Veteran North Rothbury trainer Pat Parrelli believes the proposed move of Maitland greyhound racing from Monday nights to Wednesdays - at the same time as Muswellbrook meetings - will be the death knell of the track.
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And Parrelli feels that is exactly what Greyhound Racing NSW wants.
There was speculation last week that Maitland was among tracks to be closed to racing under GRNSW plans to streamline the industry. It was then announced Tamworth, Moree, Coonamble, Potts Point and Young would close.
The Greyhound Recorder later reported GRNSW had decided to end racing at Maitland but was forced to change its plan because of political pressure.
Instead, Maitland's regular racing slot was changed from Monday nights to Wednesday day meetings in a draft schedule. Muswellbrook was also on Wednesday, and Saturday mornings.
Racing at the leased Maitland Showground track is run by the Greyhound Breeders, Owners and Trainers Association (GBOTA), while Muswellbrook is owned and operated by GRNSW since opening in April last year.
Parrelli regularly has runners at both tracks and believes a joint time slot "won't work".
"They are too close together. They are only an hour-and-a-quarter drive," Parrelli said.
"You won't get enough dogs to do both. They are struggling this morning for Thursday night's Maitland meeting. They only had 67 dogs.
"It will be a death knell for one of them and I get the feeling that they are actually wanting that to happen. Someone at GRNSW wants one of these tracks to die and it will be Maitland."
He said Maitland, one of just five one-turn track in NSW, was the better course.
"I want Maitland," he said. "We've had Maitland since 1927 and we need a speed track. We haven't got another one in the Hunter after they closed Cessnock [in 2006].
"I've been racing at Maitland for 50 years and in that time I've only ever lost two dogs [to career-threatening injuries] there. Since Muswellbrook opened, I've lost five dogs on that track."
"I'm not a fan of Muswellbrook because we haven't got the right distances there, compared to Maitland.
"I think it will be a death kneel for one of the two, because once Taree is up and going again, the people from Taree will not be going to Muswellbrook. They have been supporting Muswellbrook as much as people from Tamworth, Gunnedah and this area.
"I'm a little bit upset over this system. They are taking away tracks that this industry really needs. I don't think the industry is going to survive long term. I think it's going to die short term.
He said GRNSW's plans, which include building its own track at Dapto, led him to believe "they want the industry participants out and they want to run everything".
GRNSW was asked for comment about the reported backflip at Maitland, the track's future and the draft proposal to change its race dates.
DOUBLES FOR LOCAL YOUNG GUNS
Grace Panella drove a double for Seaton Grima and Jake Hughes (pictured) steered two veterans to breakthrough wins at the Newcastle Paceway meeting on Monday.
Hughes took seven-year-olds Waiting For Love (trainer Greg Brown) and Gunfightersghost (Stuart Pringle) to the lead early in their races and both held on for comfortable wins. It was their first since last October and December respectively. Panella drove Manhattan Sunshine and Murphy's Reward to even easier wins in the final races.
Both are recent additions to the Grima stable and gave Panella back to back doubles at Newcastle.
Manhattan Sunshine, having her second start for Grima, enjoyed a hun run behind the leader before cruising to a 5.8m win.
Murphy's Reward, on debut for Grima, stormed to a 26.1m victory as the $2.40 favourite in the last.
