Horsham will feature prominently in Greyhound Racing Victoria’s inaugural Western Festival of Racing, incorporating more than $700,000 in prizemoney.

The festival will feature eight nights of racing in the state’s west from late February to early May.

Attracting some of Australia’s best greyhounds to country Victoria, the event kicks off with Horsham Cup heats on February 26, with the final on March 6.

From there the festival will feature Ballarat and Geelong cups, both traditionally later in the year, but now in April.

The festival will finish with a Warrnambool Cup final in early May.

Greyhound Racing Victoria deputy chair Greg Miller said the Western Festival of Racing provided an important marketing opportunity as the sport continued to thrust its brand across the state, in line with its metropolitan and Gippsland festivals of racing.

“Greyhound racing’s first Western Festival of Racing is set to bring enormous excitement and increased exposure to the sport in western Victoria,” he said.

“Our four greyhound clubs in the west – Ballarat, Geelong, Horsham and Warrnambool – each has a rich history and are all integral to the fabric of our sport and to their local communities. Many of the best greyhounds in the world hail from the west – from the immortal Warrnambool Warrior Bold Trease through to present-day champions like Shima Shine and Tiggerlong Tonk – and I have no doubt the hundreds of trainers and breeders based in the west of the state will be determined to secure all four country cups on offer during the festival.” 

Western Victoria has almost 3500 greyhound breeders, owners or trainers and employs more than 660 people. It also involves about 300 volunteers, while generating $77-million annually in the western part of the state.

The entire February 17, 2021 edition of The Weekly Advertiser is available online. READ IT HERE!