Greyhound Racing NSW (GRNSW) is taking another step in its commitment to continuous safety improvement at its racetracks by announcing today that racing at the Richmond Straight track will be conducted behind a drag lure from October 1.
The announcement comes after numerous trials with the drag lure were conducted at Richmond earlier this year. Following consultation with trainers and analysis of the video and data from those trials, a decision has been made to switch from the arm lure - which has been in place since the track was opened in April 2021 - to a new drag lure system.
“We’re very pleased to announce drag lure use at Richmond Straight Track from October 1,” GRNSW CEO Rob Macaulay said. “This follows on from a combination of popular demand and the successful result of the trials already held at Richmond.
“There is good evidence of safety benefits from having dogs more spread out across the track, and good anecdotal evidence from trainers of better chasing from dogs that might be a bit hesitant on the lure in the air.”
Apart from numerous track upgrades around the State, GRNSW is continually looking at a variety of methods to improve the safety in the sport, and the extensive testing and subsequent move to the drag lure continues that commitment.
“We very much thank all the trainers, club staff and stewards who have worked on this process and given their encouragement.”
“GRNSW is committed to doing everything we can do to get better, safer results at all of our racetracks. This is part of that commitment,” Mr Macaulay said.
“This latest initiative follows on from the roll out of double-arm lure trials at two NSW tracks - Dapto and Ladbrokes Gardens - again with the purpose of spreading dogs out across the width of the track.
“In addition to this drag lure initiative at Richmond, I am pleased to announce that we are proceeding with the installation of a rail-mounted drag lure on a new rail system at the slipping track on our property backing onto the Richmond Racetrack. This also will cater to trainers wishing to train their dogs on the drag lure.”
