Huge boost for NSW greyhound industry with first million-dollar race

A $1 million-to-the-winner greyhound race set to become the world’s richest is being trumpeted as the potential vehicle for the industry’s return to free-to-air television when the event is staged in Sydney later this year.

Greyhound racing powerbrokers have kept the door ajar for the Million Dollar Chase, the culmination of a $1.7 million series to be run throughout NSW, to be broadcast on a commercial network alongside the traditional Sky Racing platform.

It would be a stunning turnaround for NSW's greyhound racing industry, which was on the brink of extinction less than two years ago after-then Premier Mike Baird legislated to ban the sport over the live baiting scandal.

Minister for Racing Paul Toole and Greyhound Racing NSW chief executive Tony Mestrov announced the creation of the Million Dollar Chase on Tuesday.  The final will be run at Wentworth Park on October 20, just a week after horse racing’s $13 million The Everest at Royal Randwick.

Premier thoroughbred events such as The Everest have traditionally been carried by both a free-to-air broadcaster and the subscription-only Sky Racing suite of channels, a model which could be adopted in the canine code for the new event.

"It’s probably the largest announcement we’ve had as an industry for a long time, a positive announcement which is the important thing," Mestrov told Fairfax Media.

"We’d definitely like to explore the free-to-air [possibilities], but we’ve got agreements in place with Sky, who has been a big supporter of the industry.

"They’ll have first opportunity, and then we’d explore free-to-air opportunities and other commercial ones. The endeavour of the greyhound industry, as we’ve seen with the announcement, is to get back into mainstream media with positive stories."

The Million Dollar Chase wasn’t without a tinge of controversy after Toole claimed $500,000 of taxpayer-funded money would be used to prop up the series, which will feature 25 qualifying finals at regional tracks throughout the state as well as Wentworth Park.

But Toole claimed the series, which will also be backed by online bookmaker Ladbrokes, was a "fresh start" for the industry.

The final will bump the Melbourne Cup from top billing as greyhound racing’s richest event – and NSW powerbrokers are also looking to thoroughbred racing’s equivalent for inspiration on how to take the event global.

This is about the industry and staff having something to be proud of.

Tony Mestrov

"We want to make it international, very much like how the Melbourne Cup has gone, but this year we just want to make it a great race and make sure it captures the public’s imagination," Mestrov said. "We’re going to build on this no matter what it does this year.

"People have been getting caught up in a lot of negatives of the industry, and I think this shows to the participants and the public that we have a future and we are strong. This is about the industry and staff having something to be proud of. They haven’t had something to be proud of for a long time."

The winner's purse will be paid on the proviso the greyhound's connections commit to re-home their chaser with the industry-run Greyhound As Pets program or private provider at the end of its racing career. It can also keep the greyhound as a companion.

If it is not successfully re-homed, connections will be forced to forfeit the $1 million winning bounty.

Entry fees for the Million Dollar Chase series will also include a donation to the not-for-profit GAP scheme, which is intended to raise a further $1 million as a result of the concept.

GRNSW will also conduct a masters series for older greyhounds to run in conjunction with the Million Dollar Chase.

HOW THE MILLION DOLLAR CHASE WORKS

• Any greyhound in Australia is eligible to compete in a series of heats starting in September which will lead to 25 qualifying finals around the state at 11 regional tracks and Wentworth Park
• The 64 qualifiers will run in eight semi-finals at Wentworth Park on October 12, with the winner from each to progress to the final on October 20
• The connections of the winner in the final will receive $1 million on the proviso they re-home the greyhound at the end of its racing career
• The series will be worth $1.7 million overall and feature the world's richest greyhound race at the end of it