It’s been quite a while between drinks, but Penrith Mayor Todd Carney still has an affinity with greyhound racing, and he ventured to his local track at Richmond this week to show his support.
The Mayor was trackside to meet officials and celebrate the great news for the region that the local club will next year host city racing. While Greyhound Racing NSW (GRNSW) is still to make a determination on the longer term future of city racing, Richmond has been locked in from next September.
“It's great to come out today and see what's happening out here, and also to see how greyhound racing is changing in NSW, and it's really critical when we do see metro races here at the Richmond track, in the Penrith local government area, and bringing more jobs, … it's absolutely fantastic,” Mr Carney said.
“It’s where a lot of trainers actually live as well. So, being able to have (city) races here, it's an absolutely a fantastic outcome for our community.
“The more events we can have right across the Penrith area, the better it is. With the airport coming on board, it's a prime opportunity to bring more events here, whether it's through greyhound racing or other events, to make sure that we have that investment, we have the critical people coming in to really celebrate who we are as a culture and as a people.”
Asked about his background in greyhound racing, the Mayor took his memory back a couple of decades.
“I actually worked in the bar down the back here,” he revealed. “That was about 26 years ago. Some of my family members had greyhounds up in Ballina during the day, so I know it quite well, but it's absolutely fantastic to come out here today.
“It’s like family out here and I think all the greyhound industry here are like family. They always come together, they're trying to do the best thing by the dogs, and to make sure that they're being looked after, now and into the future and that's a critical part as we move forward to make sure that greyhound racing is successful, but also making sure we're looking after the welfare of the dogs at the same time.”
Richmond Club President Minnie Finn was delighted to have the support of the Mayor and his council.
“They are 110% behind greyhound racing here, in Richmond” she said. “It’s been here for 100 years, we've got the land to expand, and it's a big thing to have the council and the community behind us.
‘The community's excited about city racing coming next year. It's a great venue here, and we've done a lot of work over the past few years, and all the participants support this track now, and are very happy with the facilities. It's the right spot.
“It is a greyhound community area, and it's central for everyone in NSW and close to get to, it is the right track and it's a safe track, the 520m start is a really good start now with no interference and we're just going to see how it goes when we kick off next year.”
The Greyhound Breeders, Owners and Trainer’s Association (GBOTA) will continue to host city racing at their Gosford track following the final race meeting at Wentworth Park on October 16, but GRNSW announced recently that city racing would then move to Richmond when the GBOTA’s deal expires in September 2027.
In the meantime, GRNSW has assembled a Sydney Metropolitan Racing Precinct (SMRP) panel to assess the future of city racing beyond 2027, and recently commissioned Deloitte Australia to evaluate all alternatives.
“We want to make sure that we can achieve what is best for the sport in NSW and its participants, not just for 2027, but for the long-term future of greyhound racing here in this State,” GRNSW Chief Executive Officer Steve Griffin said.
“We have commissioned Deloitte to work on the SMRP project, and they will consider all of the alternatives and scenarios and report their recommendations to GRNSW. These will then be evaluated by the SMRP panel, our executive team, and presented to the GRNSW Board for strategic consideration.
“I must thank the Penrith Mayor Todd Carney for showing his support of our sport and his support of the local club and participants in his region.”
