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GREYHOUNDS: Baiden is going round the bend

2:56pm Friday 24th July 2009


Racing manager Gary Baiden has called in BRGB track specialist John Haynes to take a closer look at the first bend action which has caused owners, trainers and punters alike to complain about the greyhounds bunching.

Recent 'improvements' to the Oxford Stadium track, instigated originally by the BGRB, have, in the opinions of many, made the situation a whole lot worse.

Baiden, who only last week said he had not noticed that much difference, agreed that the latest incident on Saturday was a bad one.

In that incident, Easter Dolly stumbled and fell at the first bend, bringing down Pawseys Pride and Boomtown Prince, while Steel Diamond and Killishin Sixty were very badly impeded.

That left early leader Kumala well clear to win by twelve-and-a-half lengths and some 451/2 lengths in front of the last dog.

Following the race, punters were breathing fire and brimstone at me asking when something is going to be done and would they get any help with vets fees as a result of the injuries!

Baiden said: "In the light of that race and a few complaints about the track I decided to call in John Haynes to observe yesterday's BAGS meeting to see if any changes need to be made."


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Your Say YourOxford

nandita, Mumbai says...
11:21am Sat 25 Jul 09

I think its clear that with or without improvements the greyhounds suffer terribly from all this racing. If we want to entertain ourselves through racing we should be the ones running, not the dogs. That may have more benefits than just saving the dogs. Maybe it would help the obesity epidemic and the health care scenario as well!

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Greyhound Watch, Hull says...
12:05pm Tue 28 Jul 09

You can tinker with a track all you like but it will have little impact on safety as it is the character of greyhound tracks - with fast straights leading into tight bends - that creates so many incidents and results in so many injuries and fatalities. And six greyhounds competing together multiply the risk with many incidents occurring as the dogs hurtle into turn one.

The nature of greyhound racing is inherently dangerous as all members of the racing fraternity are only too aware. Until such time the two key issues above are addressed, the injury rate as a percentage of races held will never be reduced significantly. We are, however, talking about fundamental changes that would inevitably accelerate the demise of racing.

Expect, therefore, business as usual. Expect, therefore, 1,000 plus greyhounds to be euthanased following injury on British tracks this year. Expect, therefore, a similar figure next year and the following year. Expect only a fall in meetings held to have a significant impact on the figure for greyhounds injured and killed.

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