Greyhound racing has lots of thrills and excitement, especially if you own a share in your own racing dog. People from all walks of life participate in greyhound racing with syndication an easy and affordable way to get started.
And that’s the way it was at Tara Raceway yesterday when Cawbourne Shiny, a July 2019 son of Ritza Lenny and Cawbourne Clover opened his winning account in the Williams Crane Hire Maiden Stake (305 metres) for the nine-member Rise N Shine Syndicate.
Unable to match the early speed of Miss Sniper, it wasn’t until rounding the bottom turn that Cawbourne Shiny railed through on the early leader and ultimately ran out a two lengths winner over Galactic Dreamer in 17.62 seconds.
The win was greeted with the enthusiasm usually afforded a feature race winner, syndicate manager John Podgorski of Mount Gambier accompanying fellow syndicate members and their supporters as they awaited the brindle dog’s return with Tarpeena trainer Dita Mitchell.
For Podgorski, who previously had enjoyed a casual interest in greyhound racing, and the East Gambier Football Club-oriented syndicate, this is their first involvement in greyhound ownership.
“I had been keen to form a syndicate to race a greyhound and not all that long ago I was introduced to Dita and spoke to her about purchasing a greyhound to race. She said she would look around but it could take a while,” he said.
Well, as it turned out, not very long at all.
“By pure coincidence, later on the same day that I had been speaking with John, Gifford Hill trainer Tony Rasmussen rang me to let me know he had three ready-to-race greyhounds for sale,” said Mitchell.
“The youngest, a brindle dog named Cawbourne Shiny, had raced only once previously for a fourth placing at Murray Bridge so I suggested to John and the syndicate that he could be worth having a go with.”
A syndicate consists of between two and 20 members who own the greyhound and share the costs of purchase, kennelling, training – and the winnings!
Each syndicate has an appointed manager who is responsible for managing the affairs of the ownership group with the trainer. All members of the syndicate must be registered as either an owner or an owner/trainer.
SA greyhound racing clubs, including Mount Gambier, are always seeking expressions of interest from people looking to become involved in the syndication of greyhounds.
As such, Greyhound Racing SA Syndication Coordinator, Sean Donnelly, will be at Tara Raceway’s meeting on Sunday, July 11. He will be able to guide any prospective owners through the process of starting a syndicate.
Many syndicates registered are formed through sporting clubs, work colleagues or families and friends. All are keen to experience that winning feeling and the enjoyable social aspects of being at the track. And that was certainly the case yesterday at Tara Raceway.
