By Brennan Ryan

SHANE YATES MEMORIAL CUP (515m)

For Grades 3,4,5 Tasbred Greyhounds

$10,000 to-the-winner

Heats 20 July & Final 27 July at Launceston

THE entire racing industry was sad to learn of the passing of top Tasmanian racecaller Shane Yates.

The Devonport-based broadcaster gave a 40-year career to calling the horses, trots and greyhounds in Tasmania describing some memorable racing and sporting moments.

Shane loved a thrilling finish and was there to detail the outcome in finals of Tassie’s biggest greyhound events, including the Hobart Thousand, Launceston Cup, Devonport Chase, but at  a regular meeting Yates still provided the same brilliant commentary.

Fittingly, the Tasmanian greyhound fraternity elected to rename one of their highly sought-after feature races, namely the Winter Tasbred Cup, to the Shane Yates Memorial Cup (515m), which this year sees the $10,000 event staged at Launceston in late July.

This race started out as the Minister’s Gift inaugurated in 2001 and run firstly at Launceston’s former White City track over 522 metres. The Tony Dawson-trained champion Stylish Doctor took all before him running the journey in 31.37 seconds from box three.

Known to his connections as ‘Harry’, the big-hearted son of Stylish Teddy accounted for Bon Armagh and Hilton Lass, coming away to score by three lengths and adding to his brilliant career that eventually totalled 50 race wins, 26 seconds and 12 thirds from his 114 starts.

Stylish Doctor was inducted to the Tasmanian Greyhound Hall of Fame in 2018.

The Minister’s Gift was a series conducted for Tasbred greyhounds in Grades 3, 4, 5.

After Keune took out the Minister’s Gift at Launceston in 2015 for trainer Ted Medhurst, the event was shelved until 2018, when the race was renamed and structured as the Winter Tasbred Cup held at Hobart and won by the David Crosswell-prepared Fernando Magic.

Shane Yate’s contribution to racing and sports in Tasmania will be remembered fondly each year from 2020 onwards with $10,000 feature set to be run next year at Hobart over 461-metres.

Launceston GRC chairman John Newson said the club was honoured to host the race.

“The Launceston Greyhound Racing Club is privileged and honoured to host the inaugural running of the Shane Yates Memorial Cup and would like to commend the Race Programming Committee and other two greyhound clubs for naming the race in Shane’s honour,” he said.

“As we all know, Shane was highly regarded by all in the racing industry and the help he gave the Launceston club in promoting races and the greyhound industry was invaluable.

“He will be sadly missed, not only as a jovial and fun-loving personality, but as well as a passionate promoter of the greyhound code.

“It is a fitting way to honour a great bloke and a true gentleman of the racing industry.”

Previous winners of the Minister’s Gift/Winter Tasbred Cup:

2001 Stylish Doctor; 2002 Swift Speedy; 2003 Posh Zoya; 2004 Blackberry Moss; 2005 Supa Snoop; 2006 Ejay’s Escape; 2007 Big Moose; 2008 Tamar Spider; 2009 Bandit’s Mistake; 2010 Ella Lucy; 2011 Awesome Naz; 2012 Bearville Phil; 2013 Hellyeah Bolt; 2014 Daniel’s Bay; 2015 Keune; 2018 Fernando Magic; 2019 Highland Vintage.