In another win for the community and for greyhounds, the “iconic” Appin trial track will close at the end of January 2026.
The NSW Government acquired the land for the Cumberland Koala Corridor.
The Greyhound Breeders, Owners and Trainers Association (GBOTA) fought the acquisition and is challenging the purchase price.
Appin joins the growing list of eliminated tracks in NSW, some “iconic”, including Dapto, Wentworth Park, Wagga, Broken Hill, Muswellbrook, Coonamble, Kempsey, Moree, Potts Park, Tamworth, Wauchope and Young.
Obviously, there’s no future for greyhound racing in NSW.
Interestingly, when the journalist at the Greyhound Recorder wrote about the opening of Appin in October 1975, he noted “My lovely daughter” presented a trophy. Not much has changed in the quality of greyhound journalism since then.
https://www.thedogs.com.au/news/2025-12-19/iconic-appin-to-close-in-january
The Appin track featured prominently in the McHugh Inquiry and its focus on live baiting. How many rabbits were tortured for gambling greed?
Excerpts from Special Commission of Inquiry into the Greyhound Racing Industry in New South Wales
(McHugh Report, Volume 1)
1.54
The evidence before the Commission also suggested that the practice was effectively condoned by many industry participants who may not themselves have engaged in the practice. The Commission heard evidence that, at the Appin track during trialling sessions, an enterprising vendor sought custom from trainers attending these trials by offering live rabbits for sale. Given the persons to whom the offers were made, it is easy to draw the conclusion that the rabbits were being offered as live baits for training greyhounds and that those attending the Appin track knew it. Witnesses also gave evidence of persons who were in effect door-to-door salesman offering live rabbits for sale to trainers. Yet none of the many participants in the industry who must have been aware that live baiting was prevalent in the industry appears to have made any attempt to bring the matter to the attention of GRNSW, or NSW Police, in a formal way. This is a telling indictment of the culture of the industry.
3.109
The Commission heard evidence of persons being involved in supplying live rabbits for use by greyhound industry participants. In some cases, this was done while public trials were being conducted at Appin, a registered greyhound racing track, with an enterprising vendor seeking custom from trainers attending the trials. That such conduct could occur at a public training track indicates that even those who did not participate in live baiting must have known it was going on and took no action to stop it. Witnesses also gave evidence of persons coming to the properties of greyhound trainers and selling them live rabbits, usually at about $10 per rabbit.
They were, in effect, door-to-door salesmen of live rabbits for trainers. This appeared to have been a not uncommon occurrence.
3.110
One witness (Ms Sherrie Turner) identified as being a supplier of live rabbits provided them to other greyhound trainers using the code language of “parcels”. Customers had to pick up their parcels very soon after being notified they had arrived, because the supplier (who was also a greyhound trainer) did not want the live rabbits on her property any longer than necessary.
Mr Harry Sarkis
3.171
Mr Harry Sarkis told the Commission he had been a licensed public trainer of greyhounds since 1977.
3.172
In evidence, Mr Sarkis was questioned about live rabbits he acquired at Appin greyhound race track. He admitted collecting a crate containing live rabbits from Appin race track on 31 August 2010 when he was trialling his dogs. He said that he did not know the name of the man who supplied him with the live rabbits. He said that “[h]e was just there selling rabbits.” Mr Sarkis said that, when GRNSW and the RSPCA turned up at this property shortly after he acquired the rabbits, they were in a cage near his bull-ring. Mr Sarkis told the GRNSW and RSPCA officers that the rabbits were for eating.193 The officials confiscated the rabbits, but not the rabbit cage.
3.173
Mr Sarkis was questioned about a further occasion, in June 2014, when a GRNSW officer attended his property and found a rabbit in a cage. The rabbit was confiscated. Mr Sarkis told the Commission, and the GRNSW officer in June 2014, that the rabbit was for his grandchildren to look at when they visited him. Mr Sarkis said the GRNSW officer did not confiscate the rabbit and he, Mr Sarkis, later ate it.
3.174
Mr Sarkis gave evidence of buying live rabbits from people at race tracks. He said it was a common practice for people to turn up outside the greyhound race tracks offering to sell live rabbits.
3.175
Mr Sarkis was questioned about a handwritten message on a cupboard door at his property (a photograph of which was in the possession of the Commission) that said “Jeff The Rabbit Man” followed by a telephone number. Mr Sarkis told the Commission that the rabbit supplier at Appin race track had given him the number so Mr Sarkis wrote it on his cupboard door. He said, however, that he had never phoned ‘Jeff the Rabbit Man’.
9.247
….Furthermore, in respect of live baiting, for example, there was an industry code of silence. Many participants told the Commission that live baiting in the industry was widespread, yet none of them took any steps to inform GRNSW. Live rabbits were being sold to trainers at Appin Trial Track. It did not require any imagination to guess what the ultimate purpose of these sales was, yet no one brought it to the attention of GRNSW.
Image shows kennels at the Thirlmere trial track in 2024