Two greyhounds killed in 5 days at Angle Park, upping toll to four dog deaths since $3m ‘safety upgrade’

A greyhound was killed at Adelaide’s Angle Park racetrack last night after breaking its leg while racing. The dog’s death is the second greyhound racetrack death for the year in South Australia, and the fourth death at Greyhound Racing South Australia’s flagship Angle Park track since it underwent a $3 million ‘safety upgrade’ late last year.

According to the steward’s report published by Greyhound Racing SA, the greyhound 'Twin Pick' became injured after being checked by another dog while entering the back straight at in Race 7 at Angle Park on Thursday, January 27. The race veterinarian found him to have sustained a “severe hock fracture”.

His trainer and owner, Clint Trengove, made the decision to have Twin Pick euthanised by Greyhound Racing SA’s on-track veterinarian, Dr. Greg Moore. Dr. Moore is a veterinarian at the popular Angle Park Vet clinic, based at Greyhound Racing South Australia’s headquarters at Angle Park.

Race footage shows Twin Pick rearing up in pain during the race and veering off to the right, bumping another dog as he wobbles away from the race pack. Footage shows him trying to continue to run on his broken leg before he leaves the camera’s sight.

The incident in which Twin Pick hit another dog after breaking his leg was not recorded by Greyhound Racing SA in their official steward’s report.

Twin Pick as he falls away from the pack due to a broken leg, about to bump into another dog on January 27, 2022. [Source: Greyhound Racing SA]

The race in which Twin Pick broke his leg was sponsored by Banana Feeds Australia, an equine feed supplement company based in Queensland.

At just 3.5 years old, Twin Pick had been made to race 66 times. He earned his owners $46,515 over his lifetime.

Racing records show Twin Pick had been subjected to a punishing racing schedule in the two years preceding his broken leg and subsequent death. He was regularly made to race 4-5 times per month, at various tracks in Victoria and South Australia.

Twin Pick had been shunted between four trainers during his short life, starting with a year in Bacchus Marsh with Victoria’s Jeffrey Britton, before being moved for 4 months to Brendan Pursell in Lara, north of Geelong.

He was then shipped across to South Australia to spend 7 months with Two Wells trainer Kiah Hurley, who raced him four times a month in August, September, November, and December of last year.

He had spent just 10 days this January with his final trainer, Trengove, who is based in Lewiston, before he was killed at the track.

Twin Pick was bred by the racing greyhound breeder ‘Tyler Two Macey’.

At the same race meeting at Angle Park last night, two other dogs had horror races, with both ‘Straight Blaze’ and ‘Lady Fernando’ suffering right hock injuries severe enough to be suspended from racing for 3 months.

Twin Pick is the fourth greyhound to die at Angle Park since extensive “safety upgrades” were completed at the track last year. The Angle Park track was closed for a major $2.9 million redevelopment in April 2021, reopening in late August 2021.

The upgrades were officially unveiled in October by Premier Steven Marshall when he attended the TAB Corp Adelaide Cup along with SA Minister for Racing Corey Wingard. A greyhound died at that event.

The “best practice” safety upgrades do not seem to have achieved much in the way of improving safety outcomes for greyhounds raced at Angle Park.

Four greyhounds have died at the track since its reopening. ‘Naughty Miss’ was killed on Monday, ‘Withers Monelli’ died at the Adelaide Cup event Premier Marshall attended on October 8 last year, and another dog, ‘Basman’, was killed a month later on November 11.

A report published yesterday by this publication detailed alarm from greyhound welfare advocates at the Angle Park track deaths and injuries, who say the deaths on a modern “safe” track prove again that there is no safe form of dog racing.

Kylie Field, a director with the Coalition for the Protection of Greyhounds, said: “Millions of dollars have been spent to supposedly make Angle Park safe. This has seen three dogs killed and more than 100 injured. No amount of marketing spin and glossy reports can hide those distressing facts.”

“GRSA also has to review its euthanasia policy. Too many dogs are being killed with treatable leg injuries – they’re considered mere disposable commodities that aren’t worth the cost of rehabilitation,” Ms. Field added.

Twin Pick’s final race can be viewed below (he is in the black vest with the yellow number 7).