Ekka showcase helps greyhounds find forever homes

By Jordan Gerrans

Gympie trainer Lucy Roche believes the annual Greyhound Sweepstakes at the Ekka is the perfect opportunity to showcase the breed to the public and find homes for dogs following their racing careers.

Roche was first introduced to greyhounds when she attended the Ekka around a decade ago and has since gone on to take out her own training licence.

She has been a regular competitor at the Royal Queensland Show over the last four years and has often headed back up the Bruce Highway with a ribbon or trophy for her efforts with her kennel.

The greyhound enthusiast will campaign with six dogs at the 2026 edition of the Ekka and is hopeful of finding a forever home for chaser Mystic Art, who is nearing retirement.

“I think it's very necessary to get the dogs out in the public, so they realise the lovely temperament that the dogs have,” Roche said.

“The dogs absolutely love it.

“We specifically take dogs that we believe will thrive in that environment because it is quite noisy and there's a lot of people and that sort of stuff.

“The dogs have a wonderful day out and you just see the look on people's faces and the kids and everything when they're actually allowed to touch an animal and get that happy moment.

“They are not just seeing them on a TV or at a distance, so they actually get to interact with them.

“It's great and I think it's a really vital part of promoting greyhounds and life after racing.

“If we've got something that is retired and looking for a home, it is great to get them out into the public to see if there's anyone that comes through the gate who might be interested in adopting them."

Roche will be one of many Queensland greyhound trainers who will compete at the Ekka, alongside Jemma Daley, Jedda Cutlack, Casey Dargusch and Matthew Heilbronn, among others.

As well as Mystic Art, the Gympie trainer will also campaign current race dogs French Appeal and Black On Gold at the Ekka, as well as three young pups who are yet to debut, but are likely to be at the races in the coming months.

Mystic Art has registered three wins and 13 minor placings from 40 career efforts.

The brindle and white bitch is nearing retirement and Roche is hopeful of finding a perfect home for Mystic Art at the Ekka this year.

“We'll just put it out there that she's come to the end of her career and if anyone's interested then, we will get her ready to be rehomed,” she said.

“We really don't actually have that much trouble rehoming greyhounds.

“We normally put the word out there that we've got something coming up and they normally do get rehomed pretty quickly.

“For a couple of years, we've taken dogs down that we've actually rehomed, but we still take them down to the Ekka for their new owner.

“This year, we've got this one girl, so we'll see how that goes.

“I do know of other people that have successfully rehomed dogs by taking dogs down to the Ekka that are ready to go when they've found homes.

“So, it is a very good concept.”

Roche was first introduced to greyhounds at the Ekka about 10 years ago and has been training her own team for the last five years.

For that reason, the annual Greyhound Sweepstakes will always be a special place for her.

“I thought I'd want one for a pet because they're just beautiful dogs, so we adopted one as a pet and I fell in love with them,” she said.

“Then, I decided to start actually getting into them on a racing level.

“It took a few years obviously but, if I hadn't seen the greyhounds at the Ekka, I probably would have never been in the industry.

“Just getting to meet them, love on them and that sort of stuff and just realising on a hands-on basis just what beautiful dogs they are.”

Roche, who is in her early 30s, was awarded Best Dog at the 2024 Ekka with Little Ripper and she has been recognised with other prizes over the years, as well.

Little Ripper won 29 races on the track before being retired in late 2024.

Roche also shows cattle at the Ekka.

The sweepstakes are a fantastic chance for owners, breeders and handlers of pre-racing, racing and retired greyhounds to put their purebreds on display.

Judging will take place on Sunday, August 9 in the Canine Pavilion, and the public is encouraged to walk through the pavilion to acquaint themselves with the greyhounds and their handlers.

Representatives from the Greyhound Adoption Program will also be on hand to handle any enquiries.

There are seven classes overall, with greyhounds divided by age and sex. The winners of each class then compete for the coveted Best of Breed.

The 2026 Greyhound Sweepstakes will see the addition of a second class for neutered dogs after a record high number of entries last year.

The winner of each category will receive between $200 to $555 with their blue ribbon, and exhibitors will again be paid a $100 appearance fee, an incentive that was introduced by Racing Queensland in 2022.