2009 National Sprint & Distance Championships
The hosting of the 2009 Group 1 Schweppes National Sprint Championships and the Group 1 Schweppes Nantional Distance Championship Final is at Greyhounds WA Cannington on Saturday 5 September 2009.
The Australian Greyhound Racing Association conducts the National Sprint and Distance Championships annually and the National Sprint and Distance Championships feature finals over the distances in the vicinity of 500m and 700m.
Heats and Finals are staged in each State with the Grand Final rotating from State to State each year.
In past years the home state has provided two of the Final runners and either New South Wales or Victoria have provided two runners in addition to those gaining runs from South Australia, Tasmania, West Australia and Queensland.
From 2009 and onwards though only one runner each will qualify from New South Wales, Victoria, South Australia, Tasmania, West Australia and Queensland. The home state will retain the right to start two runners in the final and the eighth spot will be filled by the highest AGRA ranked greyhound who contested the state heats but failed to qualify through to the final from their state.
The AGRA rankings are determined by a points system applied to all Group Races on a sliding scale of points first to eighth on each Group race final. You can stay up to date with all the Group Greyhound Racing action and the AGRA rankings by reading our Greyhound News and following the Group Greyhound Racing Box Draws.
Both the National Sprint Championship and the National Distance Championship carry a first prize of $50,000 and both events are classified as Group 1 events.
[…] for the first time the Australian Greyhound Rankings, take on extra meaning this month, now that changes to the National Sprint and Distance Championships format come in to effect. For the first time ever only one runner each will qualify from New South Wales, […]