The Sunday Afternoon “Finish On”

On Monday, the Upper House Select Committee's long-winded inquiry into the Greyhound Welfare and Integrity Commission secured a response from the NSW Government.

Covid-19 constraints delayed hearings to the extent that it was first referred on September 23, 2020 and hearings extended for 16 months (surely a record) before a final report was delivered on December 2 last year.

The Government's response to 14 items ran six pages with six items fully supported, three supported-in-principle or partially supported, two noted and three not supported.

The recommendations which were dismissed included:

* Appointing an independent statutory commissioner to oversee and review the activities and expenditure of the Greyhound Welfare and Integrity Commission

* NSW Government advocate through National Cabinet for an overhaul of the national rules on prohibited substances and to introduce a tribunal system, independent of the Greyhound Welfare and Integrity Commission

* To adjudicate on breaches of the greyhound racing rules in a less formal, less costly and more accessible manner.

Support was thrown behind:

* The continued GWIC exploring further initiatives to ensure it continues to constructively engage with industry, The Select Committee acknowledged and welcomed the improvements with GWIC's industry collaboration efforts over the past two years.

* GWIC improving the accessibility of its processes to industry participants by conducting greater outreach and education programs.

* GWIC introducing specialised training and accreditation of veterinarians and inspectors to improve understanding of racing greyhounds and make recommendations for the adoption of national standards for veterinarians and inspectors in greyhound racing.

* The continuance to adequately fund training, cadetships, development and educational opportunities to maintain industry knowledge, upskill existing staff and engage new recruits.

* Implement a tiered system that reflects the seriousness of any breach, whereby low-level offenses can be managed with appropriately scaled punishments while implementing practices that ensure greater procedural fairness and timeliness in their investigations and prosecutions

While the Upper House inquiry is on the record, there will not be much taken from the process. It was acrimonious and bitter at times, fuelled by malcontents who felt they had a platform to level vitriol with impunity.

In the Select Committee's infancy, the disconnect and disrespect between GWIC and Greyhound Racing NSW was extreme yet, as evidenced at the recent Bathurst forum, the two peak bodies now work in harmony.

That harmony has not pleased One Nation MLC Mark Latham who, this week, continued his call for GWIC to be unwound via a supportive on-line element.

With an election in NSW just on three weeks away, grandstanding is to the fore.

The Greens have advocated for a second ban on greyhound racing as well as the cessation of all horse racing in four years.

Greens' platform is all about making themselves relevant to the bed wetters who support the Animal Justice Party yet the continued negativity from One Nation's NSW leader does greyhound racing no good whatsoever.

It serves self interest only at a time when greyhound racing is thriving and heading in the right direction.

HEADING EAST

West Australian star Crumble Monelli heads into next Saturday's Perth Cup with genuine upside and this first test in open company will be the youngster's moment of truth.

Having turned two years of age only a fortnight ago, the home bred son of Flake Monelli (by Barcia Bale) is testament to the potency of the Fernando Bale – Barcia Bale cross which has produced the likes of Miss Ezmae, Rebellious and Substantial while Barcia Bale's sons Aston Dee Bee, Mepunga Blazer and Zack Monelli have produced quality performers via a Fernando Bale bitch.

From just 16 starts, Crumble Monelli boasts an impressive 13 wins with earning of $130,055 plus a additional $32,000 being banked via WestCha$e breeders' bonuses.

Saturday's Perth Cup heats will be fiercely contested with the likes of Throttle, Electrified and Amplified proven at the elite level and there's always a few interstaters ready to challenge.

Wow She's Fast trialled at Cannington on Saturday and posted 29.91 – as compared to Crumble Monelli's 29.74 best of the night effort.

Another eastern raider is Fernando Mick but he will not trial prior to the Perth Cup heats while Victa Damian will miss the Perth Cup but is trialling at Cannington on March 11.

Connections have decided to focus on the Golden Easter Egg with Victa Damian's trial a preparatory effort to his Sandgroper assault on April 14.

The congested nature of the Group Race Calendar might dissuade some from travelling to Cannington but the hectic schedule is a work in progress for owner-trainer Dave Hobby.

"The Perth series has two consolations as well as the Group 1 Final on March 18 so the only prospect of getting Crumble and Custard Monelli to Wentworth Park before the Golden Easter Egg is to fly over the day after the Cup," Hobby said.

"It's not ideal but both boys are going well … it's just a pity Custard has met Crumble so many times, his record would be so much better had that not been the case."

Cannington suits the high speed and superbly tight railing ability of Crumble Monelli to a tee, as would The Meadows.

Electric early pace is Crumble Monelli's calling card and his best early section at Cannington (5.37s) is superior to that of Throttle and Electrified but are his box manners up to the cut and thrust of G1 company?

That will be answered in the next four weeks.

CALENDAR CRUSH

Greyhound Clubs Australia's Group Race Calendar is so congested these days, the importance and relevance (and position on the calendar) of a few races surely must come into question.

On Friday, Horsham Cup heats were conducted and the celebrated Victorian sprinting cup program was embarrassed with only 25 nominations received, providing for just four heats.

Twelve months back there were six heats at Horsham with 42 noms for the series won by Typhoon Sammy midst a purple patch of form following his Traralgon Cup win in late January.

Just 48 hours later at the Horsham heats, Temora's cup kicked off with – again with four heats and 28 nominations in total.

Anthony Azzopardi has three in the G2 heats at Temora including Salad Dodger (a Traralgon Cup Finalist on January 26), Steve White decided to campaign at Temora rather than Horsham with Paua Of Silence and Fire Hose – a recent addition to the Ken Markham team – has done all his racing in the Garden State.

Each venue's features have been compromised by scheduling and a simple swap of the Maitland Cup heats (March 9) with Temora would have been enough for all three series to be the best they can be.

Such is the congested nature of Victorian scheduling of country cups, they all-but run back-to-back.

After Horsham, its Shepparton, then Ballarat before Geelong while Warrnambool is the book-ender with heats slated for April 27 but none thereafter in this year's racing calendar.

There might be good reason the country cups are so compactly assigned but there are another eight weeks (after Warrnambool) to ‘play with' and surely it's in GRV's interest to attract the best dogs to their best races.

RACING ROYALTY

At Horsham, the cup series opened with Jungle Panther's slick, near record 26.83 win over the brilliant Stealth.

Stealth had won his previous five starts including the Group 3 Country Championship Final at The Meadows yet was no match for Koblenz's half-brother (by Barcia Bale).

And looking further into Jungle Panther's pedigree is that his dam Up Hill Jill has had 16 pups to the track with only Jorji Girl not winning – she was bitten by a snake and died after only one outing.

Up Hill Jill won 38 races and $882,061, her two litters to race (by Fernando Bale and Barcia Bale) have totalled 219 wins and $1,428,575 at an amazing 26.51 per cent strike rate.

Even more remarkable is that her dam line is just as potent and Up Hill Jill has two more litters to on the ground.

Koblenz's first pups were only whelped in early November so he's a work in progress stud-dog wise but he's siring large litters and boasts a near perfect conception rate.