WARRNAMBOOL Greyhound Racing Club is gearing up for a bumper fortnight of racing during the Christmas-New Year period.
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The club will host seven meetings in 15 days at the Wannon Park track and hopes to attract trainers from across the state.
About $110,000 will be up for grabs across more than 70 races in what organisers describe as the biggest greyhound racing carnival in country Victoria.
WGRC acting manager Gary Parsons said he was confident interest in the carnival — from trainers and the public — would again be strong.
The carnival starts on Boxing Day, December 26. Other meetings are on December 27, 28 and 31 and January 2, 4 and 9.
“We’re looking at all levels — the races we have are for maiden dogs right through to better racing greyhounds,” he said.
“There are different meetings with different feature events. We try and cater for all grades of greyhounds with heats and finals.
“Probably the main attraction is because it’s a summer carnival we do attract lots of trainers from all over, and interstate who come to Warrnambool and stay in Warrnambool.”
Parsons said the Warrnambool carnival stood out because of its emphasis on family-friendly entertainment and recognition of the number of tourists in the coastal city.
The Boxing Day meeting is free while the January 4 meeting carries the tagline “Sensational Summer for Kids”.
“There are not too many others that do the amount of meetings in that short period. It’s a lot of work,” he said.
“But we’ve kept it going because it is something different, it’s unique to greyhound racing and it promotes Warrnambool.
“A lot of other carnivals and feature racing events don’t gear themselves towards family entertainment.
“The seaside carnival is really geared that way. At every meeting there are children’s activities.” Heats of the Victorian Breeders’ Incentive Scheme maiden series, over 450 metres, will feature on the opening night of the carnival.
Semi-finals are on January 2 and the final, which carries a winner’s cheque of $7500, is on January 9. The finals of other series at the carnival, which carry $5000 prizemoney for the winner, will be on January 4 and 9.
afawkes@fairfaxmedia.com.au
