Over regulations to breeding. Increase in fees & paperwork. And scaremongering tactics have all help reduce breeding to a level where maybe this industry will never recover.

Death by stealth.

Thx do-gooders.

Total 78

Satisfactory trials handed out...8

Is it any wonder that punters are now switching to betting on sports events?

Steven,

Whenever I inquire about these proportions the club invariably says "this is what trainers ask for".

In the cases of Cranbourne I asked why they could not knock down the fence and make a decent 400m out of it.

The irony is that there are a number of clubs that offer the 300s but there is a much bigger number that have nothing less than the 400m bracket and seem to get on OK.

Incidentally, falls over the 311m are more common than over 520m.
Many dogs cannot handle that home turn well.

Ballarat T3 67
Meadows 50
Geelong 300+70
Horsham 57

Advertised Events
Maiden 311 (Six Dog Maiden Program)
Maiden 520 (Six Dog Maiden Program)
Maiden 699 (Six Dog Maiden Program)

Bendigo 53
Meadows 36
Horsham 73

I'm assuming you are referring to the Dailly's having the full field? I dont see the issue.. if they've got the dogs why not nominate? someone has to win the prizemoney. If no one else has dogs to nom i'd be doing it also.

Smaller fields are great for those breeding/buying pups and dogs, means less competition and same amount of prize money to be won.

Sam,

I totally agree with your last comment, but, how long do you think it will last?

Prize money aside, the cost of putting on meetings with 10 races with empty boxes, (Geelong last night, 10 races, only 1 race with no empty boxes), is the same as a 12 races with no empty boxes meeting.

Reduced betting turnover because of reduced number of runners?

No doubt our learned friend Bruce can answer that question by tapping the right buttons on his network of computers.

I don't believe small numbers of races and empty boxes is a good look for the industry. It reminds me of going into shops that are closing down, instead of empty boxes, they have near empty shelves.

I am waiting for the GRV to bite the bullet, and concede there is not enough dogs to sustain the current number of meetings.

Thanks Michael,

Page 26

GRVs Racing Department would also like to flag the possibility of
reducing the number of meetings conducted during the remainder
of 2019 if the decline of the active greyhound population continues.
Currently the racing program requires 2,200 greyhounds racing
once a week to be totally full. Depending on the utilisation rates
during the upcoming period a critical point may be reached where
it is more effective to reduce meetings. The Racing Department will
be visiting tracks across the state during February to deliver the
above key messages to participants and clubs.

Re-active or pro-active?

Now, is anyone looking at the animal welfare issue of over racing, seeing that animal welfare is the GRV cornerstone. I have, and it happens regularly. I don't care what the form of the dog is, or if it is short sprints, unlike horses dogs go flat out from the word go and will chase to their own detriment.

This is all reactive crap, never once have I seen them respond to an issue/problem, even after being told by long time participants that there is a problem. Glowing example (TRARALGON) Integrity, they have none, they are quick to pounce on participants and very slow or never admitting responsibility for decisions made.

Remember it is not the administration that makes the industry successful, it is every trainer and owner and breeder that does all the hard yards day in day out, year in year out. Not me anymore I am done, but I still want to see the industry be successful.

Mixed messages, I don't know.
At a glance I thought the same about gaining starts with the start of the March calender message.
Even though there was a message and has been a message to keep the dogs racing as long as possible in regards to age.
(I have to admit, I have to find solid time to go over everything in regards to putting out a solid view, and solid time in front of a computer and with the internet, and reading a lot over the internet is not something that I can or want to prioritise highly).
Anyway, where are all the greyhounds, all I have seen or heard is:
stricter rules with education,
more paperwork,
less breeding, then apparently breeding increased,
dogs penalised for lots and lots of reasons,
then Jan 20 certain rules to be activated.
In a nutshell I suppose, that is pretty much what i have read, that I think may have a bearing on the industry.
So maybe I should ask are there still the same amount of trainers?
I suppose you could also ask, have Breeders decreased - persons not dogs?
Have the other associated parties decreased e.g. educators and so on?
Have certain numbers fluctuated and have some of those numbers been replaced with lots of novices, or gone down then up and stabililsed and had some new quality injected, along with the old timers.
The industry was always going to be made better for the dog, that has always been put on loud speaker.
Maybe the agenda is to really go down to the bottom and then come right back up again.
There was a lot of talk, and then actual information, about the syndicates that will take over, is that the future?
I don't know all I know is that there are things that we can and can't control in life.
And I suppose we just have to realise what they are.
And we have choice sometimes to be a part or not be a part of something, so we all have to make our own minds up if it is worth it or not.
We can only do our best, and after that I suppose how much should we really worry about something?

I totally agree with your last comment, but, how long do you think it will last?

Prize money aside, the cost of putting on meetings with 10 races with empty boxes, (Geelong last night, 10 races, only 1 race with no empty boxes), is the same as a 12 races with no empty boxes meeting.

Reduced betting turnover because of reduced number of runners?

No doubt our learned friend Bruce can answer that question by tapping the right buttons on his network of computers.

I don't believe small numbers of races and empty boxes is a good look for the industry. It reminds me of going into shops that are closing down, instead of empty boxes, they have near empty shelves.

I am waiting for the GRV to bite the bullet, and concede there is not enough dogs to sustain the current number of meetings.