Selection Criteria for Group and Listed Races

PRIMARY CRITERIA
1. Group 1 status shall apply to established events which carry a minimum prizemoney of $75,000 cash to the winner and have been conducted for at least eight years or are ‘protected status’ or ‘special
status’ Group 1 events. Winner’s prizemoney must be between 65% and 74% of the total prizemoney paid to the first three placegetters.
2. Group 2 status shall apply to established events which carry prizemoney of between $40,000 and $74,999 cash to the winner and have been conducted for at least four years or are ‘special status’
Group 2 events. Winner’s prizemoney must be between 65% and 74% of the total prizemoney paid to the first three placegetters.
3. Group 3 status shall apply to established events which carry prizemoney of between $25,000 and $39,999 cash to the winner and have been conducted for a minimum of two years or are ‘special status’ Group 3 events. Winner’s prizemoney must be between 65% and 74% of the total prizemoney paid to the first three placegetters.
4. Group 3 (Restricted) shall apply to charts that have met the prize money and years of conduct requirements for Group 1, Group 2 or Group 3 status but have race entry eligibility restrictions which do not allow them to be considered for Group Status above Group 3 (Restricted). The events confined to Group 3 (Restricted) status are outlined in the general criteria.
5. Listed status shall apply to events which carry between $15,000 and $24,999 cash to the winner. Winner’s prizemoney must be between 65% and 74% of the total prizemoney paid to the first three placegetters.

GENERAL CRITERIA
1. Application Eligibility and Group Race Committee
All registered greyhounds clubs in Australia are eligible to apply to the Group Race Co-Ordinator of the GCA to have their respective feature events classified according to this criteria and must do so annually on the special Group and Listed Race application form. All Group and Listed Race applications will be subject to consideration by the GCA Group Race Committee. The Group Race Committee will comprise the Chief Executive Officers of all GCA Member Organisations as applies at any time. Once the Group and Listed Race Calendar has been approved by the Group Racing Committee and ratified at an GCA General Meeting the following conditions apply to any organisation proposing a date change:
(a) That any changes to Group dates proposed by a club subsequent to the calendar approval by GCA, be requested via the GCA Group Race Committee.
(b) The decision of the GCA Group Race Committee is to be upheld by the applying club.
(c) Where a club disregards the decision of the GCA Group Race Committee or changes a Group race dates without advising the GCA Group Race Committee, then the future Group status of the said event maybe reviewed.
2. New Events
i. A new event must pay a minimum of Group 3 prize money for a period of two years before being considered for
Group Status.
ii. In the third year, if the event continues to pay a minimum of Group 3 prize money, it will be awarded Group 3 status.
iii. In the third year, if the event pays Group 2 prize money or above, it will be awarded Group 3 status and must continue to pay Group 2 prize money or above for a further two years to be considered for an upgrade in Group status.
iv. In the fifth year, if the event continues to pay Group 2 prize money or above, it will be awarded Group 2 status.
v. In the fifth year, if the event pays Group 1 prize money or above, it will be awarded Group 2 status and must
continue to pay Group 1 prize money or above for a further four years to be considered for an upgrade in Group
status.
vi. In the ninth year if the event continues to pay Group 1 prize money or above it will be awarded Group 1 status.
3. Existing Group 3 Events – Upgrading of Group Status
i. The event must pay Group 2 prize money or above for a period of two years to be considered for an upgrade in
Group status.
ii. In the third year, if the event continues to pay Group 2 prize money or above, it will be awarded Group 2 status.
iii. In the third year, if the event pays Group 1 prize money or above, it will be awarded Group 2 status and must
continue to pay Group 1 prize money or above for a further four years to be considered for an upgrade in Group
status.
iv. In the seventh year, if the event continues to pay Group 1 prize money or above it will be awarded Group 1 status.
4. Existing Group 2 Events – Upgrading of Group Status
i. The event must pay Group 1 prize money or above for a period of four years to be considered for an upgrade in
Group status.
ii. In the fifth year, if the event continues to pay Group 1 prize money or above, it will be awarded Group 1 status.
5. Group 3 Restricted Events
i. Events, restricted to greyhounds bred, and/or owned and/or trained in a particular State will be categorised as
Group 3 (Restricted).
ii. State Restricted Events, Auction Events or Events carrying multiple nomination fee, sweepstake or nomination fee
above $50 will be categorised Group 3 (Restricted).
