Straight Out Event For Stayers Series at Wentworth Park
The heats of the second round of the Stayers Series at Wentworth Park over 720 metres for grade 4/5 greyhounds were not programmed for next Monday August 31 as advertised due to insufficient nominations.
Mindful of the importance of this initiative to promote distance racing at the track, the NSW GBOTA decided to draw a straight out event on the Monday from the eleven nominations received.
GBOTA Deputy Executive Officer Jeff Browne said this series was introduced in an effort to boost the number of staying races at Wentworth Park.
“This is the second round of the series – the first round saw the talented Forty Twenty win the final on August 1 and we are keen to provide as many racing opportunities as possible for stayers”.
Browne explained that the GBOTA did not want trainers to be disadvantaged by the decision so had set the prizemoney for Monday's race at the higher rate applying to Saturday meetings.
“We believe the decisions we have taken are the fairest in the circumstances, and trainers engaged in the straight out event on Monday have the opportunity to nominate their greyhounds for the following Saturday when the final would normally have been conducted,” Browne added.
This round of the Stayers Series was a GRNSW Blue Paws designated event and the winner of Monday's race will still receive a Blue Paws bonus of $2000 if eligible.
The third round in the series, which is also a Blue Paws event, involves heats on October 12 and final on October 17.
Other dates for this series are: November 30 and December 5 December 28 and January 2