Caption: Wagga’s new president Ben Talbot is looking forward to a successful Ladrokes Bidgee Cup meeting on November 11. (Photo courtesy The Wagga Daily Advertiser)
By PAT McLEOD
New president Ben Talbot has some bold plans for the Wagga And District Greyhound Racing Club and that starts with a successful Cup meeting on November 11.
Talbot, 43, who has a lifetime background in greyhound racing, said the newly named Ladbrokes Bidgee Cup was an ideal opportunity to showcase the direction the club is now headed.
“Cup day will have a strong family emphasis,” he said. “We want everyone to know that this is a family-friendly club.
“We also want new-comers to the sport to be able to get a full appreciation of what this industry is about and how animal welfare is our top priority. We hope to have the Greyhounds As Pets (GAP) organisation represented on cup day.
“And of course the racing will be a highlight, with a top field expected for the $25,000 to the winner Group 3 Ladbrokes Bidgee Cup (named after the iconic Murrumbidgee River, which runs through Wagga).
“This race annually attracts the best local dogs and also plenty from across New South Wales and some from interstate.
“We are also bringing ‘The Marathon’ back. For the first time in over a decade a 760m race will be held at the track as a special feature on cup night, with $10,000 to the winner.”
Talbot stepped into the president’s shoes on September 18. He has a family history steeped in greyhound racing.
“I am originally from Broken Hill and my father and grandfather were heavily involved in the sport,” he explains. “I took out a handler’s licence when I was about 14 and have been part of the industry ever since.
“About three years ago I decided to give it a go full time.”
Talbot, wife Tiffany and children, Tiara, 9, Jaxson, 7, and Maddison, 5, are on 10 acres just outside Wagga where they have 30 dogs in work.
He is excited about what the future can hold for the Wagga club.
“This club has a very long history,” he says. “Greyhound racing is part of this region’s DNA. I want people to rediscover that and for the club to be a real focal point. It is a case of understanding and being respectful of our past, but also being prepared to work towards a better future.”
Included in that future is improved and modernised facilities at the Wagga club, which is part of the city’s showground infrastructure.
He is also keen for more race dates and has already had talks with Greyhound Racing New South Wales and says the initial discussions have been ‘very positive’.
Part of change at the club has been a new date for their premier meeting.
The club successfully secured a November date for the Cup, which has traditionally been raced in June. Which means this will be the second running of the Wagga Cup in 2022.
The last two runnings of the Cup have been won by Victorian trainers, Corey and Samantha Grenfell – Yozo Bale in 2021 and Vayda Bale, in June, 2022.
