Ms O’CONNOR (Hobart) – Mr President, I want to take the opportunity to talk to members about greyhound racing that’s happening in our name every week in the ‘We Stand With Tasmania’ races. In our name, greyhounds are racing across the country: Western Australia, South Australia, Queensland, New South Wales and Victoria and, for many of those dogs, things don’t end well.
Let me tell you about just some of them. In our name, in race 7 at Warragul on 6 November last year, ‘Kel Of Kintyre’ faltered on the first turn and subsequently tailed off, underwent a post‑race veterinary examination and was found to have a right hock fracture. That was the last race for Kel Of Kintyre, who’s now listed as retired.
In our name, in race 2 at Temora on 19 November 2025, ‘Reefton Bluebell’ had a post‑race fall in the catching pen. Reefton Bluebell was stood down for 90 days and has never raced again.
In our name, race 2 at Temora on 10 December 2025, ‘My Mate Timmy’ came together with other runners at the turn out of the back straight and lost momentum, and the report from the steward’s report tells us, ‘My Mate Timmy never raced again and is now listed as deceased.’
In our name, race 3 in Maitland on 22 December last year, ‘Hey Pat’, from the steward’s report, checked off the heels of El Rey rounding the turn out of the back straight, fell and took no further competitive part in the race. Hey Pat was euthanised within three days of this race and don’t worry, I do have a query for the government.
In our name, in race 11 at Warragul on 30 January this year, ‘Our Pink Mantra’ was, ‘Checked approaching the home turn, faltered and subsequently pulled up.’ No surprises, that was the last race that Our Pink Mantra ran and she’s now listed as retired.
In our name, in race 5 at Meadows on 11 March this year, Son of Ghost, ‘Faltered turning out of the front straight and subsequently tailed off.’ A post‑race veterinary examination revealed a right hock fracture, for members’ understanding, a hock on a dog is effectively their ankle, and I’m very sad to say Son of Ghost was subsequently euthanised.
In our name, in race 2 at Temora on 18 March this year, Brielle, ‘Lost momentum approaching the home straight and drifted out before colliding with other runners.’ Brielle was stood down for 14 days and hasn’t raced since.
In our name, in race 6 at the deadly Wentworth Park on 2 April this year, ‘Zipping Chetty’, ‘When passing the winning post on the first occasion, clipped heels and fell, taking no further competitive part in the event.’ Zipping Chetty was stood down for 28 days and hasn’t raced since.
In our name, in race 5 at Warragul on 2 April 2026, ‘Galloping Suzie’ severely checked turning off the back straight, faltered and subsequently pulled up. Underwent a post‑race veterinary examination and Galloping Suzie was euthanised at the track.
In our name, in race 2 at Temora on 13 May 2026, ‘Sly Sticker’ lost momentum in the final stretch, went clear of other runners. Sly Sticker was stood down for 28 days but his trainer indicated that the greyhound will now be retired. In the same race, ‘Tammy Turbo’ came together with another runner soon after start, continued to lose momentum in the run and her trainer has reported the greyhound will be retired.
In our name, in race 6 at Warragul on 5 June this year, ‘Rumour Not Fact’ faltered, was checked approaching the home turn, found to have a fractured left femur, stood down for 90 days.
Another dog injured not once, but twice, in our name, is ‘Manila Shelby’. In race 2 at Temora, she came together with another runner at the turn out of the back straight when leading and lost momentum. She was stood down for 21 days, raced again shortly thereafter, galloped into another runner soon after the start and fell, and has been stood down for 60 days.
In our name again race 2 at Temora in August this year, ‘Trixie’s Chance’ came together with another runner after turning into the home straight, has been stood down for 21 days.
In our name ‘Trunky Aviator’ fell in Race 1 at Wentworth Park on 20 August 2026. And again just one week later, because these dogs are used and abused, Mr President, on 27 August he galloped on the heels of another runner entering the first turn, causing the greyhound to fall and he has been stood down for 10 days.
And in our name, Mr President, in Race 5 at Sandown on 29 August 2026, ‘Paw Otis’ was severely checked and fell entering the turn out of the front straight underwent a post-race veterinary examination and was reported to have sustained a right radius ulnar fracture and Paw Otis was shortly thereafter euthanised.
Mr President, this is of course just a small snapshot from what we’ve been able to uncover. These races I’ve mentioned are mostly from Victoria and New South Wales, but there are so many more that we haven’t fully monitored in Western Australia, South Australia and Queensland. There are so many dogs that are injured and killed in our name.
My question to the racing minister, is this: dogs are being injured and dying as a result of racing, not only here at Mowbray and Elwick, but around the country in ‘We Stand With Tasmania’ races. I feel it brings shame on us all. Will the minister work with Tasracing to negotiate with their counterparts interstate and to stop hurting dogs in Tasmania’s name?
