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LATEST NEWS
Bill Buccilli’s view from the “coalface”
Newly appointed GRV Board member, Bill Buccilli, believes his time at the “coalface” of the greyhound business will hold him in good stead as he takes up his new role. The Melbourne-born real estate company director, Bill has had a successful career as an owner and breeder with his cousin Serge. They have partnered in successful racing syndicates which have produced winning performers such as Bewildering, Extreme Magic, Melbourne Cup winner Black Magic Opal and Black Opium which won the Sapphire Crown and the Brisbane Cup last year. And around the state Black Magic Opal has chalked up cup wins at Geelong and Warrnambool. For Bill, his coalface connection with the sport has delivered great enjoyment. “We’ve been fortunate – we’ve bred well and been in a lot of Group 1 finals, but have not always won, but there is no greater thrill than seeing your dog racing,” Bill said. Bill sees his new role as being able to deliver a personal perspective and knowledge from an active owner and breeder. More importantly Bill is keen to be part of the growth of the sport and being able to pass on his experience of the industry to the growing number of younger trainers and potential owners. “For me, I believe this position has come at the right time,” he said.
“I am hopeful that I can be part of the continued growth of the industry and engagement with younger participants. I know with my own family and friends, many of whom had no knowledge or interest in greyhound racing, once they see success they want to get involved.” From an insider’s view Bill says there is “definitely interest in greyhound racing” it’s just a matter of harnessing that interest and spreading the message.
Taking care of business – a new look at Traralgon greyhounds
While plenty has been happening with the redevelopment of the Traralgon greyhound racetrack, quite a bit more has been happening behind the scenes. With track redevelopment on schedule and trialling and racing likely to start in October, many of the unseen changes to the back end of operating a successful sporting and community facility have been powering ahead. And it’s many of the “unseen” changes that will position Traralgon to be a force in Gippsland greyhound racing. Among these intangibles is the club’s community commitment and engagement where it provides Traralgon and surrounding clubs and organisations access to its new facilities for community activities. Traralgon Greyhound Racing Club Manager, Steve Clarke, said the redevelopment of the track had provided the catalyst to make significant business restructuring moves which will go towards securing the club’s future. “As with any business there are a number of fixed costs over which you have little discretion,” Steve said. “It’s more a matter of how you manage these that determines the success or otherwise of any business. And it is addressing these fixed costs that has given us the opportunities to implement significant savings. “An example of this is our electricity bill of $75,000 per year and then there is our water charges at $28,000. Both services are essential to the operation of the business and are set by local government and other agencies, so we needed to find ways of reducing these costs. We needed to change the way the club was structured.” The redevelopment at Traralgon will see the introduction solar power and LED lighting, not just on the racetrack but throughout the entire complex. Instead of 24-hour a day refrigeration units, the club has installed a cool room to reduce power costs, with the installation of solar power providing significant reduction in the daytime cost of electricity. “Greyhound Racing Victoria, its CEO Alan Clayton and TGRC Board have been extremely supportive of our efforts in this area and with the introduction of solar alone we are looking at reducing our electricity cost by about 35 per cent – that’s a saving of about $18,000 a year,” Steve said. “Part of our restructure was looking at ways the club better managed its funding from Greyhound Racing Victoria which could ultimately result in these monies being directed to other initiatives such as increased prize money and infrastructure upgrades. “Over the next five years we plan to double our solar capacity and by doing that and reducing our power consumption we are hoping to be cost neutral with our daytime power costs. All up we could reduce our electricity costs by up to 75 per cent. “And it’s the same with water costs. We use a significant amount of water on race days for track safety and it’s all town supply. By doubling the capacity of our on-site dam and being able to supplement our town supply usage we expect to be able to further reduce these fixed costs.”
Then there is the community aspect of the new development. The Traralgon club has always been a host to a range of local sporting, social and school groups. With the new upgraded facilities, the club has put a proposal to Latrobe City Council for a rate and rent reduction under the council’s policy to give consideration to reductions by offsetting the club’s community engagement. The club has almost 30,000 people a year using its facilities on non-race days. Part of its community engagement will be the new super-size semaphore screen which will be made available as an outdoor cinema for community fund raising activities on non-race days. As the days count down to its reopening, TGRC is looking to a winning future.
“J Curve” Charts Rise of New Traralgon Greyhound Track
The first single-turn greyhound racetrack in Australia is on course for completion in Traralgon by the end of the year –with majority funding contributed by the Andrews Labor Government. Minister for Racing Martin Pakula confirmed a $3 million investment from the Victorian Racing Industry Fund towards construction of the “J” track, with Greyhound Racing Victoria contributing $2 million. The “J” track design was developed following research by the University of Technology Sydney into risk management and extensive modelling on how to reduce physical stress on greyhounds during racing. It features one turn and a 300-metre straight. The $5 million Traralgon project also includes a pedestrian underpass and central access path for trainers, stewards and other participants, along with new lighting, irrigation and broadcast facilities. The works are creating around 200 jobs. Prior to the closure of the old track, the Traralgon Greyhound Racing Club held 106 race meetings and 192 trials annually. Since 2014 the Labor Government has approved more than $3.36 million to support infrastructure projects and race meetings at Traralgon Greyhound Racing Club. The greyhound racing industry in Gippsland generates almost $50 million for the economy and supports more than 420 full-time-equivalent jobs. “It will be fantastic to see greyhound racing return to Traralgon on a track that breaks new ground in Australia. Animal welfare is paramount, and this is an innovation built on research and science.”
