News

19 June 2021

OPEN LETTER TO VICTORIAN GREYHOUND RACING PARTICIPANTS

NO CONFIDENCE IN GREYHOUND RACING VICTORIA (GRV) - A call to action

The Greyhound Owners Trainers and Breeders Association of Victoria Inc (GOTBA Vic) represents Victorian greyhound racing participants.

We no longer have confidence in Greyhound Racing Victoria (GRV).  Nor should you.

GOTBA Vic believes Victorian greyhound participants need to take action for fair pay, fair treatment and safe racing.  

Action will occur, first on 3 July 2021.  We have support from large, medium and small kennels for it.  Stand together to get change.

Stay tuned for further details.

THE GOALS

ISSUE	GOAL
Safe racing	GRV to commit in writing to a 5 and 10 year club works program, with a committed funding path, implementing key recommendation of major independent track safety reports.
Fair pay - Participant returns	GRV written commitment to return 50% of its gross annual income to participants annually, on and from 1 July 2022, to fix continued slide in participant share of the sport’s income.
Fair treatment	A commitment to introduce contaminant threshold levels across a range of commonly found feed and environment contaminants. By appointment only private property inspections in all circumstances save where a rule breach affecting greyhound welfare is known or reasonably suspected.  Basis for knowledge or suspicion to be delivered in writing on inspection. A commitment to not pursue rule/policy changes without publicly released cost / benefit analysis,  prior participant input and pre-change written feedback on consideration of that input.
GRV management	Independent external costs review of GRV administration, to be publicly released.

WHY THIS IS CRITICAL

For many years your GOTBA has advocated, from a participant perspective, issues that have real impact on the lives of participants and the care and welfare of their greyhounds.  Since 2015, participants have driven and effected necessary change, at significant financial and other cost.   

For several years, but again recently, GOTBA Vic has raised concerns re track safety, sinking participant returns per race / as a share of GRV income, and participant fairness.  We have done this with GRV, the Office of Racing and the Minister.   Issues are well past critical.

In GRV, under its current leadership, we have an arrogant, disingenuous (see table in Schedule 1) administration, hardwired to put participants last, usually under cover of faux marketing speak.  You are not respected in action.  Consultation is only a catchphrase.  Promises of change made and then immediately forgotten are standard. 

GRV changes nothing in lasting form, offers more of the same and its fellow bureaucrats support that. 

Fair pay

On participant returns, on a per race/meeting basis (the only basis that matters), Victoria has gone from first Australia wide to near last under the current administration.  It is Australia’s most costly per meeting greyhound jurisdiction to run racing.  Participation costs – compliance, basic feed, ancillary racing (eg catching) costs - have mushroomed in this time.  When last reported, participants received LESS PER MEETING ON AVERAGE THAN 6 YEARS AGO.

GRV has for seven years driven participant % returns lower to fund exploding wage bills for administrators, consultant fees and media contracts.   The money is not going to clubs (particularly coursing).  It has not gone to infrastructure.   Participants returns have been – are - diverted to the tune of $7m -$10m per year.

Major, permanent change is needed. This is not all about individual increases.

In March 2021 GRV refused point blank to guarantee ANY minimum % return of its income to participants.  You (therefore your greyhounds too) do NOT get a fair share.  Check out the table at the end of this letter.

‘Record prizemoney’ is a charade. On prizemoney, GRV will likely return in financial year 20-21 the lowest % of its revenue to participants this century: disguised under cover of unwarranted – and unconsulted – race program expansion used to fund administrative cost blowout. 

This expansion strategy is bad for you, bad for your ability to care for dogs, bad for the ability to rehome more of them and bad for track safety (trial and race load on tracks with persistently long-term underfunded infrastructure).

We no longer have confidence in GRV permanently giving fair pay to participants.

Safe racing

On track safety, GRV has failed to action many independent expert track safety recommendations.  Capital expenditure was habitually deferred pre-COVID to minimise GRV losses. 

