new General Manager of the program, the Greyhounds as Pets program continues to grow.
There was confirmation this past week that the total of dogs rehomed through the program in 2018-19 was well over 700, jumping from the 415 who found new homes in 2017-18.
We will be having more adoption days in the future, but for the meantime, anyone interested in a greyhound as a pet, should head to their website, where they can look at, and read about all the available greyhounds.
For more information head to the www.gapnsw.com.au
