Anti-racing protesters threaten to disrupt Sandown’s feature Sandown Cup meeting
The Sandown Greyhound Racing Club will have more to deal with this Friday night than excited racegoers and superstar greyhounds, with an anti-greyhound racing group threatening to disrupt the greyhound meeting.
The Sandown Cup meeting at Sandown is second only to their Melbourne Cup meeting in terms of prestigious feature greyhound racing, with the meeting scheduled for this Friday May 26 2023.
But protest group, the Coalition for the Protection of Greyhounds, is threatening to disrupt the running of the 2023 Group 1 Sandown Cup.
Coalition for the Protection of Greyhounds spokesperson, Joanne Lee, has articulated the group's intention to utilise this high-profile event as a platform to advocate for the termination of the greyhound racing industry.
Lee's attack on greyhound racing also extends to the political arena, highlighting the uncomfortable fact that the Sandown track sits squarely within the electorate of Premier Daniel Andrews.
Lee says she is frustrated by the allocation of $17 million taxpayer dollars, funds channelled into an industry, she argues, is viewed by a substantial segment of society as unethical, antiquated, and downright brutal.
“The only authentic way to halt the suffering of greyhounds,” Lee emphasised, “is to dismantle the industry at its very core”.
“These dogs are nothing more than a commodity to the industry.
“The only real way to end the suffering of greyhounds is to shut down the industry.” said Lee.
The protest has been scheduled to begin at 5:30pm, as greyhounds are kennelling for the races.
The first race is set for 7:08pm and the Group 1 Sandown Cup with $175,000 to-the-winner will be run at 9:28pm.
The Coalition for the Protection of Greyhounds (CPG) claim to have secured a number of speakers for the protest including Bronwyn Currie from the Animal Justice Party (AJP), Katherine Copsey from the Victorian Greens, Jessica Paul from the CPG, and Stephanie Tapply also from CPG.
A facebook event to set up to promote the protest has so far gathered 25 people willing to attend and a further 58 who may or may not attend.
Neither Greyhound Racing Victoria (GRV), nor Sandown Greyhound Racing Club, has so far made any comment about the protest, or offered advice for participants or patrons attending the Sandown Cup meeting.
CPG has categorically stated there is a zero tolerance rule in place that prohibits any protester engaging in any behaviour that might make any greyhound participant or race-goer feel unsafe.
CPG has directed all attendees to:
- Respect other attendees
- Refrain from any violent, threatening or abusive behaviour, either verbal or physical, towards workers, police or members of the public
- Follow the instructions of any CPG marshals who are there to ensure the safety of all attendees.
With or without any planned CPG anti-racing protest, the 2023 Sandown Cup promises to be one of the highlight greyhound meeting of the year with the two feature match races, the Group 3 The Lizrene and the Group 1 Sandown Cup all to be run.
The feature match race, the Group 3 Bill Collins Showdown looks an intriguing race between recent Harrison Dawson winner Amron Boy and country cups queen Kelsey Bale.
Alfie Moon will be attempting to win the Group 3 The Lizrene for trainer Jess Hopkins, while the extended Britton family will start half the field in the Group 1 Sandown Cup, but will have to overcome the Dusty Drew-trained Untapped who will be attempting to win back-to-back Sandown Cups.
2023 Group 1 Sandown Cup Final
2023 Sandown Cup Box Draw & FieldSandown Park715mGroup 1$175,000 to-the-winnerFriday May 26 2023Race 8
|
|
 |
1 Untapped
T: Dustin DrewF: 1252Career: 61: 15-10-14Prizemoney: $327,928
|
 |
2 Cawbourne Magic
T: Andy LordF: 3231Career: 55: 22-12-12Prizemoney: $292,920
|
 |
3 Moraine Suzie
|
 |
4 Korda
T: Jeff BrittonF: 5311Career: 51: 12-15-8Prizemoney: $153,490
|
 |
5 First Picked
T: Rob BrittonF: 34F1Career: 42: 13-5-9Prizemoney: $237,200
|
 |
6 Osprey Athena
|
 |
7 Dirt Farmer
T: Tim BrittonF: 4141Career: 34: 12-5-3Prizemoney: $81,640
|
 |
8 Zipping Orlando
T: John FinnF: 1112Career: 28: 15-3-4Prizemoney: $695,475
|
| Reserves | |
 |
9 Alfie Moon
T: Jess HopkinsF: 2313Career: 48: 9-16-8Prizemoney: $84,450
|
 |
10 Palawa King
T: Ray SmithF: 1133Career: 32: 12-6-5Prizemoney: $112,140
|
.jpg){kind=logo}
