By Kath Gannaway
No 8 Snipper’s List (F. Spiteri) battled it out in Race 3 with No. 1 Kobyboyn Lass on the inside, to win ahead of No. 4 Tap Your Feet and No 6 Strawb’s Pride.
Watch Out Pete, No. 4 (G. Mitchell) came in ahead of No. 2 Kian Prince and No. 1 Katsidis in Race 5.
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Enjoying the picnic atmosphere, with the new facilities in the background, The Lancaster-Robinson and Pollard families (clockwise from back) Jess, Jason and Charlie, Brett and Henry, Trudy, Jack, Alanah and Sam.
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Out of the wind and weather, patrons now have excellent visibility to the track, as well as TAB and canteen facilities.
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Taking a break on the new deck, catchers (from left) Brad Clark, Nicholas Harvey, Anthony Cruddas and Daniel Harvey.
Photo7. Tractor action on the new sand track, with the impressive club facilities in the background.
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Adam Bailey will be a regular at Healesville for race-day track maintenance.
THE name said it all on Sunday as the first race was run on Healesville Greyhound Club’s new sand track.
Sands of Time claimed the honour of being first past the post as racing returned to Healesville after a major redevelopment which replaced the grass track with sand and established a new visitor facility.
Punters and trainers watched from the fully-enclosed spectator facility (which includes the TAB and canteen) or from the ajoining deck.
Healesville Greyhound Club manager Gerrie Sneyders said the response from trainers and spectators had been very favourable.
“When you look at where we have come from, virtually an open-front shed, this is fantastic,” he said.
“People would race their dogs and just head off home, now they will stay and enjoy the facilities.
“We had a lot of people from interstate down here today, including quite a few from New South Wales wanting to give their dogs a look at the track ahead of the Healesville Cup Heats next week, and they were all very impressed.”
Following the races from the comfort of the new facility, Rachel Johnson, whose husband Garry trains and races at Healesville said the facility was a terrific surprise.
“We’ve been coming here for five or six years and to have this, out of the wind and weather, is terrific,” she said.
Alison Johnson, a visitor from Melbourne said one of the great improvements was the visibility along the track with the removal of some vegetation allowing a full view of the track from the starting boxes to the finishing post.
The track also got the thumbs up from Adam Bailey who will be a regular at Healesville from now on.
Mr Bailey has the job of keeping the track on track… grading it after each race.
“Grass may look better, but there is no doubt at all that sand is a great improvement for the dogs, but also for the club. You shouldn’t lose a meeting on sand,” he said.
The new track and facilities will be officially opened by the Minister for Racing Denis Napthine this Sunday, 9 October, during the running of the Healesville Cup heats.
The Healeville Cup will be held on Sunday, 16 October.