Despite major trainers in 2020 coming together with track preparation concerns in crisis meetings in which promises were made by GRV, we still see, for example, unsafe racing and major injuries after extensive harrowing of tracks far too close to meetings/trials.

We no longer have confidence in GRV ensuring safe racing.

Fair treatment

On participant fairness, GRV refuses to recognise the impact of the extensive issue of feed or other cross-contamination and actively promotes rules or policies that treat participants like criminals in all but name for obviously accidental occurrences, where race and welfare impact is non-existent.  It recently, with a tin ear, indicated a doubling down of this.  

GRV refuses to listen to and action real concerns.  It routinely approves rule changes, then ‘consults’ on them.  There is a distinct culture at GRV of treating participants as little more than serfs.

We no longer have confidence in GRV treating participants fairly and respectfully.

WHY PARTICPANT ACTION IS NEEDED

GOTBA Vic has received no comfort from GRV that the current administration gets it, or participant anger. 

GRV tries to freeze out critics.  Pushed into any corner, it makes long term, vague ‘promises’ that it bins.  No change will happen…unless you make it happen.

GRV will respect participants only through collective action that continues until goals are achieved.

We call on Victorian participants.  Nothing will change unless you make it.

THE COMMITTEE

GOTBA VICTORIA

Arrogance and unfairness – in GRV’s own words and figures (all figures GRV reports)

	2013/14 (unless stated)	2018/19 – BEFORE COVID	2019/20 – DURING COVID
Ave prizemoney per meeting held	$39,029	$39,108 (a reduction, inflation adjusted)	$38,147 (real reduction)
Race meetings held	1071	1189	1198
GRV total annual revenue	$78.3m	$103.6m (up 32%)	$106.7m
% total prizemoney to GRV revenue [1% = ¬ $1m in 18/19, 19/20]	53.4%	44.9% (down 8.5%)	42.9% (down 2%) – including a $800k REDUCTION in prizemoney despite more meetings/races
PRIZEMONEY IF 50% MIN RETURN of GRV INCOME to PARTICIPANTS	$39.15m	$51.8m ($5.3m more than actually paid)	$53.35m ($7.65m more than actually paid)
GRV’s attitude on display – COVID – GRV expenses v Participants Peita DUNCAN (GRV Chair) to GOTBA Vic in writing April 2020:  "In order to minimise the impact of COVID-19, GRV has recently commenced its implementation of our substantial cost containment strategy to help drive significant cost reductions across the business, while also seeking to protect stake money." Minister Pakula: Public Accounts and Estimates Committee June 2020:  Greyhound Racing Victoria has advised that it has reduced its administrative costs during the COVID-19 pandemic by approximately $860,000 per month. WHAT HAPPENED = right hand column (note above: prizemoney DROPPED…)
GRV annual expenses (non-prizemoney, non-infrastructure)	(2014/15) $28.1m	$52.8m (up 86%)	$56.7m (up from 18/19)
Administrative costs	(14/15) $5.17m	$12.67m	$14.37m - (up from 18/19)
Employees (FTEs)	(14/15) 87	180 (up > 100%)	192 (up from 18/19)
Employee cost - annual	(15/16) $11m	$24m (up >100%)	$25m (up from 18/19)
GRV board wages/expenses	(15/16) $367,000	$671,000 (up 83%)	$836,000 (up from 18/19)
GRV CEO total remuneration	(15/16 – annualised) $375-385k	$430-440k	$430-440k (same)

We have suffered this long enough.  

Actions - actions - suggest Greyhound Racing Victoria, and the Racing Minister, hold almost no interest in:

• Victorian greyhound racing participants sharing fairly in the fruits of their own increasing labour; or
• braking the most bloated, inefficient public sports administration in Australian racing (maybe Australian sport?).

