Another greyhound suffers injury at Shelbourne Park

Another greyhound has suffered an injury in a race at Shelbourne Park stadium.

A report on the Greyhound Racing Ireland website details how the greyhound named “Here Comes Syd” sustained an “injury to his stopper bone” and will be “retired from racing action”.

The injury to the 2-year-old dog occurred during a race on Saturday (18 March 2023).

Greyhound trainer Murt Leahy was quoted as saying: “The pace he displayed on Saturday was unbelievable…He found nothing from the final turn and we knew something must have gone wrong. It’s the stopper bone and it’s the end. We’ll give him the opportunity to mate a few bitches.”

Shelbourne Park is one of the worst tracks in Ireland for greyhound injuries and deaths.

At least 278 greyhounds suffered injuries there and 73 died or were killed by a track vet over the past eight years alone, sickening Greyhound Racing Ireland statistics show. This includes 40 injuries and 11 deaths last year.

Among the victims at the track were a greyhound who died in September 2022 of cardiac failure, a greyhound who died in September 2021 after suffering a “severe fracture of the neck”, another who collapsed and died in December 2020 with a “haemorrhage into the abdomen from a rupture of the aorta”, a greyhound who died of a heart attack after a race in August 2019 and another who was carried away bleeding with a leg bone “popped out”.

Martin (Murt) Leahy is the trainer who was fined €200 in 2017 after prohibited substance Caffeine was detected in greyhound Ballybough Lee. The greyhound was presented for racing at Shelbourne Park Stadium on 16 April 2016 and finished last in a race. https://www.grireland.ie/globalassets/rescource-centre/reports/control/august—-2017.pdf#page=6

Greyhound Racing Ireland’s Control Committee Report of August 2017 outlined that “the Committee noted Mr. Leahy had attributed the adverse analytical finding to a tonic he had administered to the greyhound at the time. However, the substance Caffeine should not have been present in the greyhound’s system when presented for racing. Taking into consideration the reported level of Caffeine detected, the Control Committee imposed a fine of €200 on Mr. Leahy.”

Leahy was also fined €200 after Caffeine was found in a urine sample taken from greyhound Ballybough Mondo at Shelbourne Park on 21 July 2016. In the same Control Committee report, it was stated: “Mr. Leahy had attributed the adverse analytical finding to a tonic he had administered to the greyhound at the time. However, the substance Caffeine should not have been present in the greyhound’s system when presented for racing. Taking into consideration the reported level of Caffeine detected, the Control Committee imposed a fine of €200 on Mr. Leahy. Prize money of €102 won by the greyhound Ballybough Mondo in the event in question is forfeited.”

A Greyhound Racing Ireland “Adverse Analytical Findings” report from 2015 also shows that Ballybough Mondo tested positive for “Pentobarbital” at Kilkenny stadium on 4th November 2016. The report lists Martin (Murt) Leahy as the trainer. It is unknown if there were any related fines https://www.grireland.ie/globalassets/rescource-centre/adverse-analytical-findings/adverse-analytical-findings-nov-2016.pdf

A profile page for Martin (Murt) Leahy on the Greyhound Racing Ireland website shows that he has had 6,521 recorded race entries and 1,444 recorded winners. This includes 99 race entries and 21 winners to-date in 2023.

SEE ALSO

Trainer of winning greyhound was previously fined €400 https://banbloodsports.wordpress.com/2022/09/19/trainer-of-winning-greyhound-was-previously-fined-e400/

287 greyhounds injured and 122 killed in racing in 2022
https://banbloodsports.wordpress.com/2023/02/15/122-greyhounds-killed-in-racing-in-2022/

40 greyhounds injured, 11 dead at Shelbourne Park stadium in 2022
https://banbloodsports.wordpress.com/2023/03/03/40-greyhounds-injured-11-dead-at-shelbourne-park-stadium-in-2022/

42 greyhounds injured, 15 killed at Shelbourne Park stadium in 2021 https://banbloodsports.wordpress.com/2022/02/23/42-greyhounds-injured-15-killed-at-shelbourne-park-stadium-in-2021/

INJURIES AND DEATHS AT SHELBOURNE PARK

2022: 40 injuries, 11 deaths (10 killed by track vet + 1 fatality)
2021: 42 injuries, 15 deaths
2020: 18 injuries, 4 deaths (3 killed by track vet + 1 fatality)
2019: 32 injuries, 7 deaths
2018: 41 injuries, 12 deaths
2017: 21 injuries, 10 deaths
2016: 51 injuries, 7 deaths
2015: 33 injuries, 7 deaths

REPORTED GREYHOUND INJURIES AND DEATHS AT IRISH TRACKS

2022: 287 injuries. 122 deaths
2021: 351 injuries. 154 deaths
2020: 255 injuries. 90 deaths
2019: 332 injuries. 119 deaths
2018: 353 injuries. 121 deaths
2017: 357 injuries. 124 deaths
2016: 427 injuries. 139 deaths
2015: 422 injuries. 122 deaths
2014: 266 injuries. 69 deaths (July to Dec 2014)