Maitland greyhounds are back on track after a three-week break while the club waited for sand to complete required repairs to the Maitland Showground racing surface.
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Maitland Greyhound Club manager Tony Edmunds said unfortunately the club had not been able to access the sand required for the repairs because of the Christmas-New Year holidays.
“It is a two-day job, but we just couldn’t get on to any suppliers to provide us with the sand required,” Edmunds said.
“There was no choice but to cancel the meetings until we could do the required work as the welfare of the greyhounds is paramount.
“It was frustrating but the dog’s welfare has to come first.”
It was frustrating but the dog’s welfare has to come first.
- Tony Edmunds
Greyhound Racing NSW cancelled Maitland meeting on December 22 for what it deemed a poorly prepared and unsafe track. The ban remained in place until the club was able to bring the track back up to standard.
The sport’s peak body said in a statement on its website that its officers had inspected the Maitland Showground and judged that it would “jeopardise the welfare of greyhounds if racing took place”.
“This left GRNSW no choice but to abandon the meeting,” it said.
Edmunds said they were hoping the meeting will not be forced back because of heat.
"Now we're just watching the weather with temperatures in the high 30s forecast for Wednesday and Friday but some reprieve on Thursday with an expected high of about 28 degrees.
"If that forecast changes we may have to look at pushing to a night meeting but we're hopeful the expected rain and cooler conditions will have the Maitland track in tip-top condition for Thursday afternoon," Edmunds said.
Thursday's meeting is scheduled to start at 3.43pm.