Read the Clubs history: https://gcv.org.au/locations/sandown
Ash is a long way from home, born and raised in Cairns in Far North Queensland, attending the Cairns greyhound track every Thursday night. Racing is in his blood. Ash studied a Bachelor of Commerce at the University of Southern Queensland, majoring in economics, and in 2007 moved to Melbourne and decided to follow his one true love, racing. Whilst continuing to work full time, his day would start at 3am every morning with a 45 minute drive to Mornington for track work with trainer David Brideoake to learn the thoroughbred industry and bloodstock management. Returning to the city by 7.30am to continue his 9-5 role as a director for Centrelink.
In 2010 and over two years of learning about the industry and building a network Ash took a leap of faith and left the public service to pursue a career in the thoroughbred industry, starting a media, consultancy and bloodstock business called ThoroughComm. The business expanded rapidly with contracts with the VRC, MRC, Pakenham, Cranbourne and Mornington as well as international bloodstock consultancy in Hong Kong.
Ash join MGRA with great experience in the industry, previously a Senior Policy role with the Office of Racing in 2016 and the General Manager of the Werribee Racing Club in 2018.
Ash and his wife Naomi have two boys, Atticus 7 and Jude 3 and in his spare time he is studying a Master of Sports Business and Integrity with Victoria University
Ash has settled into MGRA and his is amazed at the greyhound industry and how supportive everyone is of each other. It’s a great industry with great people and one common love – the greyhound. Ash and his committee have many exciting projects either underway or about to commence at the Meadows as he looks forward to shaping the future of the club.
Read the full Club History https://gcv.org.au/locations/meadows
Greyhound Clubs Victoria, in conjunction with Greyhound Racing Victoria and the Sandown Greyhound Racing Club, has announced a state-wide community sports clubs’ sweep for the next week’s running of the TAB Melbourne Cup at Sandown Park.
The TAB Melbourne Cup is considered the world’s greatest greyhound race, attracting premier greyhounds from all over Australia, all vying for a share in more than $650,000 in prize money.
The community sports clubs’ sweep provides regional greyhound racing clubs an opportunity to partner with their local community sports clubs to provide an engaging and exciting linkage to the world’s greatest greyhound race.
With heats on Friday, 20 November 2020, regional community sports clubs from across Victoria will have greyhounds in the Melbourne Cup heats randomly allocated to them. The eight-heat winners will make it through to the TAB Melbourne Cup final.
Clubs whose greyhounds progress to the Final of the TAB Melbourne Cup on Friday, 27 November 2020 will have the chance of winning a share in the $10,000 prize pool (1st $5,000, 2nd $1500, 3rd $1000, 4th-8th $500)
This fantastic initiative is bringing the TAB Melbourne Cup to regions across Victorian and supporting local community groups. 2020 has been a difficult year for Community groups regarding fundraising, and the prize money will go towards their projects in 2021.
The following CLubs have made it through to the final
SHIMA SHINE Bendigo City Bulldogs Sports Club
LUCY'S MILO Bacchus Marsh Golf Club
TOUGH TEARS Dennington Pony Club
TIGGERLONG TONK Rosedale Kilmany Cricket Club
SIMON TOLD HELEN East Warrnambool Rotary Club
TOMMY SHELBY Ellinbank & District Football League
HARD STYLE RICO
ZIPPING SULLIVAN Anakie Football Netball Club
TAB Melbourne Cup GCV Community Club Sweep
Fri 20 Nov 2020
We have selected 64 Community and Sporting groups from all over the State, with each getting a runner in tonight’s heats of the TAB Melbourne Cup
We have encouraged Clubs to get behind their dog on social media
The Club who has the winning dog in the TAB Melbourne Cup will take home $5,000 for thier club.
Race 3
1 KNICKS BALE S. GRENFELL Cranbourne Devon Meadows Football Club
2 ZAMBORA SMOKEY J. THOMPSON Bendigo Heathcote Football Netball Club
3 SHIMA SHINE A. DAILLY Bendigo Bendigo City bulldogs Sports Club
4 BEES AND HONEY C. HAYES Warrnambool Koroit Football Club
5 SHETLAND P. Lagogiane Horsham Wimmera Cancer Centre
6 AMARILLO HIGHWAY G. ROUNDS Shepparton Longwood Junior Netball
7 SUPER ZOOM JAKE A. LANGTON Traralgon Sale City Football Netball Club
8 PLAYLIST M. CLARK Sale Sale Football Netball Club
Race 4
1 LUCY'S MILO A. DAILLY Ballarat Bacchus Marsh Golf Club
2 ASTON SILK J. THOMPSON Cranbourne Southern Football Netball League
3 MY GIRL KIZZY J. BRITTON Geelong Shannon Park Scope - Western Region
4 LAST HURRAH B. NYE Healesville Warburton Bowls Club
5 WENDALIN BALE C. GRENFELL Shepparton Benall Coursing Club
6 JUNK FOOD JUNKIE J. SHARP Healesville Estia Health Yarra Valley
7 JIM ZARR DASHIAN B. ENNIS Sale Stratford Football Netball Club
8 GOLDEN NIGHT T. Murray Shepparton Kialla Fire Brigade
Race 5
1 AUSSIE SECRET J. THOMPSON Sale Omeo Football Netball Club
2 HANDSOME PRINCE P. Lagogiane Ballarat Ballarat Women's Cricket Club
