The greyhound racing industry promotes the Taree course as the “safest track in NSW’ and classed it as a “super track” and “centre of excellence” after a $6 million upgrade in 2024.
The Drake Inquiry into NSW greyhound racing heard that the track had been upgraded without a safety rail, with two dogs dying from skull or spinal injuries after the upgrade.
On 10 July 2026 GRNSW announced Taree was the first track to be compliant with minimum track standards.
Two race meetings in August shattered the racing industry’s lies and propaganda.
On 5 August 2026, eight greyhounds were injured, including one with a serious injury.
The injured dogs were:
Federal Mercury (60-day standdown) Dislocated toe on hind, due to ruptured collateral ligament
Last Shot Ripper 42 days Offside back muscle
Shotgun Polly 14 days Nearside fore metacarpal sprain
Ultra Special 10 days Offside tricep muscle and wrist sprain
Jungle Way 10 days Flexor tendon sprain
Big Cutie 7 days Offside hind whip muscle
Bella Zest 7 days Minor pain of both front extensors with shin soreness
Shotgun Belle 0 days Minor offside toe abrasions
On 15 August, a further eight were injuried:
Lil Patti 10 days Minor laceration on the offside hind
All For Show 21 days Torn nearside gracilis
Dolly Dawn 14 days Offside hip support strain
She’s Silky 14 days Offside hip support and nearside triceps
Mulwee Harry 14 days Offside triceps strain
Lil Bit Savage 10 days Nearside hip soreness
Prince Rolex 14 days Offside triceps and nearside back muscle strain
Wildfire Miss 21 days Torn back muscle and hip support
[another two dogs were scratched pre-racing after their owners presented them with injuries – What Shall Be [Brian Smoothy] and Koda Mulwee [Meredith Verhagen])
That’s 16 injuries in just two race meetings.
In total, 50 dogs have been injured in the 11 race meetings since the 10 July announcement, including three with serious injuries.
Is GRNSW lying, misinforming, deceiving – and does the Taree track reveal that no track is ever safe, no matter how much money is thrown at them. Yes.
GRNSW is a sponsor of the Bush Summit in late August. The Summit can now see that dog racing is an industry that is inherently unsafe, deceptive, and untrustworthy. Are these the values of the bush?
And let’s not forget the violence at Taree, with trainer Anthony Roche suspended for striking a greyhound in the Taree kennels, and a month after the end of suspension, suspended again for striking a fellow trainer at the track.
Image at top shows Last Shot Ripper struggling with a torn back muscle, Taree, 5 August 2026, R8. 42-day injury stand-down. Sourced from racing industry publicly available website.
Stewards reports: