Victorian greyhound racing

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VICTORIA is often regarded as the premier state for greyhound racing in Australia, featuring the top tier of canine athletes pursuing the most lucrative prize money purses on offer.

Approximately 1,000 race meetings are conducted across Victoria each year, with more than $40 million in prize money distributed to owners and trainers.

This guide to Victorian greyhound racing will teach you about GRV (the regulatory body for greyhound racing in Victoria), Victorian greyhound racing tracks, how to bet on greyhound racing in Victoria and some of the key races that are run in this state.

The biggest race in greyhound racing, just like in horse racing, is the Melbourne Cup with this Sandown Park feature having a $1 million purse and attracting many of the best dogs from around the country.

Greyhound Racing Victoria (GRV)

Greyhound racing in Victoria is regulated by Greyhound Racing Victoria (GRV). The authority body is responsible for both promoting and controlling the sport, with a pivotal part of its role being to set standards and to regulate and police the industry and the people involved within the sport.

GRV controls the race meetings itself, a stark difference to state’s such as New South Wales which runs all its tracks independently by various clubs and committees such as the GBOTA.

The board of GRV is made up of Chairperson Bernie Carolan, Deputy Chairperson Judith Bornstein and board members Peita Elkhorne, Rob Greenall and Emmett Dunne.

The current CEO of GRV is Alan Clayton who was appointed in June 2015 following the scandal from the live baiting saga. Other important leaders at GRV are Robert Shaw (Chief Operating Officer – Corporate Services), Dr David Goble (General Manager – Animal Welfare), Stuart Laing (General Manager – Racing, Wagering Partnerships & Business Development), Louise Martin (General Manager – Strategic Communication and Marketing), Shane Gillard (General Manager – Integrity), Donna King (General Manager – People and Culture) and Craig Armstead (General Manager – Club Development and Member Services).

GRV employs a vast number of stewards to oversee race meetings and integrity, with serious breaches of the Greyhound Racing Rules dealt with by the Racing Appeals and Disciplinary Board (RADB).


Victorian greyhound racing news

More Victorian greyhound news

Victorian greyhound tracks

There are 13 registered TAB greyhound racing tracks within Victoria, the two main venues being Sandown Park and The Meadows where metropolitan racing is conducted each and every week.

The tracks in the state are as follows:

Sandown Park:
City racing conducted on a Thursday night, with provincial racing run and won on Sundays. Sandown Park is home to the world’s richest greyhound race, the Group 1 Melbourne Cup, and has a rich history dating back to 1935.

The Meadows:
Victoria’s second city track, The Meadows held its first meeting on Monday February 8, 1999, when a huge crowd of 8000 crammed onto the premises. Metro racing is held every Saturday night, with provincial racing conducted on Wednesdays.

Cranbourne:
Located 50km south-east of Melbourne, Cranbourne is a regional track located within the City of Casey. The Cranbourne greyhound track itself is built on the inside of the harness racing track which is situated within the thoroughbred track. The club races every week, normally on a Wednesday night, and features racing over five distances – 311m, 520m, 699m, 749m and 958m.

Geelong:
Racing has been conducted at three different venues within Geelong since 1936, with the current location being a state of the art centre at Beckley Park. The new centre was officially opened in March 2008, featuring a brand new kennel and administrative facility valued at $1.2 million, a complete re-development of the grandstand, restaurant, bar and TAB facilities as well as a dual track with both city (two turn) and country (one turn) racing configurations.

Ballarat:
Despite the Ballarat Greyhound Racing Club being formed in 1935, racing was not held at the current Morshead Park venue until December 23, 1978. Presently, Ballarat races on Monday during the day, with a night meeting held on Wednesday nights.

Bendigo:
Greyhound racing will celebrate its 40th anniversary at the Lord’s Raceway in Bendigo in 2018. The track conducts more than 100 races every year, with the venue unveiling a $4.2 million re-development of its racetrack and facilities in 2012.

Healesville:
The only TAB straight track in the state, Healesville races over 300m and 350m. Meetings are held during the day every Sunday, with the track located at the Healesville Sport Complex.

Horsham:
The Horsham track holds meetings in the twilight timeslot on a Tuesday afternoon. In late 2016 major renovations were announced for the track, including a track resurface, upgrade and widening along with the replacement of the outside perimeter fence and the installation of a new lure rail.

Sale:
Greyhound racing commenced in Sale, adjacent to the present site, in 1936. The current track site provides a complete family entertainment venue featuring a modern club, restaurant and café. There are also a variety of activities in addition to greyhound racing held at the site, such as bingo which is played five days a week.

Shepparton:
The Shepparton track is located within the heart of the Goulburn Valley and features a sand based surfaces for racing over 390m, 450m and 650m. Racing commenced at Shepparton on December 10, 2005, with all meetings covered by the TAB and Sky Channel.

Traralgon:
The first official meeting was held at Traralgon on June 28, 1973, with a $6 million re-development carried out, producing a brand new track, which was unveiled in late 2015. Traralgon races twice a week, on Mondays in the twilight slot and on Saturday nights.

Warragul:
The Warragul greyhound track is located at the Logan Park showgrounds and is approximately 100km east of Melbourne. The racing distances at Warragul are 400m, 460m and 680m, with the first meeting at the current track taking place in 1949.

Warrnambool:
Situated at the Warrnambool Showgrounds, the current Warrnambool track has been home to greyhound racing since 1976. The track has two main events every year, the Warrnambool Cup and the Warrnambool Classic, both of which are group 2 features.

Victorian group greyhound races

Victoria is home to the best group races on the Australian Greyhound Racing Calendar. The jewel in the crown is the Group 1 Melbourne Cup which is held over 515m at Sandown Park and is worth a massive $420,000 to the winner.

The group races held annually in Victoria are as follows:

Group 1 Silver Chief Classic (525m) The Meadows
Group 1 Zoom Top (725m) The Meadows
Group 1 Temlee (525m) The Meadows
Group 1 Rookie Rebel (600m) The Meadows
Group 1 Australia Cup (525m) The Meadows
Group 1 Australia Stayers final (725m) The Meadows
Group 1 Harrison-Dawson (515m) Sandown Park
Group 1 Sapphire Crown Classic (515m) Sandown Park
Group 1 Sandown Cup (715m) Sandown Park
Group 1 Maturity Classic (525m) The Meadows
Group 1 Topgun (525m) The Meadows
Group 1 Hume Cup (600m) The Meadows
Group 1 Bold Trease (715m) Sandown Park
Group 1 Melbourne Cup (515m) Sandown Park
Group 1 Sale Cup (650m) Sale
Group 2 Cranbourne Cup (520m) Cranbourne
Group 2 Warragul Cup (460m) Warragul
Group 2 Shepparton Cup (450m) Shepparton
Group 2 Launching Pad (515m) Sandown Park
Group 2 Warrnambool Classic (450m) Warrnambool
Group 2 Warrnambool Cup (450m) Warrnambool
Group 2 Horsham Cup (480m) Horsham
Group 2 Traralgon Cup (525m) Traralgon
Group 2 Bendigo Cup (425m) Bendigo
Group 2 McKenna Memorial (595m) Sandown Park
Group 2 Cranbourne Puppy Classic (520m) Cranbourne
Group 2 Healesville Cup (350m) Healesville
Group 2 Great Chase (525m) The Meadows
Group 2 Topgun Stayers (725m) The Meadows
Group 2 Shootout (515m) Sandown Park
Group 2 Ballarat Cup (450m) Ballarat
Group 2 Laurels Classic (515m) Sandown Park
Group 3 Vic Bred Series (525m) The Meadows
Group 3 The Racecallers (595m) Sandown Park
Group 3 Lizrene (715m) Sandown Park
Group 3 Bill Collins Speed Star (515m) Sandown Park
Group 3 Top Cat Video Cup (725m) The Meadows
Group 3 Silver Bullet (525m) The Meadows
Group 3 Sir John Dillon Memorial (595m) Sandown Park
Listed Australian Sprint (515m) Sandown Park
Listed Maidment Memorial (595m) Sandown Park
Listed Cup Night Stayers (715m) Sandown Park
Listed Cup Night Sprint (515m) Sandown Park
Listed Cup Night Middle Distance (595m) Sandown Park

Where to bet on Victorian greyhound races

Featuring some of the best races on the calendar and the top tier of greyhounds, punters are always keen to have a wager on the hounds down in Victoria.

All of our best greyhound bookmakers offer odds for every Victorian greyhound race, with some, such as Sportsbet and Bet365, offering fixed odds markets around 24 hours prior to scheduled start time.

Our other top-rated bookies release their markets for all Victorian greyhound racing fields around 20 minutes prior to the jump, which still gives you plenty of time to compare prices for your selected runner and nab the best odds available.

Additionally, some bookmakers offer a lucrative welcome bonus which you can claim upon signing up and making your initial deposit, however, these types of freebets have been banned in Australia. These bonuses give you extra funds to spend on your bets which can result in a big profit if you are lucky enough to back a winner.

The top betting sites for greyhound racing will have a huge plethora of bookie payment types, with these suiting punters in Victoria. For instance, most Aussie bookies will accept deposit options like Visa, Mastercard, Diners Club and even web wallets like Paypal and Neteller.

Our recommended bookmakers are as follows:

United States Victorian Greyhound Racing Bookies

Victorian Greyhound Racing Bookies