Greyhound Racing NSW (GRNSW) has announced that a minimum of 56 new TAB race meetings for Country Class greyhounds will be added to the 2024-2025 racing calendar.
“The plan is to schedule at least 56 more Country Class meetings on Saturday mornings and midweek at venues such as Goulburn, Dubbo, Wagga, Gunnedah, Taree and Muswellbrook.” said GRNSW Chief Executive Officer Mr Rob Macaulay.
“The increase in TAB race meetings for our lower tiered racing greyhounds is intended to allay any concerns for owners and trainers of this category of greyhound, which may have previously been considered for nomination at non-TAB events.”
“The TAB meetings for Country Class greyhounds will offer more prizemoney per race than what was previously on offer at equivalent non-TAB meetings. By comparison, maiden prizemoney is set to go up 45%, with prizemoney for all other grades of racing rising by more than 70%.”
The announcement of additional Country Class TAB meetings follows last week’s release of GRNSW’s Track Safety & Welfare Strategy 2024.
The strategy, with a focus on greyhound welfare, safety and long-term sustainability of the industry, included significant track upgrades and improvements intended for better, safer tracks, as well as a reduction in non-TAB tracks.
New straight tracks are planned for Wagga and Tamworth, and the tracks at Goulburn and Wagga have been assigned significant upgrades.
Non-TAB tracks at Moree, Coonamble, Young and Tamworth are planned for closure, with a period of transition negotiated with clubs and communities to implement those changes.
“We understand there have been questions from various sectors of the industry around how the lower-tier greyhounds would find suitable racing when Non-TAB tracks are closed, but I am pleased to say that GRNSW maintains its absolute focus of intention to cater for this class of greyhound,” Mr Macaulay said.
“In the current financial year there were 56 non-TAB race meetings scheduled, and moving ahead in the next year’s calendar there will be a minimum of 56 meetings programmed specifically for greyhounds which would have likely been nominated for those types of meetings.
“The non-TAB meetings will be transitioned to run as TAB meetings for Country Class prizemoney, which is similar to the meetings we have previously held at venues such as Gosford and Taree on Saturday mornings.”
GRNSW is expected to release the new 2024-25 racing calendar in coming weeks.
“We look forward to providing more details to owners and trainers with the release of GRNSW racing calendar.”
The 2024-2025 Country Class TAB Meeting Prizemoney Tables (versus 2023-24 non-TAB equivalent).
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