Minister for Racing Martin Pakula
Member for Eastern Victoria Harriet Shing
Greyhound Racing Victoria chair Peita Duncan
Check out every Pink Diamond winner along with their trainer and breeder.
Race 1 – $33,405 MAIDEN SHORT COURSE FINAL (425m)
1 DIAMOND ABILITY (Anthony Azzopardi / Kylee Osborne) 2 McINERNEY (Tim Britton / Noel Mugavin) 3 MEPUNGA GRACE (Jeff Britton / Barry Smith) 23.98sec https://watchdog.grv.org.au/meeting/662705767/race/1
Race 2 – $33,405 MAIDEN SPRINTER FINAL (500m)
1 WEBLEC RAIDER (Angela Langton / Champagne Syn) 2 TRENDING ROOKIE (Andrea Dailly / Dailly Greyhound Farms Syn) 3 MYSTIFY KICK (Brett Mackie / Robert Mowat) 28.11sec https://watchdog.grv.org.au/meeting/662705767/race/2
Race 3 – $40,825 ROOKIE SHORT COURSE FINAL (425m)
1 TIME FOR PEACE (Tina Womann / Rose Geall) 2 MASKED AVENGER (Joe Borg / Rod Oppenhuis) 3 REBELLIOUS (Jason Thompson / D & M Puleio Syn) 23.81sec https://watchdog.grv.org.au/meeting/662705767/race/3
Race 4 – $40,825 ROOKIE DISTANCE FINAL (660m)
1 MEPUNGA RUBY (Jeff Britton / Barry Smith) 2 MAJOR SACRIFICE (Jason Thompson / D & M Puleio Syn) 3 CELL BLOCK TANGO (Shane Fisher / Shane Fisher) 37.72sec https://watchdog.grv.org.au/meeting/662705767/race/4
1 AUSSIE SECRET (Jason Thompson / Robert Bean) 2 DR. KNUCKLES (William McMahon / William McMahon) 3 FERDINAND BOY (David Geall / Rose Geall) 23.77sec https://watchdog.grv.org.au/meeting/662705767/race/5
Race 6 – $120,750 CHAMPION DISTANCE FINAL (660m)
1 FIVE STAR (Paul Abela / Dean Baker) 2 MY FATHER’S SON (Michael Chilcott / Greysynd Whispers Syn) 3 MEPUNGA WARRIOR (Jeff Britton / Barry Smith) 37.58sec https://watchdog.grv.org.au/meeting/662705767/race/6
Race 7 – $40,825 ROOKIE SPRINTER FINAL (500m)
1 KOBLENZ (David Geall / Rose Geall) 2 ASTON FASTNET (Jason Thompson / Ray Borda) 3 EARN THE ANSWERS (Lyn Smith / Lyn Smith) 27.67sec https://watchdog.grv.org.au/meeting/662705767/race/7
Race 8 – $120,750 CHAMPION SPRINTER FINAL (500m)
1 SHIMA SHINE (Andrea Dailly / Davrob Syn) 2 ASTON RUPEE (Glenn Rounds / Ray Borda) 3 CATCH THE THIEF (Jason Thompson / Des Dooley) 27.74sec https://watchdog.grv.org.au/meeting/662705767/race/8
Race 9 – $20,410 PRINCESS (500m)
1 SWEET PETIT (Daryl Holmes / Lesley Holmes) 2 TAYLOR’S JEWEL (Kerry Houlahan / Cherie Ivers) 3 MANIA (Natalie Presutto / See The Dream Syn) 28.38sec https://watchdog.grv.org.au/meeting/662705767/race/9
Race 10 – $20,410 VETERAN (425m)
1 IDES OF JEBRYNAH (Bryan Sykes / Bryan Sykes) 2 LAYBACK CRUISER (Jess Grima / Andrea Gurry) 3 KILPATRICK (Benjamin George / Shane Flynn) 24.07sec https://watchdog.grv.org.au/meeting/662705767/race/10
Race 11 – $12,705 CHALLENGER SPRINTER (500m)
1 COLLINDA PATTY (Jason Thompson / Stephanie Tyler) 2 ERNIE PRANG (Ian Cockerell / Bag Of Lollys Syn) 3 KING OF ALL (Greg Doyle / Greg Doyle) 27.74sec https://watchdog.grv.org.au/meeting/662705767/race/11
Race 12 – $12,705 CHALLENGER SHORT COURSE (425m)
1 ASTON LIGHTS (Tanya Sincock / Michelle Westerveld) 2 ELLIOTT NESS (Garry Johnson / Rose Geall) 3 ASTON RESORT (Graeme Jose / Ray Borda) 23.95sec https://watchdog.grv.org.au/meeting/662705767/race/12
GREYHOUND WELFARE AND RE-HOMING REPORT
BY DR GAVIN GOBLE BVSC, GENERAL MANAGER, GREYHOUND WELFARE AND RE-HOMING
VACCINATIONS FOR GREYHOUNDS
The Code of Practice requires all greyhounds to have a current C5 vaccination. Please speak to your veterinarian about when your greyhounds are next due for a vaccination and ensure your Kennel Cough vaccine is up to date. Just a reminder that the vaccination requirements for acceptance into GAP are more specific, so please check with GRV if you are planning to get a vaccination for this purpose. These requirements are also on the GAP page of this magazine. In addition to recording your greyhound’s vaccinations in its Greyhound Record, please also provide GRV with copies of your vaccination certificates for GRV to upload into FastTrack so there is a permanent record. This is particularly important if you are considering, or are already, breeding from your greyhound. These vaccination certificates are required to keep the Pink Card active.
