GRNSW to lift its travel restrictions from Monday

Greyhound trainers across NSW rejoiced last Wednesday when Greyhound Racing NSW announced that all travel restrictions in place for participants will be lifted from June 1, at which time regional racing zones put in place due to COVID-19 will cease.

And on the same day that those restrictions were lifted three Narrabri Shire greyhounds raced to top three finishes at a Gunnedah Greyhound Racing Club TAB meeting.

That trio included the Timothy Anderson-trained Black Max Opal, Kevin Campbell-trained My Lil Louie and the Eric Butler-trained Sunshine Ruby.

Black Max Opal raced to a third-placed finish for Wee Waa trainer Anderson in the first race on Wednesday afternoon. The two-year-old dog jumped from box five in the 340-metre maiden and came together with three other runners in the run to the first turn and found himself in sixth position. He showed great speed in the turn and down the final straight to overtake three of the five in front of him to place third, reaching the finish six lengths behind William Marmara-trained winner Gunnedah Girl (box six).

In the second race of the afternoon My Lil Louie also placed third for Bellata trainer Campbell. My Lil Louie jumped from box one in the 340-metre grade five race and ran the widest coming out of the turn into the home straight. The two-year-old dog charged down the final straight and was in the hunt for the win but had to settle for third, three lengths behind the Troy Luke-trained winner Sir Eskin (box eight).

In the ninth of 10 races at the twilight meeting Sunshine Ruby placed second for Gwabegar trainer Eric Butler. Sunshine Ruby jumped from box one in the 340-metre grade 4/5 race. The two-year-old bitch started well and was running in second place early in the race. However the Barry Evans-trained It’s Our Time established an early lead and never gave it up, winning by three lengths from Sunshine Ruby.

The second-placed finish was the Gwabegar greyhound’s 13th top-three finish in her past 15 starts. In 20 career starts she has won 10 times and raced to a second or third-placed finish seven times to boast an 85 per cent top-three finish rate.

GRNSW’s decision to lift its travel restrictions followed the NSW Government’s decision to allow all regional travel across NSW from June 1.

GRNSW chief executive Tony Mestrov said that from June 1 zone restrictions will be removed for all race meetings and travel is unrestricted from this date, and that all trainers can nominate to race their greyhounds at Wentworth Park, which will resume racing from Saturday, June 6.

GRNSW will accept nominations from interstate trainers, in states where cross-border travel is permitted, for all races from June 1.

Mestrov thanked everyone involved in the sport for their support during a “disruptive period”.

“I am very pleased to see the NSW Government unlock the regions for unrestricted travel from June 1, which will from that date bring to an end GRNSW’s regional zoning measures and will help kick-start the road to normality for participants across our heartland,” Mestrov said.

“I thank everyone for their great patience and support during what has been a disruptive period in their lives – it is a credit to all participants through their actions that they have helped keep the industry racing during COVID-19.

“I also remind people that we will still continue to operate under our COVID-19 biosecurity measures and maintaining all health and safety standards at venues.”

GRNSW said that temperature testing at all GRNSW tracks will continue and that all race day health and safety protocols currently in place for COVID-19 will remain.

Meanwhile, GRNSW has released its new calendar for meetings from Sunday, May 24, to Tuesday, June 30.

The Gunnedah track, where Narrabri Shire trainers have been racing their dogs exclusively since the other closely located regional tracks have been temporarily closed, was allocated three meetings in that 38-day period.

Gunnedah will host a meeting tomorrow, as well as Wednesday, June 10, and Wednesday, June 24. Narrabri Shire trainers Colin and Timothy Anderson, Robert Hobson and Kevin Campbell all have dogs scheduled to race at tomorrow’s meeting.