In a move to further develop the knowledge basis of track safety and welfare, Greyhound Racing Victoria has extended a trial of Individual Monitoring Units (IMUs) to Sandown in Melbourne’s east.
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Individual Monitoring Units
In layman’s terms the program establishes as local GPS field and each greyhound races with a GPS unit in their race rug and data such as acceleration rates, field position and interference are all tracked.
They will be supplied to the University of Technology Sydney to further their work on maximising welfare through safer track design.
In an interesting note one trainer at the Meadows during the first trial thought it might be a good idea to remove the GPS unit before the race for reasons unknown.
When the dogs left the start one signal was stationary at the boxes then proceeded to move slowly back to the catching pen before returning to the kennelling area.
Stewards were interested to talk to the trainer who was left a little red faced at the realisation that the unit had given their ruse away.
Closer to home
John Weir-Smith recorded the first of only two local wins last Tuesday with Shamrock Valley.
An outsider in the field of seven benefited from the leaders racing wide on the turn and railed underneath them to record a one length victory over the 485m trip at odds of $19 on the TAB.
Andrea Gurry was the other to return a winner with the consistent Xerox Letter in 9 over the 410m.
Having finished second at his previous two starts, Xerox Letter had to work hard to wear down Crymelon Rip (Ian Bibby) and would no doubt be pleasing Gurry since his return from a spell.
Crymelon Rip wasn’t Bibby’s only placing with Crymelon Annie, Crymelon Phantom and Crymelon You Cro all finishing in the money in earlier races.
The hype around Peter Carter’s second first starter nearly paid dividends when Close Enough finished a close second over the 485m after establishing a huge lead into the home turn.
The litter mate of On The Take, who won a week ago, just ran out of gas having missed a planned trial the week before due to inclement weather and will no doubt improve from the run.
Coming up
Tomorrow’s fields include heats of the Doug Hughes Memorial for maiden greyhounds over the 410m.
Hughes was a life member of the Horsham Club and tireless volunteer over many decades.
The administration building is also named in his honour befitting a pioneer of greyhound racing in the Wimmera.