The problem is this:  Victorian participants receive less average per meeting prizemoney now than they did 6 years ago, despite industry income being almost $30m higher annually. Victoria pays the 4th or 5th highest average per race prizemoney in Australia while working participants harder than anywhere else, and we are straining, and failing, under the weight of increased costs in all areas.

We expect that in 20/21 GRV will return the lowest % of its income to Victorian greyhound racing participants this century.  It slides ever lower.

This is shameful. Other jurisdictions must laugh at us, while we are sat on by bureaucracy for whom increasing this year's salary / stipend seems to matter more than improving, in real terms, the lot of those who work in the sport and actually bear all its risks and burdens.

The problem is GRV management

In GRV, you have Australia's biggest but still highest cost - excluding prizemoney - provider of greyhound racing.  Numbers don't lie.  The GRV equivalent cost of running greyhound racing in several other States is half of that in Victoria.   

GRV may be one of Australia's only sports administrations that INCREASED administration costs in the first year of COVID - but under CEO Alan Clayton it has never done anything else.  

As to attitude, GRV works to the future soundbite, not future substance. 

Its most recent sleight of hand is to keep expanding the size of the racing calendar, against any medium term rationale (particularly adoption scope, on GRV's own figures) to do it, to lay claim to paying 'record [overall]  prizemoney', while reducing average per race returns to participants. 

This financial year GRV is projected to raise overall participant returns by 12%, but only by increasing the number of race meetings by 13%. This is tired, but very standard GRV chicanery, burdening participants with the work while in reducing returns.  GRV will of course, mention the former figure only in its headlines. 

It's the equivalent of requiring a full extra day's work and paying ONLY participants less than proper rate for it (not stewards or administrators - they get full rates).  If this was tried in the public service...

Whether in letters, meetings, faux consultative groups - whatever - we just don't see any evidence that GRV management gets that continually driving down participant 'per kennel' returns, despite massive participant cost increases, is terrible for people and greyhounds alike.  

Being more realistic about it, this administration, and we include the GRV board here based on its actions alone, probably just does not care - the focus on a board report line item at the expense of the real costs of real people is a travesty.   

How does GRV do this? 

GRV cares about the Minister and the media.  Nothing else. 

GRV does what it gets away with doing.  

In the Racing Minister, we have an overseer who we have plenty of time for, but who on this issue - prizemoney and administration - seemingly doesn't apply a telescope to GRV and its board, let alone the microscope required.  

We show this below.

GOTBA Vic 2020 correspondence to the Minister and 2021 response

In 2020, after the horror show 2020 GRV Annual Report - 30% senior executive salary cost increases in a pandemic are ok at GRV! - we wrote to the Minister, highlighting GRV's apparently misleading statements to both GOTBA Vic and the Minister, its poor financial performance, and asking for his assistance.

The solution is clear: mandate or direct a minimum return to participants of 50% of GRV revenue.

Here is our correspondence to the Minister - GOTBA Vic -Letter Minister - GRV Annual Report 2020.pdf

Here's his response months later - Letter - GOTBA - Racing Minister.pdf

The Minister's response is a mishmash of GRV management talking points that avoids almost every key indicia of what we pointed out or asked.

It does not - because it cannot - deny that GRV runs Australia's most expensive (excl prizemoney) greyhound administration, its prizemoney performance is poor, and that GRV increased its admin and office spending during COVID despite telling the Minister and GOTBA Vic it was massively cutting it.

The response proposes nothing, not even in response to GRV's 'costs containment' initiative that, erm, resulted in increased costs. Well, unless by cost containment what was meant was prizemoney containment.

What does this mean?

The Racing Minister is content with the status quo or cares insufficiently to do anything about obvious problems. 

GRV current management is the status quo.

If you are a greyhound racing participant and know that you are being incredibly badly shafted by an administration that is content to feed at the trough at your expense, then you need to take matters into your own hands.

If we want change, it needs to come from our own hand and action. 

More to follow.

