GRNSW Announces The Thunderbolt - World Richest Short-Course Race
By GRNSW
Greyhound Racing NSW (GRNSW) today announced a new feature race – The Thunderbolt, worth $75,000 to the winner – set to become the world’s richest race over a short-court distance.
The Thunderbolt series, carrying more than $200,000 in prizemoney, will include heats at eight regional venues, followed by semi-finals and a final at Grafton’s new state-of-the-art facility.
The event for short-course greyhounds becomes the fourth pillar in GRNSW’s quartet of world’s richest races across respective distance ranges, with a calendar now featuring: the world’s richest race, the TAB Million Dollar Chase, for elite sprinters; the world’s richest distance race, The 715 (to be staged at LADBROKES GARDENS, Newcastle, in June); the world’s richest middle-distance event, the STOCKMAN & Paddock Country Classic (staged at Dubbo last weekend); and The Thunderbolt.
GRNSW Chief Executive Officer, Mr Tony Mestrov, said:
“The Thunderbolt becomes the latest piece in the calendar puzzle in our attempts to cater for all participants and their greyhounds - ranging from short-course dogs to distance dogs.
“We are incredibly proud of the fact that NSW is now home to the world’s richest events across all racing distance ranges, with The Thunderbolt ticking that final box for the short-course sprinters.
“Four years ago we established the world’s richest race, the Million Dollar Chase, and following on from the enormous success of that event, which builds year on year, we have continued to look at new events that cater for participants and also raise the profile of our industry. We have since established the world’s richest distance and middle-distance events, and now the world’s richest short-course race.
“The industry feedback is that there has never been a better time to get into greyhound racing, and while the feature races are focal points on the national calendar, GRNSW also understands that all levels of racing need to be catered for, which is why $47million will be distributed as a part of record prizemoney increases across the board this year, from metropolitan to grass-roots country tracks.”
Heats of The Thunderbolt will be staged across regional NSW in late May and early June, with the semi-finals at Grafton on June 11 and the $75,000-to-the-winner final at Grafton over 350m June 19.
In the announcement of dates and venues for The Thunderbolt series, Mr Metsrov said GRNSW was again investing in regional clubs with a showcase event.
“We all saw last Saturday night with the STOCKMAN & Paddock Country Classic final at Dubbo how hugely successful these big nights can be at our regional tracks, and I have no doubt it will be a similar case at Grafton on June 19,” he said.
“Our feedback from many people at Dubbo last Saturday was that the night had one of the best atmospheres they have ever witnessed on a greyhound track, and we’re aiming to replicate that at The Thunderbolt at Grafton.
“Heats for The Thunderbolt will draw plenty of interest at Wagga, Gunnedah, Bathurst, Gosford, Goulburn, Bulli, Richmond and Grafton – and we’ve seen the success of this regional formula in all of our world’s richest race events, including the Million Dollar Chase.”
The heats will be Non-Grade Best 32 + reserves, with winners of the heats qualify for the semi-finals at Grafton on June 11.
Full details of the conditions can be found on thedogs.com.au website.
