You do like them but you don't like them???

First, they are not races but simply jumping contests (as you implied). Normally the leader wins.

Second, they offer no lead into possible form for races of a decent distance. Unreliable indicator (and no sectional posted either).

Third, despite having big dough spent on it, the Casino circuit is virtually unique in Oz in having a fully circular track (no straights). It discriminates against that proportion of the dog population which cannot begin well or rail well. Not a good policy.

Fourth, the 300m trip may well have picked out a portion of the track which happens to support clean racing (needs evidence over time) but that is not consistent with 411m and 484m racing where the percentage of falls are among the highest in the land - mainly due to squeezing as they leave the starting area.

Fifth, reducing fields from 8 to 6 as suggested is not too likely to help much (see evidence of all the Lismore 420m trials over the last few years). And making two divisions out of one soaks up cash we don't have.

Sixth, the objects of the exercise are to ensure the maintenance and improvement of the breed and to create more attractive racing and betting opportunities. 300m racing does neither. Properly, they should be installed in non-TAB meetings which pay only a couple of hundred dollars.

Seventh, these starters are an outcome of efforts to utilise every member of a litter, regardless of their present or future capabilities. Automatically, this lowers the standard of racing. Far better to find other outlets for the runts of the litter. If that means more problems with field numbers then so be it - the industry must cut its cloth to suit.

All race meetings are not nor should not be about gambling.

At a lot of country tracks it is very social and about meeting up with friends and talking about their new dogs or pups, what happening in the greyhound world and generally being part of the greyhound family.

Re "All race meetings are not nor should not be about gambling.
At a lot of country tracks it is very social and about meeting up with friends and talking about their new dogs or pups, what happening in the greyhound world and generally being part of the greyhound family".

Quite so - indeed, this is what the industry used to be. There was a clear distinction between Country and Other. But then, one after the other they started upping country clubs to TAB status with higher expenses and higher prize money. The sole motive of authorities was to keep increasing gross revenue and was aided by TABCORP encouragement to fill any vacant spots in the weekly program. Much of that got a kick along in 2010 with extra Grades and extra meetings over the weekend, much of it for lower standard dogs.

There were, and no doubt still are, many owner/trainers who are genuine hobbyists and are satisfied to earn enough to pay for the kibble and the vet. No problem as this supports a wider interest in the code from smaller towns.

Unfortunately, recent experience has led to an uncontrolled mixture of hobbyists and serious owner/trainers or professionals, and a similar mixture of dogs - in turn presenting a nondescript product to the public, particularly the betting public. A further outcome has been the huge increase in sub-400m racing, where predictions are harder to make (bend starts etc) and where the average dog standard has declined as a result.

Big dough for a handful of feature races is fine (to a point) but what sustains the industry is good solid reliable 5th grade provincial racing every week with recognisable dogs. If you get that right the lower and higher levels will take care of themselves.

And you will then have the cash to support whole-of-life tracking, GAP, needed marketing programs, top track standards, more pups, a watchful eye over breeding quality, and so on.

In any event, the key is that apart from a tiny handful of "country" tracks in NSW they have all folded, or been sacked, or promoted. The other states have none. SA and Qld used to, but not any more. Curiously all this has been happening at a time when the dog population has been dwindling - and still is,

So, effectively, it is all about gambling. There is no choice.

50/50 call there , lol