Racing Queensland considered abandoning track after greyhound deaths
Racing Queensland has considered temporarily abandoning its new $90 million flagship facility if deaths continue at the troubled Ipswich circuit.
Documents obtained through freedom of information legislation show Racing Queensland has decided to return to Albion Park if conditions at The Q, the newly built $90 million racing complex at Purga near Ipswich, are not suitable for racing.
The revelations came days after the death of another greyhound at Q; He was the 21st greyhound to die from injuries sustained on the track this year.
Racing at The Q was suspended in July due to unsafe conditions, leading to the cancellation of the annual Brisbane Cup.
Meeting minutes obtained by this imprint show Racing Queensland’s board has decided to move greyhound racing to its former home at Albion Park if The Q’s problems continue.
This would happen “in the event of further track failures at The Q” but greyhound racing would not otherwise be scheduled at Albion Park, which is currently a predominantly trotting track.
Data presented to the board showed an injury rate of 3.73 per cent and a fatality rate of 0.25 per cent on the two-turn Q2 Parklands circuit; This means that one in every 400 greyhounds racing at that track perished.
A month earlier, board meeting minutes on June 25 showed optimism about Q despite its deadly operational start.
The board was told that Q2 was expected to have a higher injury rate than the single-spin Q1 at the same complex, but features such as transition turns, radius and cambers provided “reason to expect better rates over time.”
“As reducing serious injuries is an ethical imperative, the transition to single-turn and flat track racing should be prioritized.” MY25 Greyhound Injury Summary and Comparison found in the report presented to the board.
The same report sought to downplay the publicity surrounding the greyhound deaths in Q.
“The Q facility has attracted media attention regarding greyhounds being injured or euthanized as a result of injury. There are a number of nuances behind the headlines to consider,” the report says.
“By 30 June, 12 greyhounds were confirmed to have been euthanized due to injuries sustained in racing (4) or field trials (8). The majority of these greyhounds were euthanized off the track (7). [Race Meeting Injury Scheme] Be prepared to cover the costs of treating injuries [redacted text follows].
“The reporting of serious injuries, deaths, and subsequent off-track euthanasia for trials was unique to The Q during the era of peer-reviewed familiarization trials, with no other jurisdictions currently publishing trial data.”
The documents showed coaches were “now happy” with the track in July, but deaths continued to rise. As of October, the death toll rose to 16.
The publication of the documents on this imprint comes as another greyhound death was recorded at The Q, bringing the total to 21 since racing began in March.
The Coalition for the Protection of Greyhounds says Dynamic Ethics has died following a serious leg injury at Q Straight last Monday. The FastTrack database showed he died on Wednesday.
Less than a month earlier and following the publication of a damning report revealing that poor track design was contributing to greyhound deaths, Casemiro Magic suffered a serious leg injury on November 20. The FastTrack database showed he died on December 9th.
The government’s responses to a review of the Queensland racing industry included a new greyhound retirement program and a dedicated greyhound racing media team that would “better recognize the sport’s social contribution, ownership benefits and commitment to enhancing animal welfare”.
“The industry is more interested in creating a propaganda unit than addressing the systemic failings of greyhound racing in Queensland,” coalition president Amy MacMahon said.
“The state’s animal protection groups are seeking an urgent meeting with Racing Minister Tim Mander to discuss ongoing failings.”
Mander declined to comment.
The report on The Q’s three tracks (large single-turn track, two-turn track and flat track) was published in mid-October.
Faulty track designs were revealed to have caused 11 greyhound deaths in less than five months after The Q opened. Since then the fee has almost doubled.
“Q was supposed to be the benchmark in greyhound racing but it turned into a taxpayer-funded, lethal nightmare for dogs. It cost at least 21 lives,” MacMahon said.
“Even Q’s flat track, which is thought to be the safest form of racing, kills the greyhounds.”
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