| Injury | Amount | ||
| Aggregate % | |||
| Against Total Runs | |||
| All Hock Injuries | 14 | 0.22% | |
| All Wrist Injuries | 8 | 0.13% | |
| All Foot Injuries | 15 | 0.22% | |
| Fore Limb Muscle | 13 | 0.21% | |
| Fore Long Bone | 0 | 0% | |
| Hind Limb Muscle | 14 | 0.22% | |
| Hind Long Bone | 0 | 0% | |
| Other Injuries | 5 | 0.08% | |
| Euthanised | 0 | 0% | |
| Monthly Total – All Injuries | Total Runs
(Races/Trials) |
Injury Rate | |
| January | 19 | 1723 | 1.10% |
| February | 22 | 1500 | 1.46% |
| March | 12 | 1478 | 0.81% |
| April | 16 | 1747 | 0.91% |
| Total | 69 | 6448 | 1.07% |
Towcester have fulfilled their pledge to make welfare transparent by publishing their own injury data for the first four months of the year.
The table (right) shows a total of 69 injuries from 6,448 performances all recorded by the track vet Polly Smith.
Significantly, no greyhounds were euthanised at the track during that period though MD Kevin Ackerman concedes that three greyhounds were later put to sleep by the trainer’s own vets on welfare grounds.
He said: “Firstly, I would like to say that we are not attempting to take any moral high ground by publishing our figures. We are simply fulfilling our chairman Lord Hesketh’s welfare pledge with promised transparency.
“Nor are we claiming to be the only greyhound track trying to do the very best for their greyhounds, though I believe some are certainly trying harder than others.
“We strongly believe that for this industry to progress, and its image to improve, these type of initiatives are imperative. The GBGB has already released injury and euthanasia figures for the industry as a whole. By releasing this data, we feel this is the next stage of the evolution.
“We can only monitor what takes place at Towcester. However if we see evidence from other tracks that we can make further improvements in track safety, we would be extremely pleased to learn from them.
“Separately to that, we know that in a very small number of cases, subsequent veterinary examination may make euthanasia the humane course of action, as in the case of the three greyhounds who subsequently were put to sleep away from the track.
“But in some cases that can present an obvious dilemma between a perceived humane action and an economically convenient one. I would like to make it crystal clear that at Towcester we have a zero tolerance policy on economic euthanasia.
“Furthermore, any owner or trainer found to be contravening that ethos will no longer be welcome at Towcester.
“It seems absurd to me that a track will hold a stewards inquiry into a minor breach of rules or time finding infringement, but not into the destruction of a greyhound. That will no longer be the case at Towcester.”
