Latest news with #greyhoundracing
RNZ News
21-07-2025
- Sport
- RNZ News
Financial support considered for greyhound trainers and owners when industry ends
Greyhound racing will be banned in Aotearoa. (File photo) Photo: 123rf Financial support is under consideration for greyhound trainers and owners liable for the likely 1500 dogs still under their care after the industry ends. In December the government announced the practice would be banned in New Zealand after ongoing concerns about animal welfare and three reviews into the industry. After the change was decided a ministerial advisory committee was set up to plan a transition away from greyhound racing. That group has delivered an interim report to ministers which found the current rehoming programme will require reorganisation and expansion to find safe homes for the estimated 1500 dogs remaining when racing was due to end on 31 July next year. The committee acknowledged the concern of owners and trainers about the financial liability of feeding and caring for dogs once racing ended. As part of cabinet's considerations financial compensation would be considered. Racing Minister Winston Peters said he was fully aware of the impact that ending greyhound racing would have on those involved in the industry. Peters appreciated the feedback owners, trainers and other stakeholders had given the committee. "That is why it is important that we consider everything carefully." He said the imperative to see the ban through continued, with 15 racing greyhounds having to be euthanized so far this season and nearly a further 200 dogs suffering serious injuries keeping them out of racing for weeks and months. The intention was to introduce legislation and members of the industry, and the wider public would get the chance to make submissions to the select committee as part of the process, he said. Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero , a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.
ABC News
11-07-2025
- Sport
- ABC News
Racing at new $85 million Queensland greyhound facility suspended again due to 'unsuitable' track
A high-profile Queensland greyhound racing event has been cancelled, after a track at the new $85 million greyhound racing facility The Q was deemed "unsuitable for trialling or racing" for the second time in a week. The Brisbane Cup was postponed for a week last Saturday after a "watering issue" at The Q in Ipswich caused the track to become unsafe for racing. Racing Queensland paused racing at the facility on Monday to allow an independent assessment of the track and remediation works to be completed. It comes as The Q grapples with a string of dog deaths since trials began at the track in March. In a statement on Thursday, Racing Queensland announced that following assessments, the rescheduled event had been cancelled and racing on the Q2 track suspended indefinitely. "With Queensland Racing Integrity Commission stewards inspecting the Q2 Parklands track last night and deeming it unsuitable for trialling or racing, all upcoming meetings and trials have been cancelled until further notice so further remediation works can take place," the statement read. RQ said rescheduling meetings at Albion Park was considered but "operational capacity" made it unfeasible. "As a matter of priority, RQ and the QGRC are focused on delivering a consistent and suitable racing surface before meetings are rescheduled on the Q2 Parkland," RQ said. Racing will continue on the facility's other two tracks. The former Queensland government put $44.15 million from the racing infrastructure fund towards the $85 million facility, which has been running trials since March and officially opened in June. Last month, the ABC revealed at least seven dogs had died due to injuries sustained at the racing track before its official opening. Acting Minister for Racing, Steven Minnikin said he was "disappointed for participants and supporters" that the Brisbane Cup had been cancelled. He said the facility was commissioned and built by the former Labor government, but that the new government would "make sure all steps are taken" to uphold animal welfare standards. "Independent investigations into the track and operations at The Q are now underway," he said. Labor's Member for Ipswich, Jennifer Howard, said in a statement the safety incidents at the track were "not acceptable". "The Minister for Racing, Tim Mander, along with Racing Queensland must act now," she said. "The… Q… was launched with the bold claim it would be the safest track in the country saying it 'uses the best practice standards for greyhound racing safety'. "This claim is nauseatingly repeated in advertising all over Ipswich and online." Ms Howard said any official material making those claims, which were first spruiked by the former Labor government when the track was announced, needed to be removed. She said she wanted to see "real steps" taken to "ensure the welfare of every animal involved in the industry". "The public deserves transparency. The dogs deserve better," she said.
