After almost 89 years in operation, the final race meeting will be held at the iconic Dapto Greyhound racetrack tonight.
Since 1937 greyhounds have raced at the NSW South Coast circuit, a venue known not only throughout the country, but on a global stage.
But with Greyhound Racing NSW’s lease on the Dapto Showground site ending in June next year, a decision was made to stage the final race meeting ever in conjunction with the club’s feature event, the Group 1 Ladbrokes Dapto Megastar.
Officials are expecting a large crowd tonight as many people who have visited Dapto over the years, come back for one last memory.
Many people have many memories since the first race meeting was held at Dapto on Thursday, February 25, 1937.
In 1939, Dapto became the first club in NSW to introduce night racing under lights, the first of many revolutionary moves to extend the sport’s appeal and reach.
Among other innovations were the world’s richest race the $100,000 Super Coat Classic in 1991, the first track in NSW to switch from grass to loam in 1992, while superstar Flying Amy also graced the track in the four-dog Shoot Out during a busy decade.
In the late 1990s the venue hit mainstream media when avid industry supporter, the late rugby league star Terry Hill, regularly brought the Channel 9 Footy Show cameras to Dapto. They also famously promoted the greyhound Nads which was trained by Greg Wynn and would raise more than $250,000 for the Children’s Hospital.
The Megastar was born as an Invitational event in 2010 with Mr Metz winning. In 2011 the race gained Group 3 status, it was elevated to Group 2 the following year, and then in 2013 the Megastar became a Group 1 event, won by Victorian Peter Rocket.
Dapto … one last night. One last race meeting. One final Megastar, and one final lasting memory for all.