Lynton Hogan

President GOTBA Vic 

The Greyhound Owners Trainers and Breeders Association of Victoria recently made a detailed submission to Greyhounds Australasia's National Rules review. 

We encourage you to read our submissions - GOTBA Vic - Letter GA Rules.pdf  and GOTBA Vic - comments GA Rules.pdf

We coordinated closely with participant bodies in other States.  The NSW GBOTA, as well as Greyhound Participants Australia, have made similar submissions.

Participants need to be listened to.

We are told there will be a further round of consultation - public - in the near future.  

Again, participants need to be listened to.

GOTBA Vic Committee

The GOTBA Vic committee believes that Victorian greyhound racing needs to step up its game.  Participants are undervalued.

Our key priorities in 2021 are a fair share of prizemoney return into the long term (50% of GRV revenue), a refocus on rehoming, and safer track surfaces.  On the first issue in particular, participants are suffering.

Our position on these and other important issues are attached - GOTBA Key Priorities and Positions.pdf

GOTBA Vic held its AGM online via Zoom on 29 November 2020.

Results of Committee Elections

Six members were elected or re-elected to the Committee at the AGM:

• Carly Feltham - current Treasurer;
• Gayle Osborne - current Secretary;
• Noel McMahon - current committee member;
• Aaron Campbell - newly elected;
• Sean Lithgow - newly elected; and
• Greg Doyle - newly elected.

I welcome them back or, in the case of Aaron, Sean and Greg, on to the committee.  It's exciting to see their passion and willingness to be involved in representing the interests of participants.

Those members together with me, Rob Britton, Jason Sharp and Stan Ralph make up the GOTBA Committee.

Members should feel free to raise queries/issues with committee members as required.

The Committee will convene in the near future to determine officeholders.

President's Report

Members will have received a copy of the President's Report presented at the meeting to their email address.  

A copy is also here - 2020 AGM President’s Report.pdf. 

We face some key challenges in the coming year and thank all members and participants generally for their support.

Lynton Hogan

President

AGM 2020: reminder and reports

Our AGM will be held online Sunday 29 November 2020, at 6.30pm, via Zoom.

Members will soon receive a reminder email (and, separately, a SMS) with a registration link for the meeting: by clicking on that link and providing short details, you will then receive an email with a link to attend the meeting itself, for use at 6.30pm on 29 November.

The reminder email contains a link to my President's Report for 2020. 

In addition, both the President's Report and GOTBA Vic's financial statement for 2020 are also available on our website - AGM Reports (member log-in required).

Members nominated for our committee

As noted in our AGM notice, there are 6 committee positions to be filled at the AGM.

We have received a total of 7 valid nominations.  Unless there is a withdrawal prior to the AGM, an election will be held at the AGM, by poll.  Only those members in attendance may vote.

The members who have nominated for the positions are:

1.       Gayle Osborne – current committee member, GOTBA Vic secretary

2.       Carly Feltham – current committee member (casual vacancy appointment), GOTBA Vic treasurer;

3.       Noel McMahon – current committee member (casual vacancy appointment)

4.       Aaron Campbell

5.       Greg Doyle

6.       Scott James

7.       Sean Lithgow

GOTBA Vic Committee

NOTICE OF ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING

The Greyhound Owners Trainers & Breeders Association of Victoria, Inc. (Reg No: A0017661V ABN 67 306 599 068) (GOTBA Vic) annual general meeting for 2020 will be held via an online webinar, open to members on 29 November 2020 from 6.30pm AEDST.

All members are invited to (and encouraged to) attend the online AGM.

If you wish to attend the AGM, and are a member, you need to:

1. Pre-register ahead of the meeting by sending an email to the GOTBA Vic Secretary at gotbav@gmail.com, subject “Attending the AGM”, or calling 0423 357 620.
2. Click on the registration link that will then be sent to you by the GOTBA Vic Secretary, filling in short details: this will take 1-2 minutes to do. You will then be sent a personal confirmation email titled GOTBA VIC - 2020 Annual General Meeting Confirmation containing your personal attendance link for the meeting.  This assists us to ensure that attendees are members.
3. (Shortly prior to 6.30pm on 29 November 2020) Click on the attendance link or otherwise follow directions in the confirmation email to join the meeting.

