The latest collaborative project between Greyhound Racing NSW and the NSW Government to ensure the state continues to have the safest greyhound racing, will next month see the participants across the Hunter Valley have a third TAB track to race at.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
or signup to continue reading
Work is nearing completion on a multi-million dollar upgrade of the Muswellbrook track in the Upper Hunter.
This will give participants throughout the region - as well as those who are based in the New England area - another quality venue to race their greyhounds, adding to the existing venues of The Gardens in Newcastle and the Maitland track.
Muswellbrook will be officially opened at the club's Non-TAB meeting on March 5.
The event will be a trial run in many ways for the grand opening which will be held the following Saturday, March 11. That race meeting will be a full TAB meeting.
"On March 11 it's going to be a massive day for the club, the people of the region, the local participants, and Greyhound Racing NSW," GRNSW chief executive officer Rob Macaulay said.
"We really want to celebrate this, and will not only have a quality card of racing on a newly built racetrack, but we will also have lots of activities for families and a musical act performing on the day.
"We want to trumpet this new track at Muswellbrook, as something the locals can be proud of, and we want as many people from the area and across the Hunter to come and join us."
GRNSW purchased the track from the Greyhound Breeders, Owners & Trainers Association back in 2021 with the target of rebuilding the facility, so that it would be able to stage TAB race meetings along with regular non-TAB meetings.
The focus of the rebuild at Muswellbrook - as it is with all track upgrades - has been firmly on safety.
Among the work conducted at the track has been a full refurbishment with the remediation and re-profiling of the track and the turf surface.
A new safety rail, safety padding on the turns and in the catching pen, and the installation of a Safechase lure system has all been installed.
The kennels have had new insulation and air-conditioning installed, new starting boxes and new synthetic mats at the boxes are in place, and a new swabbing bay and stewards' room have been built.
"The reason why we are investing in these tracks is to bring all of our racetracks around the state up to the safest standard for our greyhounds, and we have done exactly that at Muswellbrook," Mr Macaulay said.
"I must thank the NSW Government and minister responsible for Racing Kevin Anderson for the incredible support we receive, and the funding from the Capital Grants Fund that is invested into these projects across the state."
It won't only be industry participants who benefit from the rebuild of the Muswellbrook track.
The local community will see an influx into the economy from those coming to race, and, as part of a new GRNSW policy initiated last year, local suppliers are the preferred suppliers for work.
Among the works on the Muswellbrook venue, which many local suppliers have been used for, include track and turf including ongoing maintenance, kennels, wash bays and the tower, consultancy, irrigation and onsite security.
This article was produced as part of an ACM partnership with Greyhound Racing NSW.
