And it seems to be any rule as well as no time limit. So you have a dog that is more than 1kg from its last race start and you have to pay back the million dollars?

I am also unsure as to who has to pay it back. If the trainer breaches a rule much later does the owner also lose their share of the prizemoney and vice versa? The amount of any repayment, and from whom it may be recovered (being any person who was awarded the prizemoney), shall be determined by GRNSW it its discretion.

Clause 3 is also an issue. GRNSW has sole discretion to accept or reject the nomination of any greyhound for entry to compete in the Event or Associated Event for any reason whatsoever.

So because they dont like you they can reject your nomination?

ACT is NOT a state...

NSW announced the million dollar race...nothing to do with the ACT...

Michael,

You're mixing your states, although the official ACT policy explanation was that it was following on from the Baird ban in NSW.

There was no "reason"; it was due to a "belief" of the Greens that everything they don't like should be stopped. Labor agreed to the ban as that was a condition of the Greens joining Labor in the ruling coalition.

Unlike in NSW, the Canberra population did not rise up and force a change of mind. So the club is now racing at Goulbourn. A great pity as the club offered excellent sandwiches and fruit cake.

Further Greens policies include bans on horse racing, pigeon racing and dog shows. However, my personal award goes to leader di Natale who told the National Press Club that the solution to unemployment was to cut the working week for everyone to four days. Work that one out!

I dont think Michael was suggesting the ACT is a State. I believe he was referring to NSW banning racing here n then coming up with a Million Dollar Race two years later. They did BAN racing here, yeah ? Hes right, it stinks.

Anyway, I hope someone from NSW wins the big one.

What about cat shows, bird shows, The Easter Show and the Zoo...

What a bunch of drop kicks. They should be barred from breathing the same air that "normal" people breath.

Entry fees are there, though no details on how/when you pay.

Still not clear if you can keep it for breeding after. Also not sure what happens if GAP or private providers asses the greyhound as unsuitable for rehoming.

Still has the problematic Clauses 3 and 24.

Shouldn't our Greyhound Mob, be advertising the Million Dollar races this way. A $230 Dollar Maiden winner at Muswellbrook will be treated the same as the "Million Dollar " race winner??

That's the complete irony of the ACT.

Michael,

Just for future reference, the Commonwealth and the ACT local government are two different beasts. The Feds have no direct power over racing (or hospitals, schools or road rules) while the ACT government can do pretty much as it likes in those areas.

The Feds also have no direct power over betting although they have entered the discussion indirectly in trying to wipe out the intrusions by "illegal" overseas operators which return no benefits to the racing industry.

ACT dog racing was banned simply because while Labor led in the last election it did not have enough numbers to govern in its own right. So it did a deal with the Greens (two MPs) which, in turn, insisted on the dog ban as a condition of joining in a coalition government. They were aided by a supposedly independent consultant with remarkably greenish colouring. Libs campaigned strongly in favour of dog racing but never had the numbers.

Incidentally, to mix subjects, this sort of thing is another reason why V'Landys should take a more statesman-like attitude in NSW.

Having sunk the dogs, the ACT Greens will now target the local gallops (as well as pigeon racing and dog shows). One victory should be followed by another, in their view. NSW is no different in principle so it would be sensible for V'Landys to first support the entire racing scene, whether horses or racing frogs. If all prosper then each code will be better off.

On the other hand, if NSW dog racing were to disappear then the gallops would come under more severe threat from antis like AA and Peta, Greens and RSPCA. Note carefully that V'Landys is belatedly scrambling around, as we speak, trying to set up whole-of-life tracking for horses, just as has already occurred for greyhounds.

In a climate where the trots are struggling, and anti-gambling forces getting more say, it makes no sense for him to torpedo the dogs. A prosperous greyhound industry would be an asset for horse racing - and TABCORP would love it, too. The more the merrier.

Its like they are playing catch up. It might be policy on the run.