Interstate Trainers Face Uphill Battle For MDC

VICTORIA’s spiraling coronavirus cases are threatening to have a bearing on the Million Dollar Chase series which gets underway in a month’s time.

VICTORIA's spiraling coronavirus cases are threatening to have a significant bearing on the TAB Million Dollar Chase series which gets underway at Gosford on September 1.

With the Victorian and New South Wales border closed for business, the machinations for trainers' interstate wishing to tackle the world's richest greyhound race is becoming more problematic by the day.

A number of trainers are already plotting their attack on the race with the most simplistic approach to send their hopefuls to New South Wales trainers for the duration of the $1 million to-the-winner series.

But with so much money involved and the responsibility of presiding over some of the sport's elite greyhounds, many trainers will understandably wish to be front and centre when the series gets underway.

And with that being the case, those trainers will be left with no alternative than to apply for border entry permits and set up camp in New South Wales until the series is over.

It's understood Greyhound Racing NSW (GRNSW) and Greyhound Welfare & Integrity Commission (GWIC) will begin discussions with Service NSW in the coming days about the most pragmatic – and safe – way to facilitate the process of interstate trainers.

Gaining travel exemptions will be achievable under the current framework but who's to say that if the cases in Victoria continue to intensify at the current rate we won't be operating under a whole new set of rules by the time the series gets underway.

And that's just in Victoria.

If the plight in New South Wales begins to accelerate than expect the exercise of gaining travel exemptions to become far more difficult as well.

Then there's the question around quarantine and what those parameters will look like, and be managed, upon arrival?

If you need to arrive and quarantine 14 days before contesting a heat, or trial, then trainers will need to be on their bike in a matter of weeks.

Unprecedented times yes and for right now there are a lot more questions than answers.

Expect that to change complexion in the coming days with officials to begin addressing some of the more pertinent issues for the benefit of trainers.

And the way it's going they will need every bit of help they can get.

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