Launching Pad Remains Vital To Industry Growth

LAUNCHING Pad winner Dashing Slay is the latest star to emerge through a series that is undoubtedly the country's best for emerging greyhounds.

While Dashing Slay's 15-length winning margin was extenuated by interference behind her, the manner of her wins was undeniable. 

Her winning time of 29.08 was the second fastest in the race's history, second only to Wow She's Fast's 28.93 in 2022, a time she ran to within 0.02 seconds in the semi final. 

And the similarities between the two don't stop there. Both had a similar number of starts entering the series, both went through the series undefeated, and both improved their box speed each week. In fact, if you compare their ‘ultimate' time through the series (combining their best respective splits), Dashing Slay actually posts a time 0.002 seconds faster than Wow She's Fast (28.923 vs 28.297).

None of which is to say that Dashing Slay is as good as Wow She's Fast, a five-time group 1 winner (if you include her two The Phoenix victories) that retired as the sport's highest prize money earner with almost $2.5m to her name.

But it does point to a trend – that the Launching Pad continues to launch the careers of the sport's future stars. 

First run in 2003, the Launching Pad became the first slot race of any code when its conditions were revised in 2015. Restricted to greyhounds with 1-6 wins and no more than 30 starts, its honour roll is, to be fair, modest. 

However, the greyhounds that have progressed through the eight series' since becoming a slot race (up to 2025) include at least 33 group 1 winners.

Among them are Melbourne Cup winners My Redeemer and Aussie Rocks, Australian Cup winners Lala Kiwi and Fernando Mick, and remarkably, four Topgun winners including Dundee Osprey, Aston Rupee, Photo Man and Excavation.

It has even produced group 1 winning stayers Tornado Tears, Trooper Tears,  Barcali, Canya All Class, Ethanol Volume and Ethanol Water.

While the quality at the top end of the series speaks for itself, one of the unique features of the series – and one of its biggest strengths – is that it includes a consolation, as well as a stand alone consolation series, giving owners, trainers and slot holders ample opportunity to get a return on their investment and a share in the $450,000 on offer throughout the series.

Concerningly, only 57 of the 64 slots were sold for the 2025 series. It may be an indicator of the current economic climate, as well as the state of the breeding industry. Regardless, chatter has it that the Sandown Club is looking at options for 2026, which is a concern given the prize money cuts the Club had already implemented to its feature calendar for the 2024/25 season.

The Launching Pad is one of greyhound racing's greatest series. A truly unique event that provides a point of difference on a calendar awash with much of the same old.

Hopefully those in charge recognise it as such and continue to fund – and grow – the series into the future. 

Group 1 winners that have progressed through the Launching Pad:

Amron Boy
Aston Rupee
Aqua Cheetah
Aussie Rocks
Bago Bye Bye
Barcali
Buck Forty
Canya All Class
Dundee Osprey
Dyna Patty
Ethanol Volume
Ethanol Water
Excavation
Fast Times
Fernando Mick
Hector Fawley
Here's Tears
Jungle Deuce
Lala Kiwi
Launch Code
Mepunga Blazer
My Redeemer
Photo Man
Premium Share
Quick Jagger
Raw Ability
Rock Up Top 
Sennachie
Stormy Day
Thirty Talks
Tornado Tears
Trooper Tears
Wow She's Fast