Greyhound racing in New Zealand

Greyhound racing in New Zealand
Start date	1948 Addington Park (Christchurch Greyhound Racing Club)

There are eight Greyhound racing clubs operating in New Zealand. They are all affiliated with Greyhound Racing New Zealand (GRNZ). Racing in New Zealand is governed by the New Zealand Racing Board (NZRB) in accordance with the Racing Act 2003.

Most have modern facilities including grandstand restaurants with Totalisator Agency Board (TAB) betting available.

Forbury Park Raceway, home of the Otago GRC from 1979 to 2024.

History

The current oval racing industry was born out of coursing which was seen at the time as a way to help control the population of hares. The first hares were brought to New Zealand in 1868 as hunting quarry but a gestation period of around 40 days resulted in problems for farmers and British greyhounds were imported to help control them. The first greyhound club in New Zealand was formed in Southland during 1876.

The New Zealand Federation of Coursing Clubs was formed in 1877 and the National Coursing Association was formed in 1908. The inaugural Waterloo Cup was held at Southland during 1879.

Experiments with artificial hares began in 1934 and the 'Tin Hare' (a metal arm system on a rail around an oval track) was first officially used for a race meeting at Christchurch in 1948. This is regarded as the birth of modern greyhound racing in New Zealand. However in 1949, the sport was refused totalisator betting by the Royal Commission on Gaming.

In 1954 the New Zealand Greyhound Racing Association was formed following the ban on coursing. In March 1970, the Auckland Greyhound Club presented the Duke of Edinburgh a greyhound as a gift, which led to a significant annual race to commemorate the royal vist of Queen Elizabeth II, the Duke of Edinburgh, Charles Prince of Wales, and Princess Anne. In 1978, the modern oval form of racing was granted totalisator betting. Three years later in 1981 the industry was granted off-site totalisator betting and the TAB.

In 2009 the NZGRA became the GRNZ, which it is called today.

In 2022, NZ$612 million was wagered on greyhound racing in New Zealand.

Stadiums and clubs

There are eight racing clubs in New Zealand who are directly responsible for the management of racetracks. Around 700 dogs are bred each year for racing, and around 200–300 are imported from Australia.

Auckland Greyhound Racing Club

The Auckland Greyhound Racing Club was founded between 1947 and 1948.

Significant milestones in club's history

• 1947, founded
• 1947–1949, raced at Alison Park
• 1949, raced at Western Springs
• 1950, raced at Huntley Domain,
• 1950–1953 raced at Olympic Park New Lyne
• 1954, raced at the East Tamaki Dairy Property in Otara and Huapai
• 1954–1976 raced at Kumea
• 1976–1982, raced at Mt Smart
• 1982–1989, raced at Claudlands Raceway
• 1989–2023, raced at Manukau Stadium
• 1999, track converted to all weather sand and loam surface

Christchurch Greyhound Racing Club

The Christchurch Greyhound Racing Club was founded in 1948, although they did race as the Canterbury Greyhound Racing Club before changing back to their original name in 1956.

Significant milestones in club's history

• 1948, founded
• 19 August 1972, first equalisator meeting
• 19 October 1978, first on course tote meeting
• 18 February 1981, first T.A.B. meeting
• 7 January 1989, last on course only tote meeting
• 12 July 1975, final race meeting at Marshland Domain
• 29 December 1975, inaugural race meeting Queen Elizabeth II Park
• 9 October 1997, final race meeting Q.E.II Park
• 29 October 1997, inaugural meeting Addington Raceway
• 15 November 2007, New Zealand Cup first $100,000 race
• 17 October 2008, Platinum Paws first $250,000 race

Otago Greyhound Racing Club

The Otago Greyhound Racing Club was founded in 1974.

Significant milestones in club's history

• 1974, founded
• 1974, first meeting at Tahuna Park
• January 1979, first meeting at Forbury Park Raceway
• June 2024, last meeting at Forbury Park Raceway

Palmerston North Greyhound Racing Club

The Palmerston North Greyhound Racing Club race at the Manawatu Raceway.

Significant milestones in club's history

• 2008, all weather track completed

Southland Greyhound Racing Club

The Southland Greyhound Racing Club is based at Ascot Park Raceway.

Waikato Greyhound Racing Club

The Southland Greyhound Racing Club is based at Cambridge Raceway.

Wanganui Greyhound Racing Club

The Wanganui Greyhound Racing Club is based at Hatrick Raceway.

General information

Major trophies

Some of the most significant races are –

• Silver Collar of the Duke of Edinburgh (Auckland)
• Auckland Cup (Auckland)
• Rail Sprint (Auckland)
• New Zealand Cup (Christchurch)
•  New Zealand Oaks (Christchurch)
•  Kingston Cup (Christchurch)
•  South Island Championships (Christchurch)
• Hawera Easter sweepstake (Taranaki)
• New Zealand Breeders (Wanganui)
•  Wanganui Distance (Wanganui)
•  Spion Rose (Wanganui)
• New Zealand Derby (Waikato)

Hall of Fame

• Ray Adcock
• Nancy Cobain
• Samuel Fletcher
• Thayne Green

Jacket colours

Greyhound racing in New Zealand has a standard colour scheme similar to Greyhound racing in Australia with the exception of trap/box 6.

• Box 1 = Red
• Box 2 = Black & White Stripes
• Box 3 = White
• Box 4 = Blue
• Box 5 = Yellow
• Box 6 = Green
• Box 7 = Black
• Box 8 = Pink
• Reserve 9 = Green and White stripes
• Reserve 10 = Red White and Blue

Criticism

In 2013, following concern over the welfare of racing greyhounds, the Greyhound Racing Association (NZGRA) initiated an Independent Welfare Review from WHK, released in June 2013. The review found little evidence of issues involving the care of greyhounds during their racing careers, but found issues with population management. The lack of transparency, along with reported levels of euthanasia, led the review team to consider the current situation “not sustainable”.

