Greyhound Racing NSW has raised the stakes in greyhound ownership with the announcement of a rich new Auction Race Series worth $150,000 to the winner.
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Set to unfold in October-November 2025, the series will boast a total prize pool exceeding $200,000.
The final will instantly become the fourth most lucrative prize in NSW greyhound racing.
The only events with bigger payouts to pursue will be the Ladbrokes Million Dollar Chase ($1 million), the Ladbrokes 715 ($500,000), and the Ladbrokes Golden Easter Egg ($350,000).
GRNSW chief executive officer Rob Macaulay said he was delighted to introduce the new feature, which he expects will attract huge interest from syndicators along with a new wave of owners.
"The auction and race series is timed perfectly for our upcoming announcement of a new syndication initiative," he said.
"There has never been a better time to get involved in the sport with prize money at record levels, and with a new syndication model imminent this will provide the ideal, easy entry point for newcomers who want to get into the sport.
"While we have had steady growth in syndication participation over the past few years, we expect that to surge with the introduction of the auction and race series."
The Auction Race Series will be exclusive to greyhounds auctioned at the 2024 GRNSW Puppy Auction on May 26 at Richmond. It will be open to pups born between July 1, 2023, and January 31, 2024.
Auctions have proven a big hit in greyhound racing over the past 25 years.
Dapto and Richmond race clubs have staged successful Puppy Auctions in the past, with the most recent being the Gold Muzzle Auction at Richmond in June 2019.
The associated race series for graduates of auctions have given rise to stars of the racetrack, such as Flying Riccardo, Thirty Talks and Mister Twister.
"There has been overwhelming support for the return of an auction, something which hasn't been seen since before COVID-19," Mr Macaulay said.
"It has been extremely well received by both the potential vendors - the breeders - and potential buyers."
Apart from racing prize money on offer, there will be a number of bonuses for breeders, with $1,000 paid to the breeder of the winner, and $250 to the breeder of each of the other finalists the GRNSW Auction Race Series.
Breeders will also receive a bonus of $500 for each pup that has its first race start in NSW, and a bonus of $500 for each pup that has its first race win in NSW.
While the auction will be held at Richmond, the venue for the race series is yet to be determined.
The series will consist of heats, semi-finals (if required) and a final, and prize money allocation for the heats and semi-finals will be in line with the current TAB Non-Graded class prize money schedule - or its equivalent - irrespective of how many heats and or semi-finals are conducted.
"While Puppy Auctions have been very successful in the past, I think with the current prize money levels in the sport, and such a lucrative series attached to this auction, we are likely to see some spirited bidding come May 26," Mr Macaulay said.
Full details of the Puppy Auction and the Auction Race Series can be found on thedogs.com.au.
This article was produced as part of an ACM partnership with Greyhound Racing NSW.
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