Ron Arnold, who has been the voice of Wentworth Park as trackside master of ceremonies for the past 40 years, will retire from that role on October 3 2026.

He was given that task by the NSW GBOTA after working for the now defunct National Coursing Association in 1975 and being appointed as that club’s racing manager at the Penrith racetrack three years later.

But Arnold declared his role as master of ceremonies at the Hyde Park protest rally against the Baird government’s proposed ban on the sport in 2016 as among his proudest moments.

“The late Paul Wheeler and current trainer Kayla Coleman were among those who spoke so eloquently, while Aussie Rules legend Tony Lockett was there in support.”

“After the rally Fred Nile, a member of Parliament at the time, pulled me aside and declared ‘this rally will be certain to make a difference.”

“He was right of course, with the clincher coming when the Liberal party lost the seat of Orange because of the proposed ban, and greyhound racing soon gained a reprieve.”

Ron Arnold was born into sport, as his father Ron senior and uncle Brian Arnold grew up in Glebe, a stone’s throw from Wentworth Park and Harold Park, with both tracks hosting weekly greyhound meetings.

“They were both greyhound trainers, and Brian prepared Sue Vixen, who finished third in a group one National Futurity final and qualified for a National Distance Championship final.” he recalled.

“The two Glebe houses where my father Ron and uncle Brian lived would house an average of 16 greyhounds between them.”

“As a kid on most Saturdays I would accompany Ron and Brian to tracks like Lithgow, Moss Vale and Wyong.”

“Sunday mornings I would often go with them to Botany Bay where they swam their greyhounds behind a rowboat, sharing the water with thoroughbreds trained by the great T. J. Smith and pacers from the stables of famous harness racing driver Les Chant.”

In 1979 while working at the office of the National Coursing Association, Ron Arnold met his future wife Rita, and they are about to celebrate 47 years of marriage.

Thank you, Ron Arnold, for your tireless devotion to our sport. It is probably fitting that your retirement virtually coincides with the termination of greyhound racing at Wentworth Park.

SKY PROFILE – CATCHING PEN CO-HOST

RON ARNOLD.

You could say the “Catching Pen’s” Ron Arnold is a greyhound man that knows the sport back to front. Having grown up with greyhounds from the day he was born they have always been his major hobby. “ I remember my late father and his brothers had dogs in the yard from anytime I can recollect. I was taken all over New South Wales and remember going to Harold Park and Wenty during the halcyon days of the middle 60’s and early 70’s. One of my early recollections as a kid was attending the opening of Mudgee we set off in a Station Wagon with seven people and four dogs. I remember we won $20 and three toasters and had to leave two behind with the Motel owner to square up for the noise the dogs made overnight.” Ron recalled.

Very much a local boy Ron has lived in Caringbah in Sydney’s south all his life. He was brought up there, went to school locally and still currently lives and works close to his hometown in nearby suburbs. In fact Ron attended the same school as fellow “Catching Pen” co-host Peter Davis although four years apart both attended Caringbah De La Salle Primary and High schools.

After leaving school Arnold took up a position with the New South Wales NCA and worked in the accounting and racing departments before becoming Secretary Manager of the Penrith Club in 1979 a position he held for two years.

In 1981 Arnold accepted a job with East Coast Stock Feeds and is currently a Director of that company mainly dealing in Grain trading and Stock Feed.

Greyhound racing has never been far away and in 1988 GBOTA Secretary Ted Thompson offered Ron a race night role in the prices room. He was reluctant to accept but agreed to help out in the short term, only to find himself still there having filled a number of roles as staff co-ordinator, pricing room boss and currently the track M.C.

Arnold is also a director of the Greyhound Social Club and along with the operations of the club he and the committee over see racing at Potts Park in Yagoona.

Ron’s involvement on the “Catching Pen” was at the request of the show’s former producer and host Mark Duclos. He was invited to fill a spot left vacant when original host Darren Flindell accepted a position in Hong Kong. That was over two years ago and Arnold still very much enjoys his role on the show and the camarada that exists at Sky among the presenters of each of the racing codes.

Arnold has known Sky’s Head of Television Graham McNicee since Graham’s extensive calling days at a number of Sydney’s greyhound circuits.

Ron is married to Reta and they have twin 18-year-old boys Ronald and Christopher and a daughter Natalie who is 12. The whole family enjoys greyhound racing and in particular the dogs they race and breed themselves.

Arnold hopes to continue with his many roles in greyhound racing, the sport he’s been passionate about, all his lif