In 2014, Greyhound Racing New Zealand (GRNZ) stopped making its injury statistics publicly available because it claimed its critics were using them to "manipulate the facts". Statistics released by GRNZ showed that between late 2012 and April 2014, 92 dogs suffered serious injuries on the track and 64 were euthanised. GRNZ stated that this only represents "0.00017% of 53,760 starters", with Aaron Cross rebutting that referring to 'race starters' is a method of bloating figures wherein "death and injury rates are diluted". In 2016, a top trainer claimed poor track conditions were putting greyhound lives at risk.

In 2017, after GRNZ did not resume regular progress reporting as requested by Associate Agriculture Minister Meka Whaitiri, a second review was commissioned by the New Zealand Racing Board, led by former High Court Judge Rodney Hansen. Judge Hanson made 20 recommendations to further advance the welfare of greyhounds. The report found that 77% of trainers had had a healthy greyhound euthanised and that 1,447 greyhounds were reported as euthanised over the 2013/14 – 2016/17 seasons. The report noted evidence “suggesting the true figure is much higher”, with 1,271 dogs were unaccounted for. Hansen concluded that improvements had been made since 2013 but “have been insufficient to right the structural imbalance.” In December 2017, New Zealand’s Minister for Racing Hon Winston Peters, said the reports findings were “disturbing and deeply disappointing” and “simply unacceptable”.

In December 2018 the New Zealand government considered a second petition from Aaron Cross and 129 others seeking a prohibition on racing. In response, the government requested that the greyhound racing industry continue to implement the Hansen recommendations and invited the NZGRA to update them on their progress

In June 2020 GRNZ submitted a final report to Rt Hon Winston Peters, declaring all recommendations successfully implemented, and that they would no longer be reporting progress. In April 2021, New Zealand's Minister for Racing Grant Robertson appointed the Hon Sir Bruce Robertson (no relation) to undertake a further independent review, stating that some recommendations were not fully implemented or enforced. The report identified a number of new issues since the 2017 Hansen report, in the areas of: Rehoming, Euthanasia, Database accuracy, Training, breeding and population control, Makeup of the breeding industry, Governance of the industry, and the functionality of the Health and Welfare Committee. The report states that "there can be no doubt" that the Hansen Report was taken seriously by GRNZ and changes to improve animal welfare have occurred, but also that GRNZ has unnecessarily obfuscated information and that after “ten years and a further two reports” ... “the fundamental issues within the industry remain the same”.

In June 2021 researchers at the University of Auckland published a study report finding many ex-racing greyhounds poorly equipped for rehoming.

In August 2021, a petition to ban commercial greyhound racing in Aotearoa New Zealand, signed by 38,631 people, was presented to the New Zealand parliament. The cross-party petitions committee concluded its response by stating "We have doubts about whether the greyhound racing industry still has a social license to operate in its current form. We have serious concerns about the way the industry is operating at present."

In September 2021 the government formally put the racing industry on notice. Grant Robertson asked the Racing Integrity Board to assess the industry's progress against specific indicators, and report back before the end of 2022. He stated “I want to be clear today – the greyhound racing industry is on notice: either make the improvements needed or risk closure”.

On 4 May 2022, Newshub reported that a trainer dropped 11 greyhounds at a rehoming kennel, with 8 having substantial injuries. The trainer, John McInerney, was New Zealand's largest greyhound trainer, with 191 racing dogs. McInerney denied that any dogs had left his kennels in that condition. On 5 May 2022, Newshub reported that the Racing Industry Board had issued improvement notices to “almost all” the kennels it had visited since its inception, between 200 and 300 notices. On 13 May 2022, a third Newshub report found that Kevin Brady, a director on the board of GRNZ and the Racing Industry Unit, was co-owner of a greyhound that tested positive for methamphetamine.

In August 2022, Newstalk ZB reported that Racing Integrity Board inspectors had found 15 greyhounds in "squalid" and "inexcusable" conditions. The kennel was fined and banned from racing for two years.

In October 2022 Camorra Research Ltd delivered an independent review commissioned by the RNZSPCA, to analyse public opinion towards commercial greyhound racing among the New Zealand population. Of their representative sample of New Zealanders, 9% believed that racing greyhounds have a good life, and 74.8% indicated that "given the chance, they would vote in support of a ban on greyhound racing."

In December 2022 the Racing Integrity Board presented its findings to Minister for Racing Kieran McAnulty. The Racing Integrity Board review finds improvement in ten out of fifteen areas, and concludes that progress is mixed and has not always met the RIB's expectations. It found that GRNZ had made significant progress reducing euthanasias, with 325 greyhounds being euthanised in the 2020/21 – 2021/22 seasons. 174 of these were euthanised at a single kennel belonging to 'Trainer X'. This licensed person was spoken with. Thereafter, that kennel only euthanised six greyhounds in the first two quarters of the 2022/23 season. The Minister requested further information, and a supplementary report was received in March 2023. The supplementary report included options for the closure of the industry.

In October 2023 both leaders of New Zealand's main political parties agreed that greyhound racing should be banned, in the TV1 leader's debate.

In November 2023 trainer John McInerney was disqualified for a year after one of his greyhounds tested positive for meth and another was mistreated. McInerney's dogs had, on previous occasions, tested positive for procaine, heptaminol, codeine, hydroxystanolozol, caffeine and ketoprofen, although the Judicial Control Authority stated that there was no malicious intent and McInerney maintained a professional kennel of the highest standard..