The race video shows Swift Energy falling awkwardly at the first turn. He flips over and over, legs flailing helplessly. He lies motionless on the track, his back broken and his skull fractured. Dead. Not yet 2 years old. Swift Energy is just one of sixteen greyhounds killed racing on Australian tracks in November 2022. Six greyhounds alone were killed in the space of just 5 days.
Victorian tracks claimed the lives of 5 young greyhounds this month. Ballarat track saw the end of Southern Thunder’s 61-start career on November 7. A veritable veteran of 51 months, Southern Thunder fell and fractured his front leg on the first turn and failed to finish. He was killed by the on-track vet shortly after.
On November 19, Outrageous Love was running in her 7th race at Shepparton track. She fell at the first turn and broke her front leg. Her career had lasted 10 weeks. She was killed at the track by the vet. The very same day, Swift Energy died at Ballarat track. A few days later at Warrnambool track, two year old Onetangi Island fell at the first turn, fracturing her radius and ulna. She could not run on and was euthanised not long after. Four days later, on November 28, My Delight fractured his radius and ulna as he approached the home turn. It was his third and last race in a 5 week career. The on-track vet killed him.
NSW tracks killed 4 greyhounds, starting with Restriction who collided with another greyhound at the first turn at Dapto track on 3rd November. He fell, suffering an excrutiating comminuted fracture of his humerus and elbow. Restriction, 2 years old, failed to finish and was killed by the on track vet.
The following week in Dubbo, Cheryald, 2 ½ , fell turning into the back straight and suffered a compound fracture of her tibia. The on-track vet ended her life soon after. Three days later, at Casino track, 2 year old Kingsbrae Bee actually finished third in her race but following an “incident in the catching pen” she was found to have a compound fracture of her foreleg. She was still killed by the on track vet.
The following week, Barb’s Jess, nearly 4, failed to finish his 71st race at The Gardens. He had fractured his hock. The stewards’ report coldly states “euthanasia was administered”. Barb’s Jess had won his owner/trainer nearly $27,000 but he wasn’t worth rehabilitating.
Queensland tracks also killed four greyhounds. At Ipswich on 15 November, the race video shows Burnt Snags being dragged down by another dog. According to the stewards’ report he suffered “injuries to both forelegs” and was killed by the on track vet. Still at Ipswich, on November 25, Destiny Duck suffered a “catastrophic injury to the foreleg” when she fell at the first turn. She could not go on and was euthanised soon after the race. She was 3 ½ .
Rockhampton track killed two greyhounds in November. Shadow Jewel, 2 ½ , “fell” in the catching pen and fractured her hock. She had raced 49 times. Less than 2 weeks later, another “incident in the catching pen” claimed the life of 3 year old Annali who was killed by the on track vet after she suffered a catastrophic injury to her hind leg. But of course deaths due to catching pen “incidents” don’t count as racing deaths according to the greyhound racing industry.
South Australia, Western Australia and the Northern Territory each claimed a greyhound’s life.
Tiramisu Monelli, a little girl of just 20 months, had her 5 week “career” cut short by the on track vet at Mandurah after she collided and fell at the first turn in her 6th race. She had broken her front leg.
At Mt Gambier on November 17 White Hulk , 2 ½ years old, saved his connections the bother of having him killed when he died on the track of “significant internal haemorrhage”. The stewards’ report is silent on the details of his tragic death.
Four days later in Darwin, veteran Thunder Kick collided with another runner at the home turn and fell, injuring his hind leg. He had raced 54 times. He was euthanased after the race.
Image shows My Delight trying to run on a broken foreleg, after stumbling on the home turn.
The statstics:
Average age at death 31 months
Youngest 20 months Tiramisu Monelli
Oldest 51 months Southern Thunder
Total Prizemoney $157,770
Average Prizemoney $9,860
Highest Prizemoney $26,840 Barb’s Jess
Lowest Prizemoney $1,560 Tiramisu Monelli
Average number of starts 29
Most starts 71 Barb’s Jess
Shortest career 3 starts My Delight
Foreleg injuries 9
Hindleg injuries 5
Spine/skull 1
Other (haemorrhage) 1
First turn 8
Catching pen 3
Other turns 4
Not specified 1
We will remember them- RIP
1/1 Tiramisu Monelli 20 months Mandurah WA
3/11 Restriction 27 months Dapto NSW
7/11 Southern Thunder 51 months Ballarat VIC
12/11 Cheryald 30 months Dubbo NSW
15/11 Kingsbrae Bee 24 months Casino NSW
15/11 Burnt Snags 28 months Ipswich QLD
17/11 White Hulk 31 months Mt Gambier SA
18/11 Shadow Jewel 32 months Rockhampton QLD
19/11 Outrageous Love 21 months Shepparton VIC
19/11 Swift Energy 21 months Ballarat VIC
21/11 Thunder Kick 45 months Darwin NT
24/11 Onetangi Island 28 months Warrnambool VIC
25/11 Barb’s Jess 46 months The Gardens NSW
25/11 Destiny Duck 44 months Ipswich QLD
28/11 My Delight 34 months Shepparton VIC
20/11 Annali 38 months Rockhampton QLD