Blue Paws Super Series Underway
A substantial change to the Greyhound Racing NSW (GRNSW) Breeders and Owners Incentive Scheme, Blue Paws, will commence in early August with the staging of the first Blue Paws Super Series at Wentworth Park.
The Blue Paws Super Series will see the best 32 5th Grade nominated greyhounds race for Blue Paws Bonuses double that of normal Blue Paws races. These bonuses will be $2,500 for TAB track Super Series events and a $4,000 bonus for any events at Wentworth Park.
The new innovation is the first since the inception of the program in January 2006 which aims to promote, develop and encourage increased investment in the NSW breeding industry. The Blue Paws incentive scheme has paid more than $850,000 in bonus payments across the four years. GRNSW Chief Executive Brent Hogan said the new Blue Paws Super Series is set to inject new enthusiasm into the Blue Paws Scheme.
“The Blue Paws program has already seen nominations climb steadily since the opening up of the scheme to pups whelped in NSW regardless of sire and the Super Series will increase the interest and hopefully encourage more breeders and owners to take part,” Mr Hogan said.
“The new Super Series is designed to reward the sport's outstanding support for the scheme and it will also allow for greater certainty in scheduling between GRNSW and the race clubs.”
Each TAB club will stage one Super Series per year, plus one at Wentworth Park and these will be scheduled regularly so that participants can plan when they wish to race their greyhounds. There has already been an increase in Blue Paws bonuses paid at Non-TAB tracks from $600 to $1,000.
“GRNSW is always looking at ways to maximise the prizemoney return to participants and the introduction of the Super Series is just another way of ensuring the sport's financial sustainability moving forward,” concluded Mr Hogan.