Greyhound Racing New Zealand's (GRNZ) board unanimously voted last month to renovate the Whanganui track as well as to build a straight track. Photo / Bevan Conley
Greyhound Racing New Zealand's (GRNZ) board unanimously voted last month to renovate the Whanganui track as well as to build a straight track. Photo / Bevan Conley
A lack of understanding around what maintenance was required on a sand track led Whanganui's Hatrick Raceway to decline to a level where there was a spike in injuries and deaths among racing dogs.
Greyhound Racing New Zealand's (GRNZ) board unanimously voted last month to renovate the Whanganui track, as well as to build a straight track on the neighbouring thoroughbred racecourse.
The details of the new track were still being worked through with the Wanganui Jockey Club and the racecourse trustees, GRNZ said.
"Owing to the fact there are no corners on straight tracks, where the majority of collisions and injuries occur on circular tracks, these types of tracks are safer for our short-course sprinters," GRNZ said in a statement.
But the failures of the round track that led to it shutting down in September last year were down to a lack of understanding as to what long-term maintenance the course needed, GRNZ chief executive Glenda Hughes said.
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The surface of the track should also be redone every seven years, she said.
Data on injuries and where they were happening was going to now be assessed by a team of engineers and veterinarians "to identify improvements", Hughes said.
Greyhound Racing New Zealand chief executive Glenda Hughes said she wanted a thorough inspection of tracks every 12 months. Photo / Mark Mitchell
"Injuries are multifactorial," she said.
"So sometimes it may be anything... like humans. It's not always the track but it's really important the track is 100 per cent."
Semi-retired veterinarian Dr Malcolm Jansen has worked hundreds of race days at Hatrick and said it was clear the debilitated track led to a spike in injuries.
"And what has become apparent now they've closed the track and taken up all the sand is that apparently a sand loam track like this should be completely taken up and redone once every 10 years," Jansen said.
"No one really knew this so that track has been there since near 2000 and had never been completely taken up."
Former GRNZ chairman and long-time Whanganui trainer John McArthur described the revelations around the sand track and the maintenance needed as "a learning curve for everybody".
"We always used to race on grass and the Aussies came and said you should race on sand.
"Nobody told us the sand tracks had a life."
After six dogs were injured in a single day at the track in September last year, GRNZ halted racing at Hatrick and carried out a review into its safety.
Hughes then sought the help of the University of Technology Sydney's professor of risk management and injury prevention Dr David Eager - an expert on looking at how greyhound injuries can be reduced.
She has also employed a University of Technology Sydney team to assess all of the organisation's greyhound tracks around the country to see where injuries might be persistent and if the surface can be made safer.
Jansen said he expected reductions in greyhound injuries as a result.
But, like the way injuries were a common occurrence for elite athletes, so they were with elite animals, he said.
"You can't get around it, the aim is to minimise the risks."
The greyhound racing industry in Whanganui was largely unaware the sand on the track needed to be turned over or replaced at least every decade. Photo / NZME
That meant keeping the track maintained was crucial.
"No reason why that shouldn't happen," Jansen said.
"You're entirely dependent on how diligently the maintenance on the track is carried out. If the curator doesn't do their job accurately, it puts the dog at risk."
Jansen hoped the Hatrick course would make a comeback because it was a popular Friday night venue to socialise as well as watch the races.
"It developed its own culture over the years. The stand itself has a very nice atmosphere."
McArthur said the closed track had led to him missing out on between $20,000 and $30,000 in race stakes.
He could travel to Palmerston North and race there but chose not to.
"I suppose I'm cutting my nose off to spite my face."
McArthur said he knew of a lot of other trainers who had a hard time getting by in the almost-year it had been since the track closed.
"Whanganui was a community type track, that's all gone away for them."
He said the racecourse had been a good ratepayer for the city and had brought in visitors who spent money here.
"It's been a good thing for Whanganui."
Former trainer Kevin Benson said he knew of many trainers making the trip to Palmerston North to get to races.
He said he hoped the course here returned to its former glory.
"I'm sure it can be built up again to be a good form of entertainment on a Friday night," Benson said.
"It's a good thing for Whanganui just to have more entertainment."
He said he was aware a lot of people were against greyhound racing but described himself as an addict.
"I really love my dogs. I'm for the track."
Animal rights group Safe's campaign manager Anna de Roo said her organisation wanted an immediate ban on all greyhound racing.
She said getting a straight track, as well as having the existing one, would lead to more racing and with that more injuries.
"Racing on a straight track won't stop injuries, as seen in Australia," de Roo said.
"Injuries don't only occur at the first corner, they can occur at the starting box, at the lure due to congestion, and due to the repetitive stress of racing at high speeds."
Safe collates all of the injuries that are reported in GRNZ races and, for the season August 1, 2021, to July 31, 2022, it said there had been 878 injuries.
