Amber and Sean help Push To Pass aroundThe Links' therapy swimming pool.VETERAN dog man Keiron Butler haslived all his life around Goodna.He’s got his own slipping track out theback of his kennels, just a short trip totracks at Ipswich and Albion Park.But one thing he wishes he did have isa swimming pool.Specially since his classy galloperPush To Pass (Big Daddy Cool-KissinBobbie) has been laid up with a hock injury.Keiron and part-owner Dave Welgeknown just how good their dog is. His 30.46around Ipswich a few months ago provedthat to everyone.He pulled up lame in the hock afterwinning at Ipswich recently and Keiron andDave have been keen to fix the problem.And to their rescue comes SeanKirkpatrick and the staff at The Links PetCentre, just a short handslip up the roadfrom the Butler kennels.Swimbenefitscan befoundatTheLinksThe Kirkpatricks have been at TheLinks for 26 years.The original home was built by Keiron’sfamily many decades ago.Keiron, Dave and Push To Pass have beenregular visitors to The Links in recent timesmaking full use of the centre’s heatedswimming pool.Push To Pass has been getting the righttherapy and keeping his fitness level up to adegree with constant swimming.The Kirkpatricks, the canine show worldand general dog owners, have been utilizingthe pool at The Links for some time and knowfull well its rehabilitation success.“The show people are here all the timewith their dogs,” said Sean.Keiron Butler keeps a close watch as Amber Kathage and SeanFitzpatrick put Push To Pass through his swimming therapy.“It’s muscle building and great exerciseas well as therapeutic.”Swimming at The Links is a hands-onexperience for staff.“We always get into the pool with the dogsfor their first few sessions, getting themcomfortable, working their legs and musclesproperly, and also helping with easy entryand exit of the pool.“Once the dogs are confident and knowthe routine, they adapt very quickly and weare able to lead them from the side of thepool,” said Sean.He and the staff at The Links work inwith local vets and physiotherapists.“The pool is perfect for greyhoundsrecovering from injury,” he said.“The thoroughbred industry regularly,almost daily, uses swimming.”The Links has a number of high profileclients including the guard dogs fromneighbouring Wacol Prison.The complex is open to the public butswimming sessions need to be booked on(07) 33972000.The (February, 2009) Journal Page 8
Melbourne Greyhound Racing Association - The Meadows2009 AustralianCup CarnivalIncorporating the MTD Australian CupFeaturing:Group 1 MTD Australian Cup (525m)Now worth $150,000 to the WinnerPreliminaries - February 14Heats - February 21Final - February 28Group 1 Australian Stayers Cup (725m)Winner $50,000Heats - February 21Final - February 28A Three-week Racing Extravaganza at The Meadows$650,000 in prizemoneyEvent Details:MTD AUSTRALIAN CUP (525m)Winner $150,000.Initial entries close on February 6 for the Cup. The GRV Grader will divide the entriesinto two catagories. The top 56 greyhounds (in the grader’s opinion) will be eligible tocompete in the semi-finals on NIGHT TWO.The remaining greyhounds will compete in the preliminaries on NIGHT ONE for theirchance to join the elite 56 greyhounds in the eight heats on night two.The eight heat winners on NIGHT TWO will be eligible to compete for GROUP ONEGLORY on NIGHT THREE.AUSTRALIAN STAYERS CUP (725m)Winner $50,000.Entries close on February 17 for the Australian Stayers Cup. These greyhounds will beeligible to compete in the heats on NIGHT TWO to qualify for GROUP ONE GLORY onNIGHT THREE.Group 1 The Temlee (525m)Winner $50,000Invitation EventFebruary 14Group 2 The Zoom Top (725m)Winner $30,000Invitation EventFebruary 14Group 2 The Rookie Rebel (600m)Winner $25,000Invitation EventFebruary 14ContactMelbourne GreyhoundRacing Association03 9355 5222Event Conditions:Group One – $150,000 to the WinnerThe 2009 Australian Cup Event consists of a series of threeweeks of racing which will be conducted under the GreyhoundRacing Victoria - Rules of Greyhound Racing:The dates for the series of the Event will (other than forunforeseen circumstances) be:Night One - 14th February -Preliminaries and Temlee Special EventNight Two- 21st February - HeatsNight Three- 28th February - Final1. Nominations for the