Greyhound racing’s big night will be another occasion for industry propaganda, gambling exploitation, and potential death and injury for the dogs forced to run on a dangerous track.
The Million Dollar Chase, billed as the world’s richest greyhound race, will be held at Sydney’s Wentworth Park track on 13 October 2023.
The facts:
- Since 2020, 16 dogs have been killed racing at Wentworth Park, with 1,091 injured. More would have been killed off the track.
- For the January-September 2023 period, there were 296 injuries at Wentworth Park, a 25% increase over the previous year. “Category D” serious injuries increased 75% over the same period.
- For the July-September 2023 quarter, there were 20 serious injuries, a 150% increase over the same period last year.
- Across all NSW racetracks, total greyhound injuries increased 40% for January-September over 2022, while serious injuries in the 2023 July-September quarter increased 40% over 2022.
- 34 on-track NSW greyhound deaths have been recorded in 2023. Another nine dogs are now listed as “Deceased” in the industry database after being injured on NSW tracks.
- In September 2023, GRNSW CEO Robert Macaulay said animal welfare had improved due to “the great job being done by industry and participants in building better tracks and infrastructure and running with fitter, better greyhounds.”
- In 2017 the LNP state government launched a five-year, $30 million program to make NSW tracks safe.
- Wentworth Park was upgraded in 2019 to the cost of $552,895. The “redevelopment included work on the track profile and starting boxes, safety rail, and parade area.”
- Racing participants know that the first turn at Wentworth Park is too tight for greyhounds running at almost 70kmh. Death and injury is inevitable.
- The previous LNP state government acknowledged that – by directly funding the industry regulator – millions of dollars were freed up to increase greyhound racing prizemoney.
- GRNSW and gambling firms are lobbying against gambling reform, even though the federal government’s “You win some, you lose more” report highlighted the enormous costs of gambling, including addiction and suicide.