Greyhound racing deaths in horror start to 2025

The image shows two-year-old Shirl’s Rocket who according to the stewards report “attempted to hurdle the running rail and straddled the rail, making heavy contact with multiple rail posts“. He suffered catastrophic leg and spinal injuries. According to the stewards report Shirl’s Rocket was killed by the industry on-track vet after the race.

2025 started badly for greyhounds in the racing industry with eleven losing their lives on tracks around Australia.

The Taree track, touted by the industry as “the safest track in NSW” killed two young greyhounds in two weeks while Sandown track in Victoria killed a further two dogs in ten days. And at least a further 14 greyhounds suffered race injuries and were killed in the days following their race.

Two-year-old Shirl’s Rocket was running in race 4 at Taree track on January 8. According to the stewards reports he got caught in a bunch of greyhounds on the turn, “attempted to hurdle the running rail and straddled the rail, making heavy contact with multiple rail posts”. He suffered a compound fracture of his off side radius and ulna and a suspected spinal cord injury. There is no race video available but CPG has obtained footage and it is horrific to view. Shirl’s Rocket “failed to finish” and was killed by the industry vet soon after.

Race 4 was in the lead up to the Wauchope Cup and the meet was attended by families with children and described in rapturous terms on social media as “What a night at the track!” and “Great crowd on track to see history be made…”. No mention of the horrific death of poor Shirl’s Rocket though. The Taree track has been mentioned dozens of times in the current Drake inquiry into greyhound racing in NSW. The inquiry is scheduled to finish hearing submissions in February and the findings are due to be handed down in April 2025.

Still in NSW on 11 January, two year old Ramblin’ Ethics was racing at Muswellbrook track, another track mentioned dozens of times in the Drake inquiry. Before his race Ramblin’ Ethics appears to be reluctant as he is dragged and pulled toward the starting boxes in the parade video. He was checked at the turn out of the back straight and fell, suffering a fractured near side radius and ulna. The race video has been edited but it is clear there were several children who witnessed his fall. Ramblin’ Ethics was killed by the on course vet shortly after.

Two-year-old Fiesta Azul was running in race 3 at Warragul track, Victoria, on 14 January when he was “severely checked” on the first turn and fell along with another greyhound. The race commentator can be heard exclaiming there is “heaps of trouble”. Fiesta Azul suffered a fractured right radius and ulna and was killed by the on track vet. It was his second and last race. Fiesta Azul’s “career” had lasted 7 days.

On 16 January, three-year-old Brocky’s Ethics won his race at Casino, NSW before falling in the catching pen. He suffered a nearside comminuted compound fracture to his radius and ulna, his carpus and associated haemorrhage. In other words a catastrophic shattered leg with bones protruding through ripped skin. The commentator can be heard on the race video saying “Oh boy they’ve had some stacks after the line….boy that was a messy race.” Brocky’s Ethics was killed by the industry vet soon after.

The next day at Bendigo, Victoria, two-year-old Charli Marley was severely checked at the first turn and fell. She was a petite girl of 26.5 kg, the smallest greyhound in race 11, and the force of her fall caused a fracture of her radius and ulna. The race video shows her fall while the commentator declares “going down badly was Charli Marley”. The industry vet killed her not long after her fall. Charli Marley had been forced to race 34 times.

The next four days saw four greyhounds killed racing.

Apache Shout was the oldest and the heaviest greyhound in race 8 at Sandown, Victoria, on January 20. He had been forced to race 116 times and had won his connections a handy $86,000. Apache Shout was trailing the field when he collapsed on the front straight. The race video shows him falling suddenly while running at 65 km/hr and skidding across the track on his back where he appears to crash into the outside fence. He was pronounced deceased by the on track vet and a necropsy was ordered. Was he raced to death? Or did the impact kill him? We’ll likely never know. Stewards inspected the front straight and deemed it “suitable for racing”.

Three year old My Matilda was running in race 1 at Angle Park South Australia on 21 January when she was checked off the back straight and fell, suffering a fractured left humerus. My Matilda had only raced eight times yet was just a few months off her fourth birthday. She was killed by the on-track industry vet.

Ted Robbo was a week short of his 3^rd birthday on 22 January when he became the second greyhound to die at Taree, the track trumpeted by  Greyhound Racing NSW as the safest track in the state. Ted Robbo was the favourite in race 9 when he suffered interference in the back straight, straddled the inside  rail and hit multiple upright posts at speed. The race video has been edited by Greyhound Racing NSW but CPG has obtained the full video and it is sickening to watch. It shows him impacting several posts. Ted Robbo suffered a near side foreleg fracture and a “cranial injury”.  His skull was smashed and he died as he fell, his body broken. The race meet was then abandoned and Taree track has been closed for “improvements” since.

Raccoon Riot, just a pup of 20 months, crashed into the catching pen gate after race 1 at Warrnambool, Victoria, on 23 January. It was only his 2^nd race and he had run third, winning his connections $260. He suffered a fractured right radius and ulna and was killed by the industry vet at the track. Raccoon Riot’s “career” had lasted a mere six days.

Two year old Memphis Raines was running in race 8 at Ipswich, Queensland, on 28 January when he was checked in the back straight and fell. He suffered a fractured off side foreleg. Memphis Raines was killed by the industry on-track vet not long after his race.

30 January saw the death of the ironically named Lucky, who ran his last race at Sandown, Victoria. Lucky faltered at the turn into the back straight and he and another greyhound fell. Lucky had suffered a fractured right hock. The race footage shows Lucky pulling up suddenly, then he is galloped on and falls, somersaulting across the track toward the outside fence along with Paw Barton. Both greyhounds got to their feet. A track attendant tried to catch Lucky but he evaded him and the attendant struggled to run after him. Lucky was killed by the industry vet and the track was inspected by stewards who deemed it “suitable for racing”.