6. Maiden Event Restrictions
No event for Maiden greyhounds shall be classified higher than Group 3, irrespective of the prizemoney paid to the winner.
7. Protected Event Status
The Group Race Committee is entitled to use its discretion, by invitation, to enable a Group 2 event to be ranked Group 1 irrespective of the minimum prizemoney requirement, or maintain such event as a Group 1 event in circumstances
where the event has been conducted for a period in excess of 25 years. Where the Group Race is ranked Group 1 under this clause, it will be referred to as a ‘protected’ Group 1 event. Any event granted ‘protected status’ will have such status reviewed annually by the Group Race Committee.
8. Special Event Status
The Group Race Committee may consider applications for events to receive Group ranking outside the primary and
general criteria set down, provided the Group Race Committee is satisfied with the reasons detailed in the special
application. Where the Group Race Committee agrees to provide a ranking outside of primary and general criteria, the
event will be considered to have received ‘special status’. All ‘special status’ rankings will be reviewed by the Group Race Committee annually.
9. Condition of Entry Variations
Any event, which in the opinion of the Group Race Committee, has its conditions of entry or eligibility conditions
significantly amended and which is therefore considered to be a ‘new’ event, may be classified as such and be subject to the criteria for new events.
10. Drop in Status Penalty
Should any event drop in status for whatever reason, that event shall not be elevated to its former Group or Listed status until it has been conducted for a minimum period of three years and carried appropriate prizemoney for the new ranking.
11. Cautions
The Group Race Committee is empowered to issue a ‘caution’ to any club conducting a Group Race advising that
consideration may be given to downgrading a race should the event not meet the required standard of its classification.
i Should the event attract nominations of mediocre standard;
ii Should the event lack nomination numbers;
iii The hosting club be struggling to sustain prizemoney levels.
(The caution clause would be applied with a majority vote of the Group Racing Committee determining that the clubs be so advised and they be given two years until further review. The Committee will then decide whether there has been improvement in the event over the past three years and conducts a vote to determine whether the event should be downgraded, de-listed in the case of Group 3 or retain its status).
12. Ratification of Group Race Committee Decisions
Greyhound Clubs Australia will ratify all Group and Listed Race applications and decisions of the Group Race Committee at its Annual or Bi-Annual General Meetings.
Levies for Group Races
Levies apply to all Group Races which are approved by the Group Race Committee and included in the Group Race Calendar. Invoices are forwarded to each club by the GCA Treasurer. The levies payable are as follows: Group 1 $1400 plus GST. Group 2 $950 plus GST. Group 3 $250 plus GST. Group 3 (Restricted) $250 plus GST. Listed $100 plus GST.
Age Restricted Classic Events
As part of its promotion of Group Racing GCA classifies a series of Age Restricted Events as Age Restricted Classics.
To be eligible for consideration and categorisation as an Age Restricted Classic, the said race must meet the following
requirements:
• The event must be ranked as a Group 1, Group 2 or Group 3 event.
• The event, whether open to male greyhounds only, female greyhounds only or both, is to be restricted to
greyhounds that were no older than 27 months of age on the first day of the month in which the heats of the event
are scheduled to be staged when dates are initially approved by GCA. The age restriction is open to ongoing review
by GCA.
• The event must not be (a) restricted to greyhounds bred and/or owned and/or trained in a particular State or
Territory or (b) restricted to greyhounds sold through a particular sale or auction or (c) require the payment of a
nomination, commission or entry fee higher than $150 or (d) require a nomination fee to be paid prior to eligible
greyhounds becoming 12 months of age.
• Greyhounds that have not won a maiden race will be ineligible to contest any event approved as an Age Restricted
Classic within the GCA Group Racing Calendar.
GCA has classified the following events as Age Restricted Classic Events:
• SA Oaks 515m (Angle Park)
• SA Derby 515m (Angle Park)
• Vic Peters Classic 520m (Wentworth Park)
• Young Stars Classic 530m (Cannington)
• National Derby 520m (Wentworth Park)
• National Futurity 520m (Wentworth Park)
• WA Derby 530m (Cannington)
• WA Oaks 530m (Cannington)
• Peter Mosman Classic 520m (Wentworth Park)