GRNZ Board Award Winner October 2024

Xanthe Newman has absolutely thrived since she was first introduced to the racing industry back in 2017.

Today, the twenty-three-year-old is regularly sighted on race days handling greyhounds for the Riley Evans led Goldstar Racing team.

Away from race days she is involved in assisting with kennel duties at the Goldstar Leeston training base for three-days each week.

Three other days are occupied by being a Trackside camera operator.

Any free time is frequently filled by updating the two Facebook pages operated by Goldstar Racing.

It was through Newman’s stepfather, the current stipendiary steward Rick Quirk, that Newman was introduced to the industry as she explains.

“I wasn’t allowed to leave high school unless I had a full-time job. My stepdad told me that Trackside were looking to employ camera operators, and it is a role that I still enjoy working at today.

“I was offered a role being a swabbing steward for all three codes for the RIB which I enjoyed doing.

“I was also involved with a former partner in standard breeds, and it was when we were looking for owners was when I was introduced to Bonnie (Evans).

“Bonnie offered me a job and the rest is as they say is history.”

That was in March 2022, and she hasn’t looked back since then.

Highlighting Xanthe’s days in the kennels is working with puppies

“I love working with greyhounds and the team here is great to work with. I help out wherever I can. The puppies are the highlights of my days.

“Working on the Goldstar social media pages is a role that I really enjoy. There are two Facebook pages – racing, where I preview race-days and update with kennel news.

“I take a lot of photos which I post. I love photography – you can call me the Chief Photographer,” she laughed.

“I really enjoy working on the rehoming page, where we’ve had great success. We recently had to rehome nine-pups after an ‘accident litter’ was whelped. I raised the pups and then when working with Karen Vuidrekrti from Nightrave Rehoming we successfully rehomed all of the pups.

“Karen and I work in closely, always being in contact with each other – she does amazing work and she deservedly won the Unsung Hero award (Entain Unsung Hero, presented at the recent GRNZ Greyhound of the Year awards).

“And those pups are doing really amazingly well – I’m regularly in contact with their new owners.”

It is those healthy attributes that deservedly saw Xanthe Newman being acknowledged as the October winner of the GRNZ Board award, which recognizes young achievers within the greyhound code.

Steve and Bonnie Evans really appreciate the work that Xanthe does at the Goldstar kennels.

“Xanthe came to us around three-years ago. She was a swabbing steward and was looking for something different to do.

“She is an amazing all-rounder. She is very good with the greyhounds, especially with the pups and brood bitches. At lunchtime she’ll go out and sit with the pups. She will help anyone out.

“Xanthe is a very valuable member of our team, and she is a huge asset for our operation. Her work on the Goldstar Facebook pages is invaluable. She manages all of that for us,” explained Steve. 

Bonnie added, “Xanthe is a thoroughly deserving winner of the Board award. We wouldn’t have an industry without the young ones like her.”    

Understandably Xanthe doesn’t have a lot of down time. “In my time off I enjoy hanging out with family and friends.”

Newman spent a lot of her youth being in marching teams. While she isn’t actively involved in marching these days, she still keeps a close eye on a team that she previously coached.

“I don’t have time these days to be fully involved in marching and my sister Katelyn is now coaching the team that I used to coach. Whenever I get the itch I occasionally help her out. I also travel with the team when they go to South Island and National champs.”

Asked what she thinks the future might hold for her within greyhound racing Xanthe responded with:

“One day I may like to train a greyhound for myself. Ownership in a greyhound would be great.

“At the moment just working with greyhounds is very rewarding and satisfying. I love working with them, love being at the races with them – it’s such a big thrill watching them race,” she explained after coming off the New Zealand Cup week both handling on the track and from operating a Trackside camera.

“New Zealand Cup week is a massive week for us, with long hours being involved,” explained Newman about the huge number of hours invested by camera operators which translated into the high quality racing images that we all saw and enjoyed viewing on our TV screens throughout the New Zealand Cup week.

And her thoughts on being named as the September Board youth winner. “It was really unexpected and it’s a huge thrill for me to be recognized with this award – I’m lost for words.”

The future for greyhound racing is extremely positive with passionate people like Xanthe Newman successfully encompassing all aspects within the racing industry!  

By Peter Fenemor