Almost $290,000 in accrued unspent prize money will be shared across level three races and select provincial meetings from June 1 to June 30, GRV CEO Alan Clayton said.

“Payment of unplaced prize money at many Level 3 race meetings (and selected provincial tracks), in June, will ensure that accrued unspent prize money is distributed to participants across all racing regions and help maintain nominations whilst we have expanded our racing program,” Mr Clayton said.

“Unplaced prize money payments of $80 per unplaced runner will be distributed to participants at many meetings across June.

“This includes 37 meetings across the seven country tracks that will hold Level 3 meetings – Ballarat, Bendigo, Cranbourne, Healesville, Shepparton, Warrnambool, and Warragul.”

Mr Clayton said the reallocation would help inject prize money across all regions and tracks and across the breadth of the weekly schedule to ensure it could reach the widest participant base as possible.

“In addition, Horsham and Sale provincial meetings will also benefit from the reallocation,” Mr Clayton said.

“These two tracks will host a combined nine Provincial Level meetings in June and participants with starters will receive the unplaced payments of $80.”

Mr Clayton said the Geelong Rank Limit meeting held on Tuesdays would be increased to Level 2 prizemoney for the June meetings.

“We are also trialing targeted prize money increases at The Meadows Provincial (MEP) and Sandown Provincial (SAP) meetings in June,” Mr Clayton said.

“We wish to encourage participants to race greyhounds over distances of 500m and above and provide feeder opportunities and experience for greyhounds preparing to race at the higher Level 1 metro meetings.”

The reallocation was made after an accrual of prize money in 2019-20 due to a number of reasons including insufficient active dogs, lower field sizes and starters, the impacts of canine gastro, fire-related smog, heat and other weather-related occurrences and track or equipment breakdowns, and a reduction in feature race prizemoney post COVID-19.

In 2019, GRV reallocated unspent prize money in March but this year it was not possible to take these decisions earlier because of uncertainties around the racing program due to COVID-19, Mr Clayton said.