Greyhound Racing Victoria’s acting General Manager Racing, Scott Robins on the implementation of an automated lure at The Meadows.

Q) What changes are being made to the run up of the lure?

Greyhound Racing Victoria are implementing a fully automatic lure run up. The automation of the lure will ensure a seven second run up of the lure before every race for consistency. Lure drivers will still control the lure throughout the race.

Q) Why are there changes being made to the run up of the lure?
The University of Technology Sydney (UTS), who assisted in the design of the new Horsham track, handed down recommendations as part of the UTS report identifying Optimal Greyhound Track Design for Safety and Welfare.
The purpose of the switch to an automated function is to provide more consistency for the greyhounds because the lure will always be in the same position when they come out of the boxes. Additionally, the integrity function will be boosted with the constancy that will come with the automated lure run up.

Q) What trials have been conducted with the automated lure run up?
The GRV Racing Department have been working with SEW Eurodrive since November 2017 to automate the lure run up. More than 800 trials have been conducted at The Meadows with positive feedback being received from Club/GRV lure drivers.

Q) When will this commence for races?
After gaining approval from the Integrity Department the system will be implemented for races at The Meadows beginning Wednesday 7 March for a two-month trial period.