After 35 years of calling greyhound races in the ACT, the thought of the Canberra Cup having run its last race might be an emotional one.
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But not for Kel O'Rourke - the Canberra Greyhound Racing Club race caller is confident the club's iconic race will run again.
The ACT government has vowed to shut down the greyhound industry in Canberra, with June 30 next year looming as the deadline, which would mean Sunday's 38th edition of the race would be its last.
A good crowd of 200 gathered for the running, which was won by Gunning trainer Jodie Lord's Champion Model, and there was a defiant mood in the cold, still air.
Mr O'Rourke typified that, having been a piece of the furniture at the Symonston track since 1982, and he could still recall the 5000 that flocked there for the club's opening almost 40 years ago.
He said chief minister Andrew Barr had "grossly underestimated the fighting spirit" of the greyhound community.
"I don't think it is the last Canberra Cup. The club is ready for a court battle ... the bottom line for me is we've done nothing wrong - 38 years of clean racing," Mr O'Rourke said.
"We keep waiting for somebody to pull a skeleton out of the closet, but it just hasn't happened."
Canberra Liberals spokesman for gaming and racing Mark Parton was there for the running and he was similarly confident this wasn't the last Cup - even if the ACT government bans the greyhound industry, he said it would find a new home.
Potentially that could be just across the border in Queanbeyan, with the Queanbeyan Racing Club a potential venue.
But he said that would be a massive blow to Canberra if they were to lose their greyhound club, whose courage he praised.
He also pointed to Canberra's clean record in regards to zero animal cruelty breaches since the club opened in 1979.
"It won't be the last Canberra Cup for this club. I'm supremely confident that I will be going along to a Canberra Greyhound Cup at some stage in the future," Mr Parton said.
"It may not be here in Narrabundah, but the club will continue to operate in some way shape or form.
"It's still possible that it will happen here in Narrabundah, there's still matters that will come before various courts and we can't really say how they're going to play out."
