Wednesday 31st August 2011
The Irish Greyhound Board announced earlier this year a number of significant regulatory changes to further strengthen overall racing integrity at its Stadia. The changes, will officially start on Thursday 1st September 2011 and come after lengthy discussions with the Irish Greyhound Owners and Breeders Federation (IGOBF).
Following these discussions, and in order to facilitate the implementation of these changes the Irish Greyhound Board will now accept greyhounds for racing with one qualifying trial completed before or on the 1st of September, 2011 inclusive. Thereafter every novice greyhound will have to have two qualifying trials completed to be accepted for racing.
IGB Head of Regulation, Pat Herbert said “We have been talking at length to the GOBA Federation on the specific change of the qualification of unraced greyhounds and now have an agreement in place. We will review the change again in early December, whereupon a decision will then be made, based on empirical evidence, on the value of this change on racing integrity based upon this new approach. Following this review, any future decisions on these changes will be communicated well in advance of any change taking effect. Concern has been raised in some quarters that this change was financially driven. To dispel those fears we will assist owners by increasing all novice race grants (N0,N1,N2 and N3) by €30 from which all competing greyhounds will receive a minimum of €5 prizemoney. This in effect will cover the trial cost incurred by the owner for this additional trial made necessary by the implementation of the new regulatory changes during this review period. I would also like to take this opportunity to thank the Federation for their assistance in facilitating the implementation of these changes and the Irish Greyhound Board look forward to working with them and their members over the next few months on these issues.
Other regulatory changes dealing with UK greyhounds, identity cards, sales trials and random testing also come into effect on the same date – please see below.
Regulatory Changes – Grading System
Novice Greyhounds: Novice Greyhounds must have completed two qualifying trials to be accepted for racing. However, greyhounds will only have to better or equal qualifying time in one of these trials to be deemed eligible for racing. The following should be noted:
The Irish Greyhound Board will now accept greyhounds for racing with one qualifying trial completed before or on the 1st of September, 2011 inclusive. Thereafter every novice greyhound will have to have two qualifying trials completed to be accepted for racing.
UK Greyhounds: UK form must be procured and updated on the Irish Identity Card by Bord na gCon’s Regulation Department before such greyhounds are accepted for trials or racing in Ireland. This provision will not apply to UK trained greyhounds competing in events, with Special Authority granted by the Greyhound Board of Great Britain (G.B.G.B.).
Graded UK Greyhounds: Greyhounds arriving from the UK or any other racing jurisdiction, will have to successfully complete at least two official qualifying trials, one of which must be over the standard 525 yards distance before being accepted for racing. Greyhounds competing in an event with a G.B.G.B Special Authority will be exempted from this process.
Other Regulatory Changes
Non-Availability of Identity Card: The current practice permitting a greyhound to compete in a race or sweepstake without an identity card will be discontinued.
Sales: All greyhounds will now have to complete a sales trial before going on the bench.
Sales trials will remain as 3 dog trials. The minimum requirement for entry to Sales will be a trial where qualifying time was bettered or equalled. Seeding of greyhounds for Sales Trials will only be accepted by declaration on an entry form or from the last line of race form. Seeding will be clearly displayed on the Sales Catalogue and no changes to seeding will be accepted on the day of Sales.
Testing: Sampling of greyhounds, on a random basis, will be introduced at official qualifying trials at licensed stadia.