3 ROLLING STONE K. PITT Cranbourne Mornington Peninsula Junior Football Club
4 TOUGH TEARS R. BRITTON Warrnambool Dennington Pony Club
5 WEBLEC ACE J. BRITTON Ballarat Buninyong Golf Club
6 JAX BALE A. DAILLY Horsham Homers Sporting Club
7 PEOPLE GET READY N. MCDONALD Healesville Lilydale Cricket Club
8 MR. FIX IT A. LANGTON Bendigo Let's Chat - Mental Health Awareness
Race 6
1 ARIZONA EYES R. BRITTON Traralgon Gormandale Cricket Club
2 ZIPPING ALBERT K. PITT Warrnambool Warrnambool Motorcycle Club
3 BOBBY THE BRUTE B. PURSELL Geelong Lara Giants Basketball Club
4 TIGGERLONG TONK C. GRENFELL Traralgon Rosedale Kilmany Cricket Club
5 WALLBANGER A. LANGTON Cranbourne Cranbourne Football Club
6 GYPSY ZELDA A. DAILLY Warragul Warragul & District Junior Football League
7 IMMUNITY J. THOMPSON Traralgon Traralgon Combined Probus
8 SOVEREIGN WIND D. DOUCH Warragul Western Park Cricket Club
Race 7
1 SWEET DEMI W. MCMAHON Traralgon Traralgon Football Netball Club
2 ZIPPING ZARBO D. COLEMAN Warragul Warragul United Soccer Club
3 JEPARA A. LANGTON Warragul Warragul Industrials Football Netball Club
4 SIMON TOLD HELEN D. BURNETT Warrnambool East Warrnambool Rotary Club
5 SPECIAL TALENT M. CARTER Shepparton Longwood Coursing Club
6 FAITHY BALE A. DAILLY Warragul Warragul Football Netball Club
7 YINDI GIRL TURBO M. LANIGAN Bendigo United Cricket Club
8 ZIPPING BRAM J. THOMPSON Warrnambool Merri River School
Race 8
1 ZIPPING ZEEK N. MCDONALD Ballarat Redan Football Netball Club
2 WEBLEC JET J. BRITTON Healesville Estia Health Yarra Valley
3 TOMMY SHELBY K. GREENOUGH Warragul Ellinbank & District Football League
4 SHORT PORK A. AZZOPARDI Sale Boisdale-Briagalong Football Netball Club
5 RUN BABA RUN J. GALEA Sale West Sale Bowls Club
6 CATCH THE THIEF M. CLARK Geelong Lara Cricket Club
7 WILD CARD J. THOMPSON Healesville Port Melbourne Women's Football Club
8 FABRIOLA ZAD A. DAILLY Shepparton Katunga Football Netball Club
Race 9
1 MEPUNGA MAGGIE J. BRITTON Shepparton Longwood Football Netball Club
2 INGENUITY D. TURNLEY Bendigo Golden Gully Cricket Club
3 WEBLEC WHIRL M. LANIGAN Cranbourne Cranbourne Netball Club
4 STARDOM P. ABELA Geelong Lara United Football Club
5 GLADIOLI BALE A. DAILLY Healesville Healesville Social Golf Club
6 XERRI D. Thomas Horsham Horsham Golf Club
7 TAKEN J. THOMPSON Ballarat Lismore Derrinallum Football Netball Club
Race 10
1 MUSIC EVENT M. CARTER Traralgon Rosedale Football Netball Club
2 PROVIDENCE BALE A. DAILLY Horsham Horsham Little Athletics
3 CHRISTO BALE M. DELBRIDGE Sale Wy Yung Football Netball Club
4 MEPUNGA ISLA A. RICHARDSON Horsham Warracknabeal Eagles Football Netball Club
5 ZIPPING SULLIVAN D. COLEMAN Geelong Anakie Football Club
6 CARRY ON STAR T. BRITTON Ballarat Ballarat Redan Cricket Club
7 DO IT J. BRITTON Bendigo North Bendigo Bowls Club
8 DR. TUCKER W. MCMAHON Cranbourne South East Junior Football League
Today we give Dennis the thumbs up!
Today Dennis Brooks who started at the Warrnambool Greyhound Club 27 years ago has decided to hang up his mop. Dennis started in 1993 as a cleaner at the Club, after being a local concreter for many years. Retiring for Dennis was a tough decision, but he thinks he is just “too old”, but his friends at the club say he will be back on race days, he loves the club and the sport.
27 year ago, Dennis was playing lawn bowls and the caterer at the Warrnambool Greyhound Racing Club said we need a good cleaner. For Denis this would mean giving up his beloved bowls to take a job at the track. He decided to meet with then CEO Maureen Drennan and in his words “he won her over” and so they say 'the rest is history', Dennis started the next day.
Dennis is a ‘jack of all trades’ at the Warrnambool Greyhound Racing Club and over his 27 years he has worked in the kennels, track work & maintenance, lure driving and working on trials and race nights. However, Dennis’s fondest memories of his time at the club was working at functions, setting up the rooms and meeting with the people. Dennis turned his hand from cleaner to drink waiter on event nights, which he enjoyed immensely. He like the big events, the School graduations and Deakin Uni balls. Dennis got a buzz from functions being successful and the customers returning each year. Over the years of working at functions he has encountered many funny incidents, but he was not prepared to comment on the detail.
When asked ‘What was the favourite part of his job” Dennis replied I love all my jobs at the Club. He was loath to even single out his favourite Club Manager, saying they have all been terrific.
Dennis has seen many great dogs fly around the track, but his favourite dog is one he trained himself, Ginana, winning 7 races in its career. He will always have a love for the sport and will continue to be part of the club, but for now he will spend more time with his family, 2 children and 2 grandchildren who all live in Warrnambool.
The decision to retire for Dennis has been 2 years in the making, but his boat, fishing and lawn bowls will now be how he spends his days.
Thanks for the memories and dedication to Warrnambool Greyhound Club and the industry.
Good luck in retirement Dennis!