Last lap at Dapto: A community gets ready to farewell a local icon
Every Thursday, 72-year-old Col Pomeroy follows a routine that hasn't changed for nearly half a century. In the morning and afternoon he studies the form guide back to front, then he arrives at Dapto Dogs long before the first race begins. Pomeroy is one of the last regular punters at the track, bound by tradition and community.
He points to a large plastic table inside the canteen, where he once met 20 friends each week. Now, he often sits alone. Most of Pomeroy's friends have left the track, due to old age or the change in a place that was once the centrepiece of Australian greyhound racing.
Next year, Pomeroy will join them.
After 88 years of continuous use, Dapto Greyhounds will close because the site's owners have informed Greyhound Racing NSW that they will not extend their lease beyond June 2026.
'Just knowing that this track is not going to be around any more, it's pretty disappointing,' Pomeroy says. 'It mightn't be important to some people, but for me, and for our family, it's been a buzz for the last 50-odd years.
'It is important because even if you come here, it's not necessarily the race. It's about community, it's about people who you have known for decades. You might win a couple of bucks, but that's not what you come back for; it's a family sport.
'I know progress has got to happen, but it's just going to be bad when that final race happens here.'
On a cold Thursday night, the grandstand has few spectators as greyhounds are paraded for the first race at 7pm. The dogs are competing in their maiden race and gaze around the track as they are led out by their owners, dressed in red bibs with their racing numbers.
In its heyday, the track could hold almost 3000 spectators. They would come each week to place a bet on the row of local bookmakers. 'Dapto Dogs' gained national recognition with former NSW State of Origin player Terry Hill's comedic crosses from the track during Channel 9's The Footy Show, dressed in a gold jacket, ironically pointing out the best-dressed punters in the grandstand.
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