We will endeavour to start the meeting at 6.30pm on 29/11/20, subject to a quorum being in attendance at that time. 

The Committee will endeavour to ensure that members are able to ask questions as well as make comments. Members can submit questions to the GOTBA Vic Secretary by email in writing up to 48 hours before the AGM - gotbav@gmail.com. We will also, as time / technology allows, take (1) oral questions (2) questions via the online platform using the ‘Q&A’ function, at the AGM itself subject to connectivity of your device.

Business of the meeting will include: president and treasurer reports, election of committee members (if required, up to 6 positions), general discussion.

Voting will be by online poll. Ordinary members are entitled to vote. 

Registered attendees will be sent, prior to the AGM, a copy of the President’s Report and Treasurer’s Report. These will be made available on our website also – www.gotbav.org.au . We will endeavour to have documents available on screen during their presentation at the AGM.

If you have been a member for at least 12 months and wish to nominate for the GOTBA Vic Committee, nomination forms can be downloaded from the GOTBA website www.gotbav.org.au or you can request a form to be sent via phone/SMS on 0423 357 620 or email gotbav@gmail.com. These nomination forms, completed, will need to be returned to the GOTBA Vic Secretary by email no later than 14 days before the AGM.

Notice in PDF - 2020 NOTICE OF GOTBA VIC AGM.pdf

GOTBA Victoria

The Greyhound Owners Trainers and Breeders Association of Victoria Inc is a volunteer organisation that represents participants across the Victorian greyhound racing industry.  In any given week, members are associated with around 50% of the greyhounds in the race program. 

Much has happened in greyhound racing since my last report in April 2020.  One small thing: GRV no longer publishes these reports in the Greyhound Monthly.  It says for reasons of space.  You can form your own views on this: but we call out inconvenient issues from time to time where it is in the interests of members and/or their greyhounds to do so.  We will publish elsewhere.

CONTINUING RACING DURING STAGE 4 – A HUGE EFFORT BY ALL

We are still racing, even in Stage 4 restrictions.  That is a great effort that reflects well on everyone in the sport – from administrators and staff at clubs and GRV, the Office of Racing and most of all to the participants working hard under even more difficult conditions than normal. 

Well done to everyone.

TRACK SAFETY, PRIZEMONEY AND THE RACING PROGRAM

The last 3 months have however brought to the forefront again some big, longstanding issues in Victorian greyhound racing.  They are not going and will not go away.

Track safety 

GOTBA Vic has been actively liaising with GRV and the Office of Racing for some time on the need for detailed track base and drainage scoping and work to be completed industry-wide, consistently with advice.  This is NOT a single track or club issue, nor is it any reflection on track staff who work very hard, often absent assistance that would come through targeted drainage and base works. 

In early August, before recent meeting abandonments, the issue came to a head. GOTBA Vic and a group of major trainers, in frustration, highlighted serious concerns to GRV on major injuries and organised meetings with GRV management on the issue.  We are keeping close track of this – we want action.

GOTBA Vic is calling on the GRV Board to re-examine its data, TALK to us and to trainers and act on these valid concerns, for the benefit of participants and their greyhounds.

Costs of participation and prizemoney 

COVID has exacerbated the issue of increasing costs in greyhound racing. It costs enormously more to bring a dog to racing, and keep it racing, than ever before.  Perhaps surprisingly, racing authorities across the nation have seen huge increases in wagering revenue, particularly from corporate bookmakers, in times of COVID.  

It’s way, way past time in Victoria for a fair share for participants.  That requires not incremental change, but a step change.

