Gunnedah Greyhound Racing Club president Geoff Rose is hopeful they will be allowed to race at least once a week to provide more opportunities for local trainers.
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Under measures announced by Greyhound Racing NSW on Monday in response to the coronavirus crisis, all racing in the region will be centralised in Gunnedah for the next month.
When he spoke to The Leader Rose was still waiting to discuss the finer details with GRNSW. The club at this stage has been allocated two Sunday meetings (April 5 and 19), but Rose said he would be putting in a request for an extra couple of meetings.
"I'm hoping we can get at least one a week because I think it's only fair," he said.
One of the stipulations is that participants will only be able to race in their zoned region. While "quite understandable" in the circumstances, it will limit opportunities for dogs to race.
"I fully support what they're doing,but I think if you can't travel outside your zone...I will be requesting that they give us at least one meeting a week so that those people are not having their dogs sitting at home for the week inbetween," Rose said.
"It's hard to keep a dog fit, it's hard to keep a dog maintained when you're only racing once a fortnight."
In normal circumstances they would have the option of racing at other venues..
"But we support what they're doing," he said.
"We think it's a great initiative, we've got to stop this virus."
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It isn't as simple though as saying 'we want extra meetings'.
"There's a lot of people you've got to work with to make it happen," Rose said.
"You've got to be able to get vets here, got to be able to get stewards here."
And as he pointed out, they would have restrictions put on them where they can travel to.
"Even if we get one main meeting and then we get an eight-race card all something like that. I'm willing to work with that anything that GRNSW are willing to provide," he said.
The Gunnedah track is one of 10 regional tracks across NSW to remain open. Rose said he wasn't surprised the governing body have taken this step.
"I knew it was coming, they were going to have to do something," he said.
"It's not just about greyhound racing, it's about people's health as well."
But in light of other sports having to shut down, he said they are "pretty lucky" to be able to keep going.
