By Duane Ranger
Champion New Zealand greyhound trainer and NZGR Board Member, Craig Roberts, who has now relocated from Canterbury to Queensland to further his career, says he is “too angry to be sad” following the abrupt termination of New Zealand greyhound racing in New Zealand on July 31.
Roberts said the New Zealand Coalition Government currently being run by the National, ACT, and New Zealand First Parties had decimated good, honest hard-working families – including 10 of his own Canterbury-based relatives.
“It’s sickening and disgusting the suffering that this Government has inflicted on law-abiding New Zealanders, who have been racing greyhounds since 1870s. The ban has cost 1,054 jobs and $159.2 million annually to the New Zealand economy.
“It’s both nasty and contradictory when you take into consideration that the New Zealand Government is still benefiting more than $20 million in revenue annually from 42,000 greyhound races being beamed into New Zealand via Trackside from Australia,” Roberts said.
“What is also sickening is that the other two racing codes in New Zealand didn’t want to know or support us in our hour of need,” the 63-year-old added.
The first greyhound racing club was founded in Southland in 1876. Then the New Zealand Federation of Coursing Clubs formed in 1877.
Outgoing New Zealand Greyhound Racing Chief Executive, Edward Rennell, said in the following years, greyhound racing developed into a major New Zealand industry.
“Greyhound racing was granted access to full off-course totalisator betting and the TAB in 1981, with a capital payment required from GRNZ to “buy” into the TAB at that point.
“This led to a new public profile for greyhounds, and public interest increased further with the advent of Trackside television in 1992.
“The Bill to shut us down did not meet accepted standards of evidence-based policy development, proportionality, or regulatory coherence, and puts at risk animal welfare, employment, and the integrity of regulatory institutions,” Rennell said.
Responding to Animal Rights activists, Rennell said Greyhound race fatality rates were significantly lower than New Zealand thoroughbreds.
“Greyhound racing is the only New Zealand racing code with total transparency, traceability, and formal, monitored commitment to post-racing outcomes. A total of 697 greyhounds were successfully rehomed in the 2024-25 season,” Rennell said.
GRNZ sought world-renowned advice from Professor Madeleine Campbell, who is an expert in Veterinary Ethics. Based at Nottingham University in England, her particular research interests focus on the use of animals in sport.
In her report the Professor believed the New Zealand Government provided an inadequate approach to assessing greyhound welfare.
“GRNZ’s approach to welfare is aligned with best practice in other international jurisdictions where greyhound racing occurs. Its systems are designed to ensure that the welfare needs of greyhounds at all lifetime stages are met across the ‘Five Domains’ of animal welfare,” Professor Campbell said.
“GRNZ’s systems are aligned with best practice in other international jurisdictions where greyhound racing occurs. Race fatalities rates are better than those in horseracing. The standard of welfare of greyhounds under the control of GRNZ is high.
The Governing Body’s programme of work on welfare, traceability systems, data reporting, licensing of owners, breeders, and trainers plus independent oversight of welfare impacts through RIB oversight and reporting upwards to the SPCA and/or MPI if the RIB suspects a breach of the Animal Welfare Act 1999. In my opinion GRNZ provided a level of assurance around compliance with section 10 of that Act far in excess of that which is possible to provide for pet dogs,” the Professor added.
But sadly, in equine terms the horse has bolted, and now dozens of tracks have been shut down, leaving Roberts, who was a NZGRA Hall-Of-Fame nominee, with more than himself to think of.
“I care for every industry participant. For myself alone, it has directly affected 10 of us here in Canterbury. It’s also meant I’ve had to leave most of them behind in Canterbury and start afresh in Australia.
“When you have three kids and five precious grandkids that you adore, it’s absolutely heart-breaking to move away from them all. But I’m not quite old enough to retire and want to spend my final few working years giving it a crack in Queensland before I head back home,” he said.
Roberts’ family members, who have all lost jobs with the closure, include: his partner, Angela Washington; his oldest son Matt and Group winning trainer; Matt’s partner and the former CEO of the Christchurch Racing Club, Sarah Clausen; another son and trainer, Dan; Roberts’ training daughter, Melissa and her partner and Addington track curator, Shane Nuttall; his step-daughter Leaha Washington and her partner Nick Ware who was also a curator at Addington Raceway; and Roberts’ his ex-wife, Diana, who was assistant to Clausen at Addington Raceway.