No-one looking objectively at GRV annual reports pre-COVID could fail to notice that participant per race/meeting returns have barely moved in seven years while GRV’s income and other expenses have continued to skyrocket. 

Victoria now lags behind jurisdictions which continue – even in the last few days (SA and NSW) - to increase participant returns on a per race basis.  SA has put a percentage revenue share in place.

This is not about greed, but basic equity.  The issue existed well before COVID - see below, for example, Grade 5 prizemoney at Lvl 1 (city) and 2 (country) almost eight years apart in Victoria (many underlying costs have almost DOUBLED in this time):

Level 1 – 2012 and 2020	Level 2 – 2013 and 2020
Meadows - Grade 5, 525m - Sat 10 Nov 2012 1st - $5,000, 2nd - $1,430, 3rd $720 Meadows Grade 5, 525m Sat 15 Aug 2020 1st - $5,280, 2nd - $1,510, 3rd $760	Sale - Grade 5, 440m - Sun 6 January 2013 1st - $1,325, 2nd $375, 3rd $190 Sale - Grade 5, 440m - Sun 23 August 2020 1st - $1,405, 2nd $400, 3rd $200

The above is context.  GOTBA Vic survey results – out formally soon – show that 88% of participants are dissatisfied with prizemoney, with more than half saying that their participation is being endangered.  Third party greyhound ownership is not viable for Lvl 3 prizemoney.  It is tenuous at Lvl 2 prizemoney.  More than 70% of recently polled participants demanded prizemoney increases in priority to other subsidies/amounts.

Rumours of prizemoney increases in Victoria abound, but we are now at a tipping point.   

Be aware of GRV marketing  announcements on ‘record prizemoney’ or ‘top-ups’ – often tiny overall increases paid purely because of expansion of the racing calendar (ie more races) at Level 3, or even simply ensuring that already allocated / previously committed prizemoney is actually paid out.  Call it out.  It matters in the long run.

GOTBA Vic wants real per race prizemoney increases in Victoria and a stated, guaranteed minimum % total GRV revenue return to participants of not less than 53% into the medium term, with open data on GRV revenue circulated publicly monthly by GRV to participants to ensure that this is occurring.

We will have more to say on this.  GOTBA Vic awaits keenly GRV’s annual report for 2019/20.  We will be analysing it very closely.

Racing calendar

GRV is currently expanding its racing calendar from 23 meetings per week to as many as 26-27 per week over the next year or so. 

GOTBA Vic is not satisfied there is a proper, medium-term considered case for an increased Victorian racing program, and certainly not a more Lvl 3 prizemoney (as opposed to grade) focused program.  There are no 66% cost greyhounds.  More meetings has medium and long-term costs (including after racing) borne by participants.  It alters where Victorian greyhound racing sits compared to other States. It is not justified purely by being able to fill additional meetings during current COVID restrictions.

The focus should be on making the existing calendar as efficient as possible within the existing program, and increasing per race returns.

A CODA

Crises do end. Sometimes they have silver linings.  One effect of them is to give perspective on what is important, and what is not.   The present crisis shows just how important people are, and how ongoing participation by those who provide the product can be tenuous. The time will come for a re-examination, with that perspective, of how the sport best runs, and whether and how the sport and its various stakeholders can and should do better than the old status quo into the future.

A pdf version of this is here:2020-8 GOTBA Vic President’s Report.pdf

LYNTON HOGAN, President GOTBA Vic

24 August 2020

Code of Practice: EHMP annual review AND updated GOTBA version Emergency Euthanasia Protocol

The Code of Practice for the Keeping of Racing Greyhounds has been in operation for almost 6 months. There have been many challenges that will have tested procedures for keeping greyhounds in this time, particularly biosecurity and isolation issues.

The time for your required annual review of your Establishment Health Management Plan by the Person in Charge (Jan 1 for many establishments) will get here quicker than you think.  What has worked? What hasn't?  Are changes needed?  Are those changes permitted? These will be things to consider by the end of the year.  Start early if you can.

