Greyhound Racing is popular in Australia, with prestigious events such as the Melbourne Cup and the Golden Easter Egg drawing in the crowds.
Applicable rules and regulations vary between the different states and territories within Australia, but the umbrella organisation Australian Greyhound Racing Association (AGRA) is striving to coordinate the situation and make it more uniform. AGRA developed out of the Commonwealth Greyhound Racing Association, which was founded back in the 1960s.
The following organisations are members of AGRA:
- Melbourne Greyhound Racing Association (MGRA) in Victoria
- Sandown Greyhound Racing Club (SGRC) in Victoria
- NSW Greyhound Breeders, Owners & Trainers’ Association Limited (NSW GBOTA) in New South Wales
- NSW National Coursing Association (NSW NCA) in New South Wales
- Brisbane Greyhound Racing Club (BGRC) in Queensland
- Darwin Greyhound Association of the Northern Territories (Darwin GA of the NT)
- Greyhounds Western Australia (GWA)
- Greyhound Racing South Australia (GRSA)
- Launceston Greyhound Racing Club in Tasmania
- Hobart Greyhound Racing Club in Tasmania
There is also the organisation Greyhounds Australasia (GA) which strives to harmonise greyhound racing in Australia and New Zealand. GA developed out of the Australian and New Zealand Greyhound Association (ANZGA), which was founded back in 1937 and created the Australian Register of Greyhound Names.
Melbourne Cup
Melbourne Cup is famous not just in Australia but throughout the world of greyhound racing. Among all the free entry events, this greyhound race has the largest first prize. In 2014, first prize in Group 1 TAB amounted to 420 000 AUD.
Melbourne Cup, which takes place in Sandow Park on a 515 meter long racetrack, is the main event of the three-week long Superdog Series.
Melbourn Cup was established in 1956. In the period 1956-2013, dogs from Victoria have been the most successful, capturing a total of 42 victory cups. During the same period, New South Wales dogs won 11 times, dogs from Queensland twice and a dog from South Australia once. 45 races were won by male dogs and eleven races by female dogs.