The Sunday Afternoon ‘Finish On'

JUST on a fortnight back, all NSW clubs (except for Wagga) had representatives meet at GRNSW's Sydney head office and those unable to attend interacted online.

The pow wow was to discuss the 2024/25 budget which was at a tangent to what has happened over the past five-or-so years.

The mood in the room became somewhat dark when, due to a sharp downturn in wagering revenue, GRNSW sought to decrease admin and operational payments to clubs by a substantial 20 per cent.

Operational payments have previously increased by three per cent per annum (lower than recent CPI upswings) but there would be no mayonnaise this time, the cuts were deep and that perspective angered those attending.

"I'd have no problem with the notion of belt tightening given the revenue model, but GRNSW has landed the cost savings directly, in the first instance, at clubs," an angry club official said.

"They have not indicated how head office will adjust spending and every club was resolute in opposition to an across-the-board-cut."

It's understood that a 20 per cent downturn in operational funding would see all clubs operate at a loss and each would need to re-define their businesses (cut staff and outgoings) to function within a lower budget.

A 20 per cent downturn for the NSW GBOTA, for example, would be in the order of $1m.

Greyhound Clubs NSW have been asked to formulate a strategy and report back to GRNSW but this spat will not be comfortably negotiated unless all parties have transparency in cost savings.

SANDOWN LOOMS

A flawless start from box one in Friday's Ladbrokes The 715 at The Gardens parlayed into a record-breaking offering in the $500,000 to-the-winner contest for Valpolicella.

The Queenslander's main rival – brilliant Tasmanian Raider's Guide – had run sections to lead a Free For All sprint in his April 26 heat win but a slow getaway from box eight had him struggling to get within cooee of Valpolicella early.

No doubt the pair will clash again with the upcoming Sandown Cup heats to be run on May 16 yet the prospect of a three-way clash of the titans with Palawa King will not happen.

Jack and Maree Smith will focus on the upcoming Brother Fox series with their successful team including Palawa King before he heads back to Albion Park for the rich Winter Carnival.

News out of Dubbo that a near record trial over 516m was posted this week and the bush telegraph suggests Palawa King was there on Tuesday!

Also on the Dubbo program is the Bill and Peg Miller Memorial (0 to 2 wins). The 516m contest is coveted by many in the central west and it has often unearthed a rising star.

Dubbo's Brother Fox carnival's prize money is boosted by the club to the tune of $60,000 which is the culmination of a year's dedicated hard work and strong partnerships with local business houses.

WHAT YOU DON'T SEE

Popular Victorian breaking in team Grant and Tasha Fullerton have been at the caper since the late 80's and they have seen it all.

On Saturday, my trip to Bendigo to collect a litter of eight Koblenz pups gave rise to a conversation with the husband-and-wife team on what they deal with on a day-to-day basis.

With a resume of educating Aston Rupee, Whiskey Riot, Tim Zoo in recent times while in 2019 the Melbourn Cup final won by Whiskey Riot, Hooked On Scotch, Flynn and Get It Gizmo were also taught the basics by Grant and Tasha.

"The biggest issue is people send us dogs which have not been handled and owners have no concept on how the pups have been reared," Grant said.

"And then there is the consideration of diet and parasite treatment.

"All too often they arrive flea riddled and that's apparent at the start but then you realise that worming has been overlooked entirely.

"Only recently, a number of dogs (owned by a syndicate) arrived here in pretty ordinary shape and were full of worms – round, hook and tapeworms.

"Our job – in four weeks – is to educate dogs to chase but many times we are teaching them just to lead properly.

"How is any breaking in role supposed to work efficiently when 12 or so months of neglect must be dealt with?

"I'm sure this is commonplace across the country and owners need to take a more proactive position before sending dogs away to be educated."

Breaking in establishments can't make a silk purse out of a sow's ear and when dogs don't perform (to owner's expectation) maybe the reflection should be on what the previous few months held rather than the past four weeks.

SIBLING RIVALRY

Many, including this writer, expected Raider's Guide to lead and give Valpolicella a real test at The Gardens in The 715 but it was not to be.

He's certainly the best dog Greg Fahey and brother Gary have had in a lifetime of greyhound racing yet not even the Faheys would have been cheering as loud as Karlene Cuthbertson had the black dog prevailed.

Karlene purchased Disco Dance as a puppy and she went on to win 11 races from just 33 starts before injury curtailed her time on the track.

Now, Disco Dance is heavily in pup to Feral Franky and, while her own record which includes a remarkable 29.35 win at Launceston over the brilliant Fast Minardi, that whelping (later this month) is eagerly anticipated.

Disco Dance had all the portents of a quality sprinter/middle distance performer and it's her stamina which most owners should be looking towards if wanting to buy their first dog.

Being a litter sister to a Group 1 winner in Raider's Guide is important yet her own record was fantastic and, if any are available for sale, they will be in strong demand.

IN OR OUT?

Bizarre events crop up on race day all the time but a quite unique incident arose late in the day at Goulburn on Friday.

Outsider Panjams Royal was in the first line of runners to be placed away having drawn the five trap yet, by the time the ‘even numbers' were secured, Panjams Royal reversed out and was corralled at the back of the boxes.

In the rush to secure her, the bitch's muzzle was dislodged and her yellow rug was ‘disrobed' or detached as the Stewards noted in their summation.

The seven dogs in the boxes were then removed and all passed veterinary inspections and full field participated in "take two" of Race 11.

But was this a fair outcome?

Maybe the best result would have been to scratch Panjams Royal as ‘unable to be boxed' and let the race run.

MISSING LINK

A popular race on the Bulli calendar is the Jimmy Jenkins Memorial which was won last year by the smart Tokyo Drift in a sharp 26.26.

The Grade Five series honours a man who dedicated his life to greyhound racing on NSW South Coast yet the 2024 edition is nowhere to be found on the GRNSW calendar.

Expectation held that it would be run in late May – the 2023 decider was conducted on May 31 – and it's one race which should have pride of place at Bulli.

Let's hope this is merely an aberration and the oversight will be corrected in just a matter of days.