Trainer Graeme Bate has had to retire two of his greyhounds from racing. The first, Velocette, was officially retired (as suspected) after sustaining a back injury in last month’s Melbourne Cup heats. Velocette leaves behind an outstanding Australian greyhound racing career, highlights of which include five Group wins including victory in the coveted Group 1 Australian Cup.
The second – and absolutely shocking – career end belongs to that of star runner Amity Bale, who following last night’s race in the Group 3 Newcastle Cup at The Gardens, suffered a severe hock injury during the race. Veterinary inspection that took place following the race revealed a fractured hock for the Graeme Bate trained staying star. Amity Bale officially retires with 72 career race starts, with 31 wins, 24 placings and total career earnings of $275,195. However, there would be few who would not admit that Amity Bale seemed to only be coming into her stride in recent times, and that a great future as a Group1 champion lay ahead.
We can’t help but feel immensely sad at the recent events, particularly considering the bright star we saw in Amity Bale’s future.
