Australia’s first ever National Straight Track Championship for greyhounds will take place over late July and early August in Victoria, Queensland and South Australia, with the Healesville Greyhound Association hosting the grand final on 18 August.
The championship will showcase Australia’s best straight track racers with $35,500 in total prize money.
This includes $5000 to the winner of each state final as well as an inaugural Greyhound Racing Victoria (GRV) grand final bonus of $14,500 to be distributed throughout first, second and third places.
Queensland’s Capalaba Greyhound Racing Club, the Murray Bridge Greyhound Racing Club in South Australia and Victoria’s Healesville Greyhound Association will each host state heats and finals with the top three placings from the QLD and SA finals joining Victoria’s first and second-place getters to race for the national title.
The grand final winner will also receive entry into heats for the Group 3 Healesville Cup, which now carries $67,000 in total prize money.
Greyhound Racing Victoria CEO Alan Clayton said Victoria was proud to host the first National Straight Track Championship.
“This will be an exciting part of Victoria’s safe racing program that is expanding the importance of straight track racing in the state,” he said.
“The National Straight Track Championship combined with the Healesville Cup delivers a strong straight track schedule in Victoria.
“GRV is very pleased to work with Healesville Greyhound Association to develop the inaugural Championship and that Australia’s two other straight tracks, Capalaba and Murray Bridge, have embraced this great new event on the national greyhound racing calendar.”
Like the National Sprint and Distance Championships, the National Straight Track Championship will annually rotate between different states with Capalaba to host the 2020 grand final followed by Murray Bridge in 2021.
Healesville Greyhound Association will host heats on 4 August, the state final and interstate exhibition trials on 11 August and the grand final on 18 August.
