NSW greyhound racing stronger than ever after animal welfare wake up call

The NSW greyhounds boss says the industry was given “the wake-up call we needed to have” when Mike Baird made a kneejerk decision five years ago.

Almost five years ago then Premier Mike Baird signalled the death knell for greyhound racing in NSW – today he is out of the job and the industry is stronger than ever.

“It was the wake-up call we needed to have,” Greyhound Racing NSW Chief Executive Tony Mestrov said. “When I joined in 2017 the industry was broken.”

He went on a three-week tour of the dish lickers’ regional heartland, listened to the participants and instituted a cultural change that put the welfare of the dogs front and centre.

“The people who did the wrong thing have gone from the industry,” Mr Mestrov said. “The people here love their dogs.”

And their dedication to the sport that kept it running through the pandemic is being rewarded with an extra $1 million in prize money targeted at country dogs and their owners in regional areas.

Tony Mestrov and trainer Michelle Sultana with her dog Unison. Picture: Richard Dobson

Most importantly the Greyhounds As Pets initiative has seen 1337 retired racers find new homes in the last 12 months with proud owners including entertainer Todd McKenney, former Socceroo Tim Cahill and Olympian Jess Fox.

In a world first a farm in the Hunter Valley has been purchased and transformed into The Greyhound Sanctuary where up to 400 dogs can be assessed and adopted out as pets.

“Attitudes have changed and people are speaking positively about greyhound racing in NSW,” Mr Mestrov said. “We have come a long way.”

Certainly from Mr Baird’s time. The NSW Government and the minister responsible for greyhound racing Kevin Anderson are firmly behind a sport that pumps more than $500 million into the NSW economy and employs 10,000 people.

As the rest of the world shut down during the COVID-19 pandemic, Greyhound Racing NSW brought in a groundbreaking regional system to allow racing to continue. Wagering turnover jumped $285 million to more than $1.7 billion and kept people in jobs.

Trainer Michelle Sultana, 39, said: “The industry is growing in leaps and bounds and there are so many people who are coming along and want to be a part of it.”

Rugby league star Ryan Papenhuyzen and Channel 9 personality Cameron Williams are among many who have joined greyhound ownership syndicates. Ms Sultana trains Unison which has a syndicate of 50 owners.

“He is such a good dog and when he went up on the website there was just overwhelming demand from people who wanted the chance to be involved with him,” she said.

She is reflective of the growing popularity of the sport among young people, particularly women, who make up almost half of the fans under 50.

Trainer Frank Hurst’s dog Good Odds Herada won The Million Dollar Chase – the richest greyhound race in the world – in 2019. “It was the pinnacle, like winning a gold medal at the Olympics,” he said. “It wasn’t about the money it was about the prestige after 50 years of racing.”

He still marvels at where greyhound racing in NSW is today. “When they closed it down we lost our income, our sport, our hobby and our social life all in one hit,” he said.

“Tony Mestrov has done a wonderful job bringing it back to where it is today – the scallywags have gone, the sport is cleaner, well run and the prize money is better.”