Fresh scrutiny has been cast over Tasmania’s greyhound racing industry after the tragic death of one of its most successful runners, Raider’s Guide, earlier this week. The loss has intensified calls from animal welfare advocates and political leaders for the industry’s eventual shutdown and for the end of taxpayer-funded support.

Raider’s Guide, a four-year-old greyhound who made history by earning $664,975 in prize money over 79 starts, suffered a catastrophic injury during Race 6 at the Launceston track on Monday night. The champion stayer collided with another greyhound on the first turn, leading to a fall so severe that the race was immediately abandoned.

A veterinary examination conducted shortly after the incident revealed that Raider’s Guide had sustained cervical spinal injuries. The damage was irreparable. TasRacing later confirmed that the dog was euthanised due to the severity of the injury.

Industry Mourning Meets Rising Opposition

The death marks the second greyhound fatality in Tasmania in 2025 and the first at the Launceston track this year. While the greyhound racing community mourns the loss of a champion, animal welfare advocates say the incident highlights the inherent dangers of the sport.

Melissa Fraser, president of the Tasmanian Dog Walking Clubs, which is among 11 community groups lobbying for a ban on taxpayer-funded greyhound racing by 2029, was clear in her criticism.

“It certainly underscores the key welfare issue — demonstrably there is no safe or kind way to race dogs commercially, tightly bunched at speeds of up to 70 kilometres per hour without placing them in serious harm's way,” Ms Fraser said.

“Grotesque track deaths are just the tip of a huge injury iceberg. There are thousands of greyhound track injuries in Australia every year according to the industry's own stewards' reports.”

The Tasmanian Dog Walking Clubs’ position has been echoed by major welfare organisations including the RSPCA, which maintains that commercial dog racing remains “unavoidably cruel.”

Tributes Paid to a Champion

Despite the controversy, TasRacing CEO Andrew Jenkins honoured the legacy of Raider’s Guide and the impact he had on both the state and national stages.

“He was not only one of Tasmania's best, but, nationally, Raider's Guide was a true champion, and he showed that as recently as last month with victory in Queensland,” Mr Jenkins said.

“He will leave a legacy on Tasmanian and Australian greyhound racing for many years to come.”

Trained by Hall of Fame trainer Gary Fahey in Mangalore, Raider’s Guide had become a household name within racing circles. His crowning moment came in May, when he became the first Tasmanian greyhound to win three Group 1 races, including a notable victory in the Sandown Cup at Sandown Park in Victoria. The dog was crowned Tasmania’s Greyhound of the Year in 2024.

Declining Death Rates, But Is It Enough?

TasRacing has attempted to highlight improvements in greyhound welfare, pointing to a consistent reduction in racing-related mortality since the 2016–17 financial year. According to the organisation, deaths have dropped by a factor of 7.5 since then.

In 2016–17, 15 greyhounds died from 12,724 starters, a ratio of 1.18 deaths per 1,000 starters. That number peaked in 2018–19, with 18 deaths from 12,642 starters. But this year, the figure sits at just two deaths from 11,927 starters, or 0.17 per 1,000 starts.

Despite this downward trend, critics say any preventable death is one too many and question the value of continuing to subsidise a sport that still results in animal fatalities.

Economic and Ethical Case for Industry Reform

Independent economist Saul Eslake has lent further weight to the calls for change. In a recent report commissioned by the 11 advocacy groups pushing for an end to government support, Mr Eslake found that the Tasmanian government is funding greyhound racing at more than twice the rate of any other state or territory.

“There does not appear to be a compelling reason — beyond inertia ('it has always been thus') — why Tasmanian greyhound racing should continue to receive the generous government funding which it has long enjoyed once the current funding deed expires in mid-2029,” he wrote.

His analysis supports the view that public resources could be better allocated elsewhere, particularly as public sentiment turns increasingly against the sport.

Political Pressure Mounts

Greens MP and animal rights spokesperson Cassy O’Connor also weighed in, urging the Tasmanian government to follow the lead of other nations that have moved to shut down the industry entirely.

“It’s because of the 'unacceptably high' rate of injury and death to dogs that the conservative New Zealand government committed to ending greyhound racing by the middle of next year,” Ms O’Connor said.

“Overwhelmingly, all available polling tells us, Tasmanians do not support this industry and the wasted millions that go into subsidising it each year.”

Ms O’Connor pointed to developments in New Zealand and Wales, both of which have initiated plans to end greyhound racing. In New Zealand, the government set up a transition plan over 20 months to end the industry and rehome nearly 3,000 greyhounds. In February, the Welsh government declared its intention to end dog racing “as soon as practically possible.”

Future of Greyhound Racing in Tasmania

As public opinion continues to shift, the future of Tasmania’s greyhound racing industry remains under a dark cloud. The tragic death of Raider’s Guide, despite his elite status and success, may prove a watershed moment in the campaign to end the sport on the island.

The government’s silence on the latest calls for reform may be temporary, but as advocacy groups mobilise and prominent voices speak out, the pressure is unlikely to abate anytime soon.

Whether Tasmania chooses to reform, reduce, or eventually phase out greyhound racing will hinge on the balancing act between industry tradition, economic interest, and growing concern for animal welfare.