Victorian greyhounds revert to 4 wave box model
It lasted less than a week, but Greyhound Racing Victoria (GRV) have aborted their eight-wave greyhound model and pushed the reset button to revert back to the four-wave greyhound boxing model being used everywhere else.
Last Friday GRV changed the boxing process to an eight-wave, single-file greyhound box model in order to meet government expectations on social distancing under COVID-19 and ensure the continuum of racing. Other states that had moved to the four-wave model of boxing greyhounds elected not to follow the GRV move and stayed using the four-wave model.
The eight-wave model attracted a lot of criticism with inside greyhounds being forced to remain in the boxes for up to two minutes or more while waiting for a full field to be boxed.
According to a GRV statement, they “have reviewed the eight-wave model and sought further clarifications and advice on the aspects of the four-wave model (which is the stewards' preference) that were flagged”.
“As a result, the stewards feel confident, that with the support and engagement of participants, that we can met our social distancing obligations under the four-wave mode,” said GRV.
As a consequence GRV will revert to the same four-wave model being used nationally as of April 2, 2020.
GRV have reiterated that to continue with the four-wave model, “participants must strictly adhere to a 1.5m minimum distance between each other both before and after boxing for this to work. After boxing, handlers are expected to exit the area via the rear or side door of the shelter and maintain their 1.5m distance from others, at all times.”