Remember: if you do make changes to those protocols that needed to be vet-signed originally, those changes will also need to be signed in due course. 

Changes to GOTBA's EHMP - Emergency Euthanasia Protocol

Following correspondence with GRV, GOTBA Vic has updated its version of the Emergency Euthanasia Protocol (EEP) within its example Establishment Health Management Plan.

The update is available both alone and within a consolidated document on our (member only) examples page - Code of Practice: EXAMPLE EHMP and Protocols .

For participants who put in place the prior GOTBA version EEP, you should replace it when next visiting your EHMP vet (which at minimum will involve your vet initialling a replacement EEP), and then update their own EHMP records and practices accordingly.  You are, of course, not bound to use the GOTBA (or any other) version, but the version used must contain approved persons and approved methods.

Our version, as amended, only contains an approved method of emergency euthanasia in location that is undertaken by, or is under the immediate real-time supervision (including remote) of a vet.  Intentionally, neither our previous nor our current version of the emergency euthanasia protocol refers to use of a firearm.  

If you previously contacted us by email to obtain our earlier EHMP example, we will reach out to you.

GOTBA Committee

June 2020 

 

Injuries are a real issue in Victorian greyhound racing. And anecdotally an increasing one.

Below is a Greyhound Monthly President's Report that GRV declined to publish on recent track injuries and better recording them to find solutions.

GRV has declined to publish a report once before - in 2018 on prizemoney. We'll leave you to judge why that is.

---------------------

Major injuries after races and trials: the importance of collecting and sharing information

Welfare of the racing greyhound and track safety are matters of the highest priority to all greyhound racing participants.  Maximising these things as far as is possible is a common goal of all of us.

Over the summer months, GOTBA Vic has received feedback from members about an apparent uptick in the occurrence of significant injuries – fractured bones, significant tendon or muscle injuries - to greyhounds at the time of, or shortly after, the racing and (particularly) trialling of greyhounds at race tracks.  We recognise that not only are such injuries a greyhound welfare issue, but they cause stress and loss to those who are associated with, and care for, the greyhounds involved.

Many of us may suspect as a matter of experience and anecdote that track safety or preparation (admittedly in often difficult conditions) may over-contribute to major injury occurrence, but we do not always perfectly understand why that may be the case.

Getting to the bottom of why major injuries occur is a difficult, but necessary, task that requires cooperation from multiple players in the sport.  At the moment, we have at best an incomplete understanding of even the frequency of major injuries – those diagnosed after a race meeting or in consequence of trials may be known only to owners and trainers. 

Without that understanding, we hamper our ability to determine root causes so as to best ensure that we minimise major injuries in the future. 

Given this, we encourage trainers to do the following for major injuries to greyhounds in their kennel, as a kennel-wide record:

·         write down what they are and when they occur or are diagnosed (in addition to any obligation to keep a record of injuries in your Code of Practice individual greyhound record);

·         in the same place, note where the greyhound has trialled or raced in the lead up to the injury (particularly if the injury obviously arose as a result of a trial session or arose after a race meeting and was not otherwise included in steward reports);

·         be prepared to share this information with GRV and others in the industry.

An example:

Date of occurrence/diagnosis	Greyhound	Major injury	Trial or race beforehand?	Track trialled/raced, when
9 Jan 2020	Extra Fast	Broken hock	Trial	Meadows, 9/1/20

 

The more data available, the more that potential causes can be analysed and addressed – for example if major injuries occur disproportionately to greyhounds who trial at particular tracks, then the regulator, clubs and participants may be able to better understand why this has occurred and be able to take efficient corrective action.

GOTBA Vic would encourage trainers to let us know the above information for their kennel over the last 12 months – send us an email – gotbav@gmail.com  - with the subject line, ‘Major injuries in my kennel: Type, Time and Tracks Raced/Trialled’.

Lynton Hogan

President GOTBA Vic