News.com.au
10-07-2025
- Sport
- News.com.au
Racing Queensland set to pay out $1.5 million in prizemoney for abandoned Brisbane Cup meeting
The inaugural Group 1 Brisbane Cup meeting at The Q was supposed to usher in a new dawn for Queensland greyhound racing and put an exclamation mark on a winter carnival to remember. A cause for celebration, optimism and hope at the industry's brand spanking new $90 million state-of-the-art facility. But with the postponement of last Saturday's card after just two races, and the decision on Wednesday night to abandon any hopes of staging this weekend's rescheduled meeting, it will instead go down in infamy. Make no mistake, the fallout from this seismic bungle will be immense. And so it should be. When announcing that the showcase meeting had been abandoned, Racing Queensland (RQ) declared that the $1.49 million in feature prizemoney would be dispersed evenly among the finalists in the respective races. And rightly so given the significant expense and time connections – both locally and interstate – expended to partake in the carnival in good faith. But while RQ now must absorb the astronomical prizemoney expense, it carries no meaningful wagering return to support it. It's essentially dead money that the industry must now wear, along with the embarrassment and public fallout that goes with it. And the owners and trainers aren't immune from the havoc either, many staring down the barrel at their one and only shot of group race glory, now just left to ponder what might have been. • 'These are the facts': Shailer defends Winx favourite scratching A dark void left on the sport's most prestigious honour rolls for 2025, one that was meant to mark an important moment in history. When the post mortem begins on the whole sorry saga it will need to circle back well past the most recent events which led to the Q2 Parklands track being unfit and unsafe for racing. Bubbling away for months has been material concerns about the track surface management at the three-track complex which has largely been shunned by club officials. 'Trainers have been raising concerns week after week but there's been no appetite to listen, let alone acknowledge,' said one leading trainer. 'We could all see where it was heading but they just wanted to keep hiding behind reports and readings and listening to people that quite frankly just aren't up to the job at hand.' As consequential as the loss of the Brisbane Cup meeting is, it may just very well be the circuit-breaker needed for change. Since the Queensland Greyhound Racing Club (QGRC) was brought to life as a merged entity between the now defunct Brisbane GRC and Ipswich GRC, it's been anything but smooth sailing. Constant political infighting and jostling for power and relevance from within the club's corridors has been a constant theme. And that was no better illustrated than during the saga that engulfed the club during the departure of the club's former CEO Peter Gleeson earlier in the year. Then on Monday, it was revealed that highly respected northern NSW track curator Scott Higgins was set to take the reins as the track's new lead curator. It now seems for varying reasons that appointment is now on shaky ground as well. As a greyhound facility and entertainment venue the opportunities at The Q are endless. But for it to realise that potential change is needed. And with Racing Queensland and the Queensland Government demanding answers, you can expect that change to come sooner rather than later.
News.com.au
08-07-2025
- Sport
- News.com.au
Former Hall Of Famer's DQ Quashed On Appeal
Queensland Racing Appeals Panel (QRAP) was scathing of Queensland greyhound racing's integrity arm QRIC (Queensland Racing Integrity Commission) when overturning a further 10-year disqualification issued to former Hall of Fame greyhound trainer and convicted live baiter Ron Ball. On Tuesday, QRAP chair Kerry O'Brien AM handed down the decision that the QRIC charge be 'set aside' making the determination that 'no charge be laid' against Ball citing procedural omissions, the unacceptably long and unexplained delay and misleading communications as the reasons for decision. Ball, who prepared the great Flying Amy during his six-decade training career, fronted QRAP last month in a bid to have the additional 10-year disqualification quashed. The 83-year-old former trainer was handed a life-ban for live baiting in 2015 before the penalty was sensationally slashed to 10-years on appeal, opening the door for a potential return to the industry this year. But in the lead up to the 2015 penalty expiring, QRIC officials again disqualified Ball for another 10-years, after he admitted to being on the property and handling greyhounds for his partner and then licenced person Serena Lawrance back in October 2022. 'Ball's undisputed account was that he was at his partner Ms. Lawrence's property on 9 October 2022 as a 'one-off' incident because she was unwell, and he merely hosed out kennels for unregistered dogs,' the appeal decision stated. QRAP concluded that Ball's alleged rule breach was at the 'very lower end of the scale of seriousness' and the proceedings at the Stewards' inquiry were 'fundamentally flawed'. 'The Applicant (Ball) was never given the opportunity to present argument in relation to any of the options set out in GAR 169(3), let alone to respond to any properly formulated charge,' the appeal decision read. 'He was afforded no opportunity to respond by way of plea, or to make any submissions in relation to penalty.' QRAP's decision leaves the door open to Ball now reapplying for his licence which he became eligible to do in May 2025.
ABC News
07-07-2025
- Sport
- ABC News
Greyhound racing suspended at Queensland's new $85 million track due to unsafe conditions
Races at Queensland's new greyhound track The Q have been suspended after the track was deemed "unsuitable for racing". It comes as the new $85 million facility grapples with a string of dog deaths since trials began at the track in March. The Queensland Greyhound Racing Club (QGRC) said a watering issue was identified prior to trials being conducted ahead of scheduled races for Saturday's Brisbane Cup. In a statement, it said teams worked to resolve the issue to allow the Brisbane Cup to go ahead, but the event was later cancelled midway. Racing Queensland released a statement saying the Q2 track was unsafe for racing and events would be rescheduled. Racing Queensland said it would complete a refurbishment of the track and a new field would be drawn for the postponed event. "A final decision on whether the rescheduled meeting will proceed will be made after the refurbishments are completed including an independent assessment of the track." The postponed Brisbane Cup will take place on Saturday. The venue, which is a collaboration between state government-owned Racing Queensland and local clubs, has a one-turn, two-turn and straight racing tracks. The Queensland government put $44.15 million from the racing infrastructure fund towards the $85 million facility. The Brisbane and Ipswich greyhound clubs have both relocated to the venue. Last month, the ABC revealed at least seven dogs had died due to injuries sustained at the racing track before its official opening. Coalition for the Protection of Greyhounds president Amy McMahon, the former Greens member for South Brisbane, said it was worrying that races went ahead on Saturday, despite concerns over the state of the track. "We know that trainers were raising the alarm about The Q prior to the weekend — we had written to the minister that there are issues at The Q that needed to be attended to," she told ABC Radio Brisbane. "They already knew on Friday that the track was unsafe … but they went ahead with at least two races on Saturday." Premier David Crisafulli said he had spoken with the Minister for Sport and Racing Tim Mander, adding that greyhound racing is vital to "who we are as Queenslanders". "The minister is asking the right questions," he said.
