“Greyhound racing — I will be forever grateful. It owes me nothing, and I owe it everything.”

Acting CEO of GRNSW Wayne Billett on his third generation Australian Greyhound racing legacy

In the 1930s and 1940s, Wayne Billet’s grandfather served on the Dapto Agricultural & Horticultural Society that would introduce Greyhound racing to the Syndey suburb. Wayne’s father and uncle would work at the Dapto Greyhound track as well. At the age of 15, as the third generation of Billetts, would start work in the Dapto Greyhound kennels.

Forty odd years later, Wayne serves as the acting CEO of Greyhound Racing New South Wales (GRNSW). In that time, he graduated from kennel work to starter, club steward, and race club manager. Today, he manages the whole of Greyhound racing in the Australian state of New South Wales.

Under Wayne’s leadership, GRNSW is prospering. The Million Dollar Chase draws large crowds and “punters” to see the biggest single Greyhound race payout in the world. The Taree Super Track recently opened with new technologies and safety features for Greyhounds. Finally, a dedicated rehoming facility for North American adopters is open for business with more than fifty adoptable Greyhounds waiting to cross the Pacific.

In this episode, host John Parker and Wayne sit down to talk about his family’s background in Greyhound racing, The Million Dollar Chase, and the future of Greyhound Racing in New South Wales. John also challenges Wayne to Parker’s Lightning Round of Greyhound questions.