Issue 421 / May 2018 Youth on Track Pg 12 Andy McCook - DogZone co-host Pg 6 Silver Collar History Pg 10 INSIDE Chief Executive Update 4 IN THIS ISSUE 2018 Awards & Conference 5 On Track features a number of articles this month to Andy McCook 6 suit a wide range of reading tastes. From a glance DogZone Times 7 into the rich history of the upcoming Silver Collar race to a threefold feature on young greyhound racing Nightrave at NZ Rural Games 8 enthusiasts, we hope you’ll find something that suits. Silver Collar 9 A refresher on online nominations can be found Silver Collar History 10 on page 17 and a notice about centralised stake Youth on Track 12 payments is printed on page 16. Stud Dog and Frozen Semen Lists 15 As always, your feedback is appreciated, we welcome Classifieds 16 comments and story ideas as well as constructive feedback. Centralised Stake Payments 17 May 2018 May Online Nominations 18 Wishing you a wonderful winter season of racing ahead - we look forward to seeing you at the track. Breeders Stakes 19 Best, Chippo Lata Retires 20 May Schedules 21 KATHERINE O’CONNOR, EDITOR Pg 12 - Youth on Track June Schedules 26 March Integrity Figures 31 Three young greyhound racing participants share both their proudest moments and their Interislander 31 aspirations for the future. Editor Katherine O’Connor Current Fees 32 [email protected] RIU Contact Details 33 Contributing Authors Mauro Barsi, Peter Fenemor, Shane Kendall, Becky Rogers, Katherine Public Trainers 34 O’Connor FSI Approved Vets 35 Contributing Photographers Peter Fenemor, Dave Robbie, Kevin Bills, Melissa Roberts, Ashley Brad- Marking, Ear Brander & shaw, Andy McCook, Jay McCartney, Microchipping Stewards 36 J. Blakeley, Katie Wyllie, Shardae Hunt, Daniel Roberts Pg 20 Pg 4 Club Race Day information 37 Cover Image Katie Wyllie with Little Bit Funny, GRNZ Contact Details 38 taken by Melissa Roberts Local Club Contact Details 39 Back Cover Image Ashley Bradshaw Submit your story/photos [email protected] Classifieds (free to list) [email protected] CEO Mauro Barsi Board Directors Graeme Calverley Chippo Lata - Homeward Bound CE Update David Emerson Sean Hannan (Chair) Retirement looks good for Chippo Lata, who Rosemary Mauro gives an update on the appearance before Primary Dave MacAuley Blackburn returned home to Australia in March. Industries Parliamentary Select Committee and an insight Trevor Taylor into longer term strategies. Jean Fahey Website www.grnz.co.nz Pg 8 Pg 10 Pg 6 Facebook /GreyhoundRacingNZ Nightrave at NZ Rural Games Silver Collar History Andy McCook - Living the Dream Nightrave Greyhounds visited the NZ Rural Games in Peter Fenemor provides a detailed history of the Silver Andy isn’t necessarily a philosophical type, but believes March and as a result of their promotional efforts, three Collar and the prestige it holds within Greyhound Racing if you love what you do, you won’t work a day. He feels hounds found new forever homes. in New Zealand. lucky enough to be living his dream co-hosting DogZone. On Track is the official magazine of Greyhound Racing NZ CE Update MAURO BARSI Hi Everyone, It’s been a big one this month with the major event We need to keep improving our industry and our being an appearance in front of the Primary Industries welfare standards - as we are doing - but the future Parliamentary Select Committee. for our sport is as an international product, trusted, convenient and consistent. We aren’t the biggest In reality, this was a discussion around the rights and code (yet) but we are nimble, smart and we can move responsibilities Greyhound Racing accepts as part of quickly for new markets. Greyhounds are great dogs, being able to operate in the community. The vehicle they can have a great racing career and then be great for this discussion was the Hansen Report and the advocates for our industry thereafter. The pieces are 20 recommendations it has made to improve animal all there, it’s just about bringing them together. welfare aspects of our business. Some measures are ones that we can implement quickly, and some are See you soon, at the track. ones where we can make interim changes that improve our welfare quickly, while we work towards longer term outcomes. For instance, we will shortly be trialing an anesthetic cream for all branding purposes - we will supply this - and we will also be looking at steps to restrict imported dogs where they have a history of marring or aggressive behaviours. Longer term, we will need to manage population demographics, both in terms of breeding and Mauro Barsi rehoming. This coming month I’ll be visiting key clubs CE, GRNZ and participants