It was already going to be the most nostalgic night the sport has witnessed, but now the final night of racing at Sydney’s Wentworth Park will be the most spectacular and most watched in greyhound racing’s 99-year history in NSW.
On October 16, the sport will farewell one of the nation’s most iconic racing venues when the last ever race meeting is held at the Glebe track.
Greyhound Racing NSW (GRNSW) can today announce that legendary Australian rock band the Screaming Jets have been signed to bring the curtain down on the venue with an on-track performance after the night’s final race, the $1 million Ladbrokes Million Dollar Chase.
In conjunction with the announcement GRNSW can confirm the final Wentworth Park meeting will be broadcast live on free-to-air television through 7Plus and Racing.com as part of a landmark broadcast partnership, with Sports Entertainment Network (SEN), SEN's television production company, Rainmaker, Racing.com and the Seven Network.
“Greyhound racing has been conducted at Wentworth Park since 1932 so with 94 years of tradition and history, the final night was always going to be a very special, nostalgic night,” GRNSW Chief Executive Officer Steve Griffin said. “With what has been added with these two announcements today, this truly will be the biggest night the sport has seen.
“We have only been live for a couple of weeks now, but already tickets are being sold at a rate we have never previously experienced.
“Wentworth Park and nights at the dogs resonates with several generations of people and evokes so many wonderful memories. It’s hardly surprising that so many have already indicated they want to be a part of the last ever night of racing at Headquarters.
“To have been able to secure one of Australia’s iconic rock bands in The Screaming Jets and have them perform after the last race, will put the perfect exclamation mark on the evening and on Wentworth Park.
“We want to hang the House Full sign on the gates at Wenty on October 16, but we know there is, and will be massive interest around the country in the final race meeting, so to secure a deal with SEN, the Seven Network and Racing.com to have our special night broadcast to a wide audience across the nation, is a huge coup and exactly what the night deserves.”
SEN Chief Executive, Craig Hutchison, said the opportunity to bring Wentworth Park's farewell to a national audience reflected the significance of the occasion.
"This is far more than a race meeting. It's the closing chapter of one of Australia's great sporting venues and a moment that deserves to be shared with audiences across the country," Hutchison said.
"The Ladbrokes Million Dollar Chase is already one of the premier events on the racing calendar, but the final night at Wentworth Park gives it an added level of significance. Through our partnership with GRNSW, Racing.com and Seven, fans will be able to experience every moment of a truly historic occasion."
The night will feature signature coverage across Seven's platforms and Racing.com, complemented by extensive radio coverage through the SEN, SENTrack, SENTurf and RSN networks.
Now in its eighth year, the Ladbrokes Million Dollar Chase is the world’s richest greyhound series, with the winner of the grand final earning connections $1 million.
The Ladbrokes Million Dollar Chase was launched in 2018 and one of the major objectives of the event was to shine a light on regional areas of NSW, and present world-class racing throughout the State.
In the eight years since, while some of the venues around NSW have changed, the theme of taking the best dogs and leading trainers to the regions has not, and throughout its history there have been numerous superstars race at country tracks on a path to the Chase semi-finals.
This year the Ladbrokes Million Dollar Chase series will see regional heats and finals contested at 14 venues outside of Sydney before it heads to Wentworth Park in October.
