Today is the 50th anniversary of the opening night of the Cranbourne Greyhound Racing Club. What a night it was 7000 people in attendance. Ron Hawkswell in the commentary box his late brother Allan next door in the Judges Box. I remember the night fondly the much-anticipated opening went like clockwork and everyone who attended had a great night. The first race was won by city-class sprinter Speedy Goldie trained by the late Arnold Porter who put the polish on the Hall of Fame hurdler Odearo. Cranbourne thrived for many years to come, and I like many was a regular on Saturday nights. My greatest highlight was making the 1988 Cranbourne Cup. Couldn’t win it but what a thrill to be in it with the who’s who of trainers. Sadly, the track sits in limbo at the moment but we can be optimistic that a return to racing is possible. Long live Craney.