Roberts, who said he sympathised with other families and grassroot trainers, arrived in Queensland on August 3, and was followed over by Leaha Washington and Nick Ware seven days later. Dan will arrive later. They will work a team of 40 at Purga, with the intention of expansion. Purga is just 5.4km south of Queensland’s new $90 million Greyhound Racing establishment, ‘The Q’.
‘The Q’ which boasts, a straight-line track, a one-bend track, and a separate a full circuit track, opened on April 4 last year.
But Roberts is the first to admit that his shift to Australia would never have been possible had it not been for the Victorian-based Wheeler family, who he trained 30 Group One winners for in New Zealand.
“Jan asked me if I wanted to branch out in south-east Queensland. Back in May I came over to look at the property, which included a house, a cottage, and an impressive kennel block housing 41 kennels. It was established and formerly owned by renowned dog trainer, Ned Snow,” Roberts said.
Meanwhile Brendan Wheeler termed Queensland ‘the go-ahead state’.
“Mum (Jan) and I have been thinking of getting into Queensland for a while.
“It’s gone from an idea, to… ‘we have to do this’. We have had a long and successful association with Craig, and we are hoping that continues in the Sunshine State,” he added.
Roberts said he was honoured to continue the association, saying he would initially race up to 41-Wheeler dogs with the intention of building another kennel block. The farm can cater for up to 47 dogs They now race ‘Paw dogs’ in memory of Jan’s late husband and Australian greyhound racing legend – Paul Alan Wheeler. They previously raced the Dyna and Bale named greyhounds.
“I’ve also brought seven dogs over from New Zealand, but we are under no illusions of just how tough it will be here.
“We are going to need time to build our team. It’s all going to take a lot of patience and groundwork,” said Roberts who has won 2,175 races since first taking out his trainers’ licence in 1982. He has been associated with the Wheeler family since the late 1990s.
“It would be nice to have another Gatlin Bale, Dyna Dave, and Dyna Vikkers, but it’s a whole new ball game here. The times and quality of the opposition proved that,” Roberts said.
Meanwhile, Leaha Washington, who has trained 66 winners in a short time back home, was petrified when she heard that New Zealand greyhound racing would be shut down.
“I heard the news when I was at home on my own and Craig and Mum were in Invercargill racing dogs. I was completely shattered because I had no-one to talk to and console about it. I wondered how I would get through it all, because this was the only work I had done since leaving school.
“There were a lot of tears, and I wondered what would happen to my babies (dogs). It was like losing a big part of my life. I know some of our team back home are already stir crazy and wondering why they are no longer racing.
“They were like family to me. I helped Craig and trained 10 of my own. If it wasn’t for the Wheelers, I’d hate to think how my future would have panned out. This is all I’ve ever wanted to do. I’m currently applying for my licence and in the meantime, I’m helping Craig here in Purga,” 21-year-old Washington said.
Four New Zealand trainers have indicated they will also race in Queensland, and Australian trainer, John McCarthy, said he hoped more would follow.
“It’s not fair the way they have been treated in New Zealand. This is their livelihood and I would personally welcome them here to further their careers. They deserve a break,” he said.
The Minister of Racing in New Zealand, Winston Peters, was not available for comment after the writer tried to contact him three times.
Videos of Roberts, Washington, and McCarthy are linked in this story below. All three spoke to this writer at ‘The Q’ on my birthday – August 27. It was the perfect venue to celebrate such an event, but my heart goes out to all grassroot and professional greyhound trainers back home.
You have been shafted by naïve people who simply have no idea, have their own agendas, and don’t have much between their ears. Perhaps Parliament might now concentrate and decimate the incomes of owners of all the prisoned, barking, unexercised dogs locked up in suburban back yards throughout New Zealand – opinion.
CRAIG ROBERTS VIDEO INTERVIEW:
LEAHA WASHINGTON VIDEO INTERVIEW:
JOHN MCCARTHY VIDEO INTERVIEW:
