Hobart greyhound track

  • Track name: Hobart
  • Address: Goodwood Road, Glenorchy
  • Phone: (03) 6214 4261
  • Fax: (03) 6272 4013
  • Hobart Greyhound Track

  • Racing Distances: 340m, 461m, 599m, 709m
  • Track Records:
    • 340m – 19.14 – Matt’s Entity – April 25, 2013
    • 461m – 25.52 – Above All – December 18, 2014
    • 599m – 34.06 – Lakerville – April 2, 2015
    • 709m – 41.24 – Miata – August 25, 2012
  • Trials:

    Trials are conducted on Saturday mornings at 9am, every second Tuesday night at 6:30pm and after the last race on Thursday race nights. There are no private trials.

Hobart – History

Racing in Hobart is currently conducted at Tattersall’s Park, Elwick, with racing over 340, 461, 599 and 709 metres. Racing has been held here since 2007.

Racing is conducted on Thursday evenings on a loam surface.

Hobart was the second of the three greyhound tracks to open in Tasmania (after Launceston), having built a track at the Tasmanian Cultural Association grounds (TCA). The TCA course officially opened on January 30, 1935, and racing was held there on a grass surface for the next 71 years, until 2007.

The first meeting saw nine races, divided into five heats of a handicap sprint, followed by two semi-finals of the sprint and then the final, called the MacRobertson Cup. All these races were over 440 yards (402m). There was also one hurdle (with six runners).

The winner of the first race was Valpar. The MacRobertson Cup handicap final was won by Golden City (off 15 yards). He had won his heat in 23.4, his semi-final in 23.4 and the final in 23.8. The hurdle was won by White Nose.

In a situation unique to Hobart, from the opening meeting until June 14, 1975, all runners in races were led to the boxes by officially appointed uniformed attendants. From June 14 that year owners and trainers were given permission to lead their charges to the boxes.

On December, 29, 1951 Hobart had the first automatic totalisator on a Tasmanian greyhound track. It was officially opened by Mr White, the Chief Secretary, who purchased the first ticket. The tote held £6,880 15 shillings on the night.

Hobart has played host to the National Distance Championship final in 1971, 1978, 1983, and 2012.

It has conducted the National Sprint Championship finals in 1987 and 2012.

The club hosts only one Group race during the year: the Group 1 Hobart Thousand, run over 461 metres.

This was first conducted in 1935, when it was called the Hobart Cup. It was renamed the Hobart Thousand for the 1939 running. The only time it has not been contested since then was in 1944 and 1945, the last two years of the Second World War. It became a Group 2 event in 1996 and was elevated to Group 1 status in 2001.

Hobart Greyhounds

The race is arguably the longest-established premier event in the nation, although a Melbourne Cup was first run in 1934. The Hobart Thousand was the richest event in the country from 1939-1941, 1946-1953 and was the equal-richest in 1958-59.

Arguably the most famous of the Hobart Thousand runnings took place in 1969 when the champion NSW sprinter Benjamin John defeated the great Zoom Top.

Hobart also conducts the second-longest established annual race for maidens, the Maiden Thousand. The race has been held since 1949, and is only surpassed in longevity by the Easter Maiden run at Grafton.

The other keenly contested major event is the Tasmanian Gold Cup (also known as the Hobart Gold Cup), which has been run since 1969.

Do you have photos or information about Hobart greyhound track you would like to include on this page? email [email protected]

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