Event series close with GRV onFriday 6th February at 10.00am2. The GRV grader, in conjunction with a MelbourneGreyhound Racing Association representative will divide thesenominations into two (2) categories -(a) The top 56 greyhounds nominated, as adjudged by theGRV grader and MGRA representative, will be automaticallyentered in the Heats of the Australian Cup to be conducted onthe 21st February, 2009 and(b) The remaining nominations will be eligible to be drawnin the Preliminaries to be conducted on the 14th February, 2009.3. The number of Preliminaries to be conducted onFebruary 14, 2009 will be determined subject to the number ofnominations remaining after the top 56 greyhounds have beenadjudged, however this number will not exceed eight (8).4. Eight (8) greyhounds from the Preliminaries willbe eligible to be drawn into the Heats to be held on February 21,2008.Those drawn into the Heats shall notionally be winners of(8) Preliminaries, but in the case of a lower number than (8)Preliminaries being conducted; greyhounds finishing secondin each of the preliminaries will, subject to their time recorded,become eligible for inclusion into the Heats.An additional 16 greyhounds from the Preliminaries willbecome eligible to be reserves for the Heats based on the acceptedhierarchy of placing their time recorded in the Preliminaries forinclusion into the Heats.5 Eight (8) greyhounds from the Heats will be eligible tobe drawn into the Final to be held on the 28th February, 20096 <strong>Greyhounds</strong> adjudged as included in the top 56nominations will be considered to be engaged in the Heats andwill incur the normal stand-down period if scratched after theclose of nominations on the 6th February, 20097 <strong>Greyhounds</strong> selected to compete in the ‘Temlee SpecialEvent’ (an event to be conducted on February 14, 2009) will beplaced directly into the Heats provided a nomination for theAustralian Cup Event has been submitted at the closing time fornominationsFor the purposes of clarity, any greyhound placeddirectly into the Heats by virtue of their selection tocompete in the ‘Temlee Special Event’ is deemed to be partof the Australian Cup Event series and the provisions ofLR 44 (Vic) apply to the series comprising the TemleeSpecial Event, the Heat and the Final of the AustralianCup Event8 The provisions of the Greyhound Racing VictoriaLR 44 (Vic) should be clearly noted by all participantsnominating for series which includes the ‘Temlee SpecialEvent’ and the Australian Cup EventLR 44.2 (Vic)Where a specimen is taken from any greyhound andwhere upon preliminary analysis a Drug is found in thespecimen, the following provisions shall apply:(a) the Stewards shall notify the Owner and Trainerof the greyhound that a Drug has been found in thespecimen; and GAR124 shall apply(b) where an Event is being, or has been conductedby way of a series of races and a final:(i) the greyhound shall be disqualified from the racefrom which the specimen was taken and shall not beeligible to compete in any further race in the series or thefinal of the Event.(ii) If the greyhound has competed in any further racein the series or the final of the Event, the greyhound isretrospectively disqualified from the race from which thespecimen was taken and any further race in the seriesincluding that final and GAR85 and LR44(Vic) shallapply.44.3 LR44.2 (b) (Vic) shall apply regardless ofwhether the greyhound had the drug in its system at thetime it competed in any further race in the series, includingthe final.44.4 (a) Where an Owner or Trainer (inthis rule “the Second Owner/Trainer”) recovers anymoney or other prize under GAR85 from another Owneror Trainer, they must, as soon as is practicable,return any money or other prize that they originallyreceived for the Event to GRV.(b) Upon receiving any money or other prize underLR44.4 (a) (Vic), GRV must make reasonable attempts tonotify the Owner or Trainer (in this rule the “Third Owner/Trainer”) whose greyhound finished in the placing directlyfollowing the greyhound of the Second Owner/Trainer.(c) The Third Owner/Trainer is entitled to collect themoney or other prize returned under LR44.4 from GRV attheir own expense.The (February, 2009) Journal Page 9
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