Palawa King crowned 2023 NSW Greyhound of the Year

For the second time in three years, Forbes trainer Jack Smith has claimed the top honour at the Greyhound Racing NSW awards with his star stayer Palawa King crowned 2023 Greyhound of the Year.

Palawa King was selected by an expert panel who voted him ahead of fellow finalists Ritza Piper, Zipping Orlando, and 2022 Greyhound of the Year, She's A Pearl.

Palawa King joins Jungle Deuce who won in 2021, as Jack Smith-trained winners of the award.

The son of Feral Franky who was also trained by Smith, collected three Group 1 trophies in 2023, winning the Queensland Cup, the Bold Trease and the National Distance Championship while also winning the Group 3 Origin Distance at Albion Park. He was also third in the Group 1 Topgun Stayers, third in The Ladbrokes 715, second in the Group 3 New Sensation, third in the Group 3 Lizrene, and third in the Group 3 Super Stayers, as well as finishing fourth in the Group 1 National Derby.

One of the greatest of all time, the 2015 NSW Greyhound of the Year Fernando Bale continued his dominance at stud winning a fourth successive Sire of the Year award, while Banjo Tifia, dam of Mortified and Quantifiable, took out the Dam of the Year award.

Andy Lord won the Metropolitan Trainer of the Year award, while Jason Magri took out the NSW Trainer of the Year.

The 2023 Young Achiever award went to Orange trainer Jay Opetaia, while Darren Northey won Volunteer of the Year and Susan Northridge won the Greyhounds As Pets Volunteer of the Year.

The prestigious Allen Wheeler Medal was awarded to Grafton Greyhound Club president John Corrigan.

LORD'S CUP

Premier trainer Andy Lord collected another feature race trophy when Nangar Larry charged home to win the $40,000 Group 2 Ladbrokes Bulli Gold Cup on February 15.

The greyhound is owned by a syndicate which includes rugby league superstar Ryan Papenhuyzen and leading Kembla horse trainer Mitch Beer.

IT'S A BIRD...

The peregrine falcon is not only the fastest bird in the world, but the fastest in the animal kingdom and has been measured at 389km/h.

He may not be that fast, but the greyhound named after the bird - Mr Peregrine - has some speed and a stack of ability as he showed in winning the prestigious Robert Smith Memorial Maiden final at Ladbrokes Gardens on February 16.

The win made it two from two for the Jane Carruthers-trained youngster who, a week after clocking the fastest time ever run by a maiden at the track, overcame all sorts of trouble to score a memorable victory.

Mr Peregrine and his talented brother Not Without, who has won six of seven starts, will both be aimed at the Group 2 Richmond Derby with the $40,000 final to be run on March 1.

This article was produced as part of an ACM partnership with Greyhound Racing NSW.