It was the end of an era at Moss Vale greyhounds on Saturday with the club announcing a dramatic revamp of the historic meeting for 2003.

Once an institution at the Mossy dogs, the 'morning zone' race card has been axed with dwindling crowds and falling turnover cited as the main reason for the shock decision.

The club will opt for a 13 race afternoon card and plans to bolster prizemoney in a bid to attract stronger fields and healthier crowds.

"We plan to up the prizemoney considerably and give some more back to the lifeblood of the greyhounds- owners and trainers," Moss Vale Greyhound club president Des Bentley said.

"It's a bit sad that we have to cut the mornings but it's just a fact of life and we couldn't keep going the way we were.

"We certainly don't want to upset the regulars but we're confident this decision will result in stronger racing all round."

With a two hour gap between the morning and afternoon programs, Bentley believes many owners and trainers with entries in both were being unfairly punished by having to wait such a long time between races.

"It's a long day for some of them, especially the ones that have to travel to get here," he said.

"We're not locked into this though and if it doesn't work then we'll consider reverting back."

The ‘family track' will adopt the new format on its return to racing on January 18.

In Saturday's on-track action, Tahmoor-based husband and wife training team Steve and Sherrie Turner claimed the maiden final with promising pup Shez's Choice.

The well-supported 3/1 shot bounded from box two and never looked in danger, clearing out to win by 3.5 lengths from the Lesley Bentley prepared Counterfeit Star in a moderate 30.41.

"It's brilliant to win a race here, there's nothing better," Sherrie Turner said.

"He just scraped into the final so I'm delighted he could actually win it.

"Once I saw him in front at the catching pen I knew he was home and it's great to pick up some cash just before Christmas."

The Turner camp has 32 greyhounds in work and remains one of the Highlands biggest and most astute kennels.

In the day's other final, Best Gravel (5/1) showed a clean pair of hocks to snatch the Sky Channel final in 30.03.

Jumping from box eight, Best Gravel's job was made much easier when hot favourite Swift Gal got caught in the ruck and pulled up sore approaching the post the first time round.