GRV’s NEW Desexing and Dental Scheme
On 1 July 2021 GRV launched a new Desexing and Dental Scheme for retired greyhounds. The purpose of the scheme is to financially support participants to desex their greyhounds prior to rehoming to a third party or a community rehoming group; or after retirement as a pet to themselves or another participant. Desexing greyhounds prior to retirement is an important step in promoting adoption success and is a Code requirement when rehoming a greyhound into the community. To be eligible for the scheme, a greyhound must: ■ be retired on FastTrack as a pet to a Victorianregistered participant (e.g., Pet-Owner or Pet-Trainer); and
■ currently reside with a Victorian-registered participant; and ■ either have a last racing owner that was Victorianregistered or else have raced in Victoria for at least 3 months under a Victorian trainer. Funding is available up to $500 (incl GST) for a female (or cryptorchid male) or up to $400 (incl GST) for a male greyhound towards a desexing and dental procedure at a Victorian veterinary clinic, payable directly to the veterinary clinic (GRV will issue a voucher to the veterinary clinic on application). If the greyhound has previously been desexed up to $400 (incl GST) is available for dental-only treatment. This exciting new initiative will promote the importance of greyhound wellbeing to the community and support participants in meeting their obligations under the Code of Practice. For more details on the scheme visit https://
greyhoundcare.grv.org.au/rehoming/desexing-and-dental-
scheme/ or call Greyhound Welfare and Rehoming on 03 8329 1100.
Managing behaviour with enrichment
We have probably all experienced at some time situations where greyhounds, particularly those in a kennel environment, are behaving in a way that does not look normal. These abnormal behaviours are often repetitive and/ or are displayed in places or ways they would not normally be seen; for example, pacing, yawning repetitively, pawing, chewing, pacing, bopping or barking excessively. Abnormal behaviours are often a sign a greyhound is stressed. Stress can be both physical (your dog is injured or ill) or environmental (the environment is preventing your dog from displaying normal behaviours). Last month we wrote about Enrichment being essential for the mental health of greyhounds and supporting racing success. We provided some cheap and simple examples of enrichment in the kennel block; such as providing large raw bones, hiding food in objects, and playing the radio or soothing music. In addition to these enrichment ideas, small and regular
variations to routine and environment are very effective in
reducing boredom. Simple changes can include: ■ reversing feeding order once or twice a week, ■ varying exercise and let out order, ■ providing regular opportunities to leave the kennel and experience different environments (e.g., walks, trips to the track or trialling), ■ meeting new people, and ■ spending time with different compatible dogs. Enrichment should reduce abnormal behaviours fairly quickly, however, you may not see them stop all together. This is because the behaviour, once it develops, becomes a coping mechanism for stress. This means that when your greyhound feels stressed, they may resort to this learnt behaviour until you can determine why they are stressed and take action to alleviate the stress.
Is there something else wrong? While abnormal behaviour can be a sign of boredom, it can also indicate something else is wrong, particularly if there is a sudden change in behaviour. A trip to your veterinarian can rule out other causes of abnormal behaviour, such as illness or injury. If enrichment does not result in an improvement in your greyhound’s behaviour, you may also consider seeking help from a dog trainer or a veterinary behaviourist. Please find below some fact sheets that may be useful. ■ https://greyhoundcare.grv.org.au/wp-content/
uploads/2019/12/Abnormal-Behavioursfactsheet-191219.pdf
■ https://fasttrack.blob.core.windows.net/
fasttrackpublic/stewardsHearing/2020/ enrichment%20faqs040f14dd-3a19-4112-a650bb2c5d586ff0.pdf
■ https://greyhoundcare.grv.org.au/wp-content/
uploads/2019/12/GRV-Barking-in-the-Kennel-
Environment-191219.pdf
Updated Breeding Exemption Application Form
The new GRV Breeding Exemption application form is now mandatory. The new form replaces the two-step submission process and simplifies the application process. For more information on the Breeding Exemption Application process and to download the form, please visit https://
greyhoundcare.grv.org.au/breeding/breeding-restriction-
exemption-application/.
