The greyhound racing fraternity was left in shock after Greyhound Racing NSW and the Dapto Agricultural & Horticultural Society announced the seemingly inevitable end of racing at Dapto was being brought forward from June 2026.

On September 11, Dapto Greyhound Club will host their final race meeting, coinciding with the $75,000 Ladbrokes Dapto Megastar race, the venue’s equivalent of horse racing’s Melbourne Cup.

Kevin Keys, a Dapto greyhound trainer for 57 years, is unsure if he will even have a runner on Dapto’s final night.

“I would probably like to [have a runner], but I am not going to sit down and cry if I don’t,” Keys said.

“Currently, I don’t have a dog that is anywhere near good enough to put in that [Dapto Megastar].

“But it will depend on programming on what races are available for nostalgia purposes and probably for the sake of family pride. We’ll see what happens.”

GRNSW chief executive officer Steve Griffin said while there were different ideas floated within and outside the organisation, the consensus was to honour Dapto Greyhounds on their biggest night.

“There were proposals that we held our final race meeting [at Dapto] in February next year on the anniversary of the first greyhound race meeting at the site back in 1937, and another suggestion was that we wait until the end of the lease and stage a major event in June next year,” Griffin said.

“Ultimately, we believe that the night of the Megastar will be the perfect time to celebrate Dapto Greyhounds and pull the curtain down on the venue, with their premier event.”

Dapto A&H chief executive officer Katrina Novak paid homage to the historical contributions of industry participants both on and off the track.

“This legacy was made possible by generations of club members, volunteers and racing families with too many committed individuals to mention,” Novak said.

“As the final race meeting approaches, we honour those who helped shape the Dapto Dogs legacy including many who are no longer with us and thank everyone who shared in its history.”

Keys explained that his involvement in the industry goes back as far as he can remember and there is a sense of loss with this decision.

“My involvement with the Dapto Greyhound Racing Club goes back virtually since the day I was born,” Keys said.

“I go back to when, as a kid, I used to drive a truck around the centre of the show ring and drag the trotting track so the trotters could go around.

“My father [Charlie Keys] was president there for 28 years at one stage and I was on the committee for probably a period of 25 years.

“It’s been part of our life for us, especially from when I was born. What do you say? Where do you go? I don’t know.

“To say I’d be disappointed is putting it very mildly.”

Preparations are underway for the final night of racing at Dapto, with Griffin extending the invitation to past and present patrons of the iconic greyhounds track.

“We don’t want the night to be a melancholy occasion. I’m sure there will be tears, but we want the night to be a celebration of the Dapto Club and everyone who has been associated with it over its long history,” Griffin said.