Winners weren’t the only grinners at the Traralgon Greyhound Racing Club’s TAB Great Chase event.
Guests from several disability and aged care organisations turned up for a day of racing and entertainment – and all were grinning, win, place or lose.
Congratulations to:
Gippsland Carers Association
Mitchell House
Yallambee Aged Care Services
All Abilities
Dalkeith Residential Aged Care
Dalkeith guests didn’t get first place on the day, but they enjoyed the hospitality and races; Dalkeith has a long and slightly unexpected connection to greyhound racing through a greyhound of the same name.
Many people in Traralgon have heard of Dalkeith – he was made famous by a 2002 movie called Dalkeith, starring Ray Barrett and Gus Mercurio.
The real Dalkeith was bought by the hostel’s manager at the time, George Seber, as a pastime for the residents. Dalkeith lived at the hostel and had his fair share of wins before he retired.
The film has its moments of comedy and drama – and, movies being movies, problems soon arise due to the intervention of a resident’s relative. It’s not a well-remembered Australian film but it had its moment in 2002.
Dalkeith the greyhound is long-gone now, but Karen Siddler, who is the Lifestyle co-ordinator at the hostel, says there are still one or two people who remember him.
The love of the race still exists at Dalkeith; according to Karen the residents had a bit of extra competition going on among themselves, as well as following the official competition. On their table, the residents were divvying up dogs and betting against each other (although no money changed hands).
“It´s a great afternoon out. They love to watch the dogs and they always run into people they know. They had a ball.”
Dalkeith won $200 on the day which will be put towards the general fundraising kitty for residents.