The “premier track in Australia” has also seen top levels of corruption, deceit and misconduct.
Let’s revisit some of the low points in Wentworth Park history.
Chief Steward Rodney Potter pours urine samples into the gutter
“The chief steward, Rodney Potter, continued to reveal his corruption which, even by NSW standards, was breathtaking in its audacity.
Potter had tampered with urine samples to cover up for trainers and owners who had drugged their dogs to the eyeballs. He had ensured that in races where drugged dogs were running, no swabs were taken. He had simply poured some urine samples into the gutter, something the ICAC captured on video.”
Sport in the doghouse April 15, 2000 | Sydney Morning Herald
“Potter’s corruption was worth good money, based on his regular 10 per cent of prize money.
He estimated that he had collected some $100,000 over the eight years of his corrupt dealings — about $250 a week, equivalent to a payoff from one winner each week.”
The murky deal betrayed by a dog that ran too fast / The Greyhound scandal April 16, 2000 | Daily Telegraph, The
Stewards not recording deaths at Wentworth Park
Extracts from Special Commission of Inquiry into the Greyhound Racing Industry in NSW, June 2016, Report: Volume 1
Evidence obtained from a conscientious, former on-track veterinarian, Dr Gregory Bryant
- The officiating steward is in sole control of the race meeting
- He observed that stewards’ reports did not record the fact that a dog has been euthanased at the track.
- Dr Bryant’s diary records that, in race 3 at Wentworth Park on 30 January 2015, the dog named “Are Vee Pea” “fell and died on track” from a fractured neck. The corresponding stewards’ report simply states: “A veterinary examination of ARE VEE PEA revealed an injured neck.”
- Dr Bryant’ diary records that a dog named “Tribal Beat” was euthanased after suffering a hock injury in race 9 at the same race meeting on 20 January 2015 at Wentworth Park. The stewards’ report simply states: “A veterinary examination of TRIBAL BEAT revealed an injured offside hock.”
- As revealed by Dr Bryant’s diary and a comparison with corresponding stewards’ reports, it is apparent that the practice of GRNSW was not to record deaths of dogs in stewards’ reports, but rather to include some description of an injury or no report at all.
- In respect of the dog named “Loose Connection” in race 9 at Wentworth Park on 20 April 2015, Dr Bryant recorded in his diary that the dog presented with a cut on the near side of its hind foot. The corresponding stewards’ report states: “A veterinary examination of ‘LOOSE CONNECTION’ – revealed No Injury.”
- “Charming Haze” killed 17/1/2015 Wentworth Park in post-race trials – not reported in stewards report
- “Don’t Tell Fil” killed 20/2/2015 at Wentworth Park – stewards report says “A veterinary examination of ‘DON’T TELL FIL’ (7) revealed an injured near side shoulder”
- “Black Ace” killed 2/3/2015 at Wentworth Park – stewards report says “‘BLACK ACE’ was vetted and found to have an injured offside hock, with the greyhound referred for further veterinary treatment”
- Dr Bryant told the Commission that, on at least one occasion when he was working on-track, he asked a steward why the euthanasia of dogs at tracks was not recorded in the stewards’ reports.
- The steward told him this was because they, GRNSW, “didn’t want to stir up the greenies or give the greenies anything to complain about”.
- GRNSW management had put in place, in April 2013, a policy to misreport injuries as recorded in stewards’ reports – by providing sanitised descriptions of injuries suffered by dogs at tracks.
Chief Steward Clint Bentley tells the stewards to mislead the public
On Tuesday, 30 April 2013, the Chief Steward Mr Bentley sent an email to all stewards. The subject heading of the email was “Reporting of Injuries in Stewards Reports”. In his email, Mr Bentley told his stewards:
“Hi All,
As you would all be aware we have copped some pretty bad publicity recently with regard to injuries suffered by greyhounds at race meetings. It has been discussed at a recent management meeting and decided that it is in the best interests of all that we desist from providing too detailed information in our Stewards Reports with regard to injuries sustained by greyhounds. In order to do this we suggest that you no longer report injuries such as fractures or breaks but rather just as injured ie if a greyhound was to sustain a fractured hock we would report it as an injured hock.”
Mr Bentley said his recollection was that, at the management meeting, it was decided not to report euthanasia, and also “to tone down the language in relation to severe injuries.”
When pressed by Counsel Assisting as to what he meant by “tone down the language”, Mr Bentley said:
“So what we were advised was that if a greyhound was to have a fractured neck or fractured back or something, it has to be reported as [an] injured back.”
Mr Bentley accepted that the motivation behind the change in language was a desire to shield GRNSW from scrutiny by animal welfare organisations and that the practice created a lack of transparency and involved misrepresenting the true position. Mr Bentley relevantly gave the following evidence:
Q: Mr Bentley, wasn’t the motivation behind this change of language the desire to shield GRNSW from the scrutiny of the animal welfare groups and the adverse publicity that they were bring on the sport?
A: It’s probably fair to say that was the case, yes. Yes.
Q: … That practice though created immediately, didn’t it, a lack of transparency?
A: Yes, it’s fair to say it did.
Q: You certainly went on to instruct all the stewards that reported to you, didn’t you?
A: Yes, I did.
Q: You instructed them to misrepresent the position?
A: I did, yes.
Q: You did that as the Chief Integrity Officer for greyhound racing in New South Wales?
A: Yes, I did.
Mr Bentley also said that GRNSW’s practices – of misreporting injuries – was known to all members of the leadership group and was common knowledge amongst all stewards. He further said: “I think a large majority of the organisation would have known.”
SUMMARY OF FINDINGS
4.115 The Commission has no doubt that the reason GRNSW management adopted the policy of misreporting injuries was to avoid criticism of the industry in NSW, particularly by animal welfare groups.
4.117 The Commission finds that GRNSW’s policy of misreporting of injuries, was calculated, and intended, to mislead the general public.
4.121 The Commission’s investigations revealed that GRNSW engaged in a deliberate process of underreporting of injuries in its stewards’ reports. As noted, this was done so as not to inflame criticisms by animal welfare organisations and other bodies. GRNSW ‘massaged’ the descriptions of the injuries suffered by dogs so that they would not appear as severe as they in fact were.
4.123 The conduct of GRNSW – in failing to report deaths at tracks and in misreporting the extent of injuries suffered by greyhounds at race tracks – is inconsistent with GRNSW having a continuing social licence to operate.
2026 - Still misleading the public, still a toxic culture
And here we are in 2026. GRNSW still operating without a social licence, still misleading the public by cutting incidents from race videos, or just hiding entire race videos.
While NSW Parliament hears numerous allegations of industry organisations plagued by sexual harrassment and toxicity.