A healthy crowd was present this morning in Kilcohan Park as early morning SIS meetings got underway there for the first time.
The first of a ten race card went to post at 8.12am and was broadcast live across the globe.
The meetings are the second early morning events to get underway, after Kilkenny began SIS racing on Wednesday mornings from December.
Waterford's first early morning SIS race was won by Tycoon Rita, owned by Wexford trainer Raymond O' Sullivan, in a time of 29.34, just a short head from Airmount Speed.
Carl Pallas, Commercial & Operations Manager at Kilcohan Park Greyhound Stadium, said: "The reaction to these meetings, particularly from local owners and trainers here in Waterford, has been positive. We don't normally race twice a week in January, February and March. This allows us to offer the greyhound owners and trainers in those areas the opportunity to race their dogs, for guaranteed money, during these periods. That's what we're all about - making sure we give as much support as possible to the grass roots of the Irish greyhound industry."
CEO of the Irish Greyhound Board, Gerard Dollard, added: "These early morning meetings give the IGB, and the Irish greyhound industry as a whole, further opportunity to showcase our racing product to the SIS audience and to build on the success of the meetings currently being broadcast throughout Ireland and the UK. We will continue to promote the product so that Irish greyhound racing can benefit from those exposures and revenues."
The SIS meetings in Kilkenny and Waterford will continue for a six month trial period. Racing will continue from 8.12am in Kilkenny on Wednesday, January 9 and in Waterford on Thursday, January 10.
Main picture: Eamonn O Sullivan, on behalf of his son Raymond, is presented with a prize by Jimmy Maguire (Chairman, Kilcohan Park Greyhound Stadium) and Ger Dollard, CEO of the Irish Greyhound Board, after Tycoon Rita won the opening race in Waterford.
