Brilliant chaser She's A Pearl has been awarded the 2022 Greyhound of the Year title at a lavish function held in Sydney on February 26.
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The award follows a year where she captured the two biggest races on the NSW calendar, the Group 1 Ladbrokes Golden Easter Egg in April, then less than a month later winning the world's richest greyhound race, the TAB Million Dollar Chase, both at Sydney's Wentworth Park.
Her trainer Jodie Lord took out her third successive Metropolitan Trainer of the Year, courtesy of her greyhounds winning 92 races in town, and she also claimed a fifth NSW Trainer of the Year title, winning 132 races around the state, the award adding to her successes in 2014, 2017, 2018, and 2021.
Among the other awards Fernando Bale made it three successive Sire of the Year awards in 2022. Zipping Lilly was crowned Dam of the Year, while the prestigious Allen Wheeler Medal was awarded to long-time industry participant Ron Arnold.
Happy to help
One of the more popular winners at the annual awards was John Faddy who took out the Volunteer of the Year.
John has worked tirelessly as both an employee and then volunteer with the Grafton Greyhound Racing Club for almost 34 years, and there wouldn't be a single participant from the Northern Rivers who wouldn't know him, yet you would struggle to find one to say a bad word about John Faddy.
John commenced at the club in July 1989 as a paid race starter, but when the club hit hard times in the early 1990s John was the first person to put his hand up to commence working as a volunteer.
Since his retirement from the workforce, John has volunteered with the club on race nights in the kennel block, and if the Grafton Club ever needs any help, John is there with his hand up.
GAP Day
Greyhounds As Pets (GAP) held a successful End Of Summer Adoption Day in Newcastle on February 25, and in total 19 greyhounds found new homes that afternoon.
GAP will continue to regularly host adoption days around NSW, and you check their calendar on gapnsw.com.au for upcoming events.
Vale Gary Manning
The sport lost one of its favourite sons on February 23 when former journalist and legendary punter Gary Manning, succumbed to cancer, aged 73.
A journalist with News Limited's Sportsman newspaper before becoming the greyhound writer for the Sydney afternoon paper The Sun, Gary was well respected throughout the industry, and was arguably the best judge in greyhound racing.
He was widely known for his generosity, and considered by most well ahead of his time when it came to doing form and punting on dogs.
He is survived by his wife Julie, son Brad, daughter-in-law Renae, and grand-daughters Malli and Cayla.
This article was produced as part of an ACM partnership with Greyhound Racing NSW.
