Greyhound racing will return to Maitland from next month after recommended track safety improvements are complete.
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The anticipated return to action is Thursday, June 4.
It will be the first racing there since two dogs were killed racing on Monday, April 27 and a third injured resulting in the meeting being abandoned after race 6 - the third consecutive race in which there had been a serious fall.
Greyhound NSW immediately suspended racing at the track and since then have done their own track inspection, and also engaged Professor David Eager of the University of Technology, Sydney - an internationally renowned sports safety expert - to do an independent inspection and write a report.
Professor Eager has made a number of recommendations to improve safety and those works are currently being undertaken.
"We're delighted we'll soon be back racing again," Maitland greyhound manager Tony Edmunds said.
"Safety works are under way now in accordance with Professor Eager's report recommendations, and we are expecting they will be be completed by Thursday.
"After that we will make an announcement about when there will be a return to trialling, with racing expected to resume on June 4."
Professor Eager recommended:
- A safety rail be installed in accordance with the GRNSW Minimum Track Safety standards
- Impact attenuating surfacing (padding) be installed on the home turn in accordance with the GRNSW Minimum Track Safety standards
- The 450m starting boxes be repositioned so that the track can be widened to the same width as the bend (remove the 565 m start funnel)
The horrors of April 27 caught Maitland officials by surprise, who pointed out the track had one of the best records over the past two years for injury prevention, and that track tests and stewards reports on the night indicated no safety concerns.