Australia's greyhound racing clubs are amassing a war chest to fight an incoming ban on their sport in Canberra, allegedly large enough for three years of court action.
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With a legal bill that could "potentially" run into the millions, Canberra Greyhound Racing Club spokesman Kel Watt said "the entire national industry and stakeholder groups" were supporting their bid to overturn the ban.
This included every state racing body, peak national body Greyhounds Australasia, The Greyhound Breeders and Trainers Association and Greyhounds Clubs Australia.
Betting agencies are also understood to have tipped in.
Mr Watt would not be drawn on how much the club has raised, citing confidentiality, but said "we have budgeted for approximately three years and a High Court appeal".
The club itself had put down a deposit of $206,000 to start legal action.
Greyhounds Clubs Australia is understood to have written to ACT regulatory services minister Gordon Ramsay to inform him of their "significant financial backing to challenge this legislation in the highest courts of the land".
Its executive officer David Simonette said their backing was not motivated by fear of other jurisdictions following suit, but rather that the ACT ban was "grossly unfair".
"People were really surprised about Canberra because NSW overturned their ban, which is what it was linked to," Mr Simonette said.
"You would have thought that argument [for scrapping the ban] would have carried forward. That's where their exasperation comes from."
Mr Simonette said the industry was not worried that Canberra would be the first domino to fall because the political situation here was vastly different than in other states and territories.
"When groups like the Greens are in controlling situations it's important those things are kept in check and balanced with the rights of individuals to run legal businesses and the rights of the community to enjoy greyhound racing as well," Mr Simonette said.
The ACT will be the first state or territory in Australia to ban the sport.
People caught racing greyhounds in the ACT after April 30 could face a fine of up to $15,000 or a year in jail, if new legislation passes in the territory's parliament.
Breeding, training and betting on racing greyhounds will still be legal.
Mr Ramsay had vowed to outlaw the sport by the end of June 2018, after an independent report by Mary Durkin found it was "impossible" to separate the ACT industry from the track record of Greyhound Racing NSW.
The legislation is expected to pass with the help of the Greens. Ending greyhound racing in the ACT was part of their deal with Labor to help them form government last year.