in our industry to talk with them about how they operate, what they need from us, and what we can do together to make sure that we secure the future of our industry. I’m very positive about Greyhound racing. The new Future Venues Plan process opens up opportunities for us to get new funding and shape our infrastructure for the next 10 years; the Optimise the Calendar project with the Racing Board let’s us explore adding content to an improved racing calendar; and our negotiations over code funding offer us the chance to change how we are funded and incentivise innovation and product exports. On Track - May 2018 helping hand from DogZone co-host Mark Rosanowski Andy McCook, (Roso). “Roso has been a huge help, Craig is the main reason I’m here, having mentored me from the beginning, but Roso really assisted in getting me onto DogZone Co-host - DogZone. I owe them a great deal, they’ve both been Living the Dream instrumental in my career.” Andy has been training greyhounds to race since he “It started for me when my older brother, was 18 and this background fits nicely during DogZone Jason, became involved in greyhounds and the with Roso’s lifetime dedication to the sport. The show sport when I was about 6 years old. The whole benefits from having an experienced, hands-on trainer alongside a historian, it makes for a nicely rounded family began following racing and garnered balance and Andy is enjoying it immensely. “DogZone an interest in the greyhound breed and my is a really good show and I’m loving being part of it. own appreciation and participation blossomed The producers, Ben Rogers and Patrick Chappell, work from there.” tirelessly, constantly keeping their ears to the ground for what we should be bringing to our audience. They Growing up, Andy McCook remembers his favourite write it all and we never have to tell them what should greyhound racing commentator, Brian Martin, be in the show. They are brilliant producers.” calling races that Andy and his family would watch on Trackside TV. “Brian was the absolute best Promoting and furthering the sport of greyhound commentator. The spunk and excitement he would racing is Andy’s primary passion. His aspirations put into the calling was brilliant. At times, people include becoming a full-time commentator at would talk more about Brian’s calling than the races Addington Track. “Anything I can do to promote this themselves. He was a natural. When I watched him as a sport is my aim. I am so committed to greyhound kid, I remember thinking being a caller like Brian would racing. I’m not really the philosophical type, but I’m be a dream job.” lucky that I’m loving my work, and that makes life really easy. As the saying goes, ‘Do what you love and Andy got his start calling for greyhounds five you’ll never work a day in your life.’” to six years ago when Craig Roberts gave him the opportunity to present during Group 1 races. W RITTEN BY BECKY ROGERS Presenting alongside Craig helped Andy develop his PHOTOS SUPPLIED BY ANDY MCCOOK calling skills and when Liz Whelan left DogZone late last year, Andy was able to land his ideal role with a Andy McCook is a long-time greyhound racing participant turned DogZone co-host. Monday 1:30pm & Tuesday 11:30am* *times subject to change sky channel 63 and watch & bet on tab.co.nz On Track - May 2018 Young Kiwis enjoying greyhounds at the NZ Rural Games in Palmerston North in March G R E AT R A O U R C E through right at 10am, or even a little earlier. By 11am Nightrave until 3pm, the groups never stopped coming – there SUNDAY 10 JUNE 1:30PM were always 30 or more people at the stand - and each volunteer would have crowds of people around Greyhounds at NZ them. Rural Games This has been an exceptionally high-profile and successful event for greyhounds as a breed, for We, Fatima Avdic and Rachel Rae, from Nightrave Greyhounds as an adoption agency and Join in the excitement of our great Nightrave Greyhounds, had a wonderful for Greyhound Racing New Zealand as an exercise in experience at the Rural Games in Palmerston public relations. race - the most sought after North in March this year. We are honoured to have been a part of it. silverware and the crowning jewel of New Zealand Greyhound Racing A wonderful stand was created using Greyhound WRITTEN BY FATIMA AVDIC AND RACHEL RAE Racing New Zealand marketing material. It looked PHOTOS BY JAY MCCARTNEY awesome and certainly brought in the crowds. Over 30,000 people attended the event, and there was never a quiet moment. Thousands of people visited the stand, cuddled the greyhounds and learned about the breed. It was a very exciting and vibrant event.