A classic carnival finale

Caption: Tony Brett, left, and Jason Thompson again dominated the Winter Carnival’s ‘Cup Night’. (Photo: Box 1 Photography)

By Racing Queensland CEO JASON SCOTT

The $1 million Brisbane Cup provided a fitting crescendo to the 2024 Queensland Winter Greyhound Racing Carnival.

Unsurprisingly, Jason Thompson and Tony Brett again dominated Queensland’s premier race meeting, with the pair both experiencing Group 1 glory on the night.

Boasting a handful of chances between them in the main event, Flying Zulu provided Jason with his sixth Brisbane Cup, an extraordinary achievement in itself, and the $650,000 winners’ cheque.

In the Queensland Cup Final, Tony returned to the winners’ list courtesy of Exploded.

He also ran second with Lakeview Emily in the Brisbane Cup and finished third with Zipping Optimise in the main Cup consolation.

Over the past three decades, Albion Park has done a fine job hosting the nation’s best greyhounds at its venue, but from next year, the torch will be passed to The Q.

While the Brisbane Cup has now been running for a half a century, commencing as The Gabba Sprint Championship in 1972, it has called Albion Park home since 1993.

During that time, some of the sport’s biggest names have saluted in the race including Flying Amy, Bogie Leigh, Thirty Talks and more recently, Sennachie, establishing the track record at 29.38 in the process.

The Queensland Cup also boasts a line of big-name champions and both Flying Zulu and Exploded will go down in the history books as the final winners of these esteemed races at The Creek.

From a wagering perspective, there were some green shoots which should provide the industry with optimism.

Having recorded more than $4.6 million in turnover, the Origin Greyhound Series was the highest on record.

Equally, the Brisbane Cup heats and final both outperformed last year’s numbers. A positive result when you consider last year’s Brisbane Cup Final enjoyed a Friday night timeslot.

While Winter Carnival turnover ended up 1.1% down year-on-year, it compares favourably to standard product which was down around 5.5% over the course of 2023/24.

Queensland continues to race ahead

Late last month, Racing Queensland unveiled its latest Size and Scope Report, which provides key economic data for our industry.

Pleasingly, the Queensland racing industry’s impact on the state’s economy now exceeds $2.4 billion per annum.
Over the past 12 months, racing’s contribution to the Sunshine State has continued to boom, with independent economic data delivered by IER – a specialist in the tourism, events and entertainment industries – demonstrating a near $200 million uplift.

During the same period, a further 246 full-time jobs were generated, with the Queensland racing industry now responsible for 15,839 full-time employees across the state.

The latest data highlights racing’s rising impact on the state’s economy, having doubled in the less than a decade, while full-time jobs have risen by more than 6000.

While there are still many challenges for the industry on the horizon, the figures demonstrate the significant growth that has been seen in Queensland over the past decade and further details surrounding this announcement can be found on Page 6 of this edition.

RQ celebrates NAIDOC Week

It was great to be able to witness RQ’s NAIDOC activities throughout July including a showcase race at Capalaba.

Our annual NAIDOC races are held as part of the industry’s commitment to strengthening relationships with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.

In addition to a Welcome to Country and a smoking ceremony, RQ’s RAP Artwork and NAIDOC Week branding was prominently featured including handlers’ bibs and our presentation rug.

RQ’s vision for reconciliation is to create a future where Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples connect with local communities through great racing events across the breadth of the Sunshine State and experience the thrill of racing as attendees, industry participants or employees.

RQ remains the only Principal Racing Authority in Australia to have a RAP endorsed by Reconciliation Australia.

Greyhound Sweepstakes returns to the Ekka

Finally, the much-loved Greyhound Sweepstakes will return to the Ekka this month.

As many readers and participants are aware, the annual celebration of the Ekka is a sight that needs to be seen to be believed.

The city and the country colliding in perfect unison, showcasing the best elements of the Sunshine State, including the love of our animals.

This year, judging will take place from midday on Saturday, August 10, in the Canine Pavilion, and the public is encouraged to walk through the pavilion to acquaint themselves with the greyhounds and their handlers.

The winner of each category will receive between $200 to $500 with their blue ribbon, and exhibitors will again be paid a $100 appearance fee, an incentive that was introduced by Racing Queensland two years ago.

The sweepstakes are a chance for owners, breeders and handlers of pre-racing, racing and retired greyhounds to put their purebreds on display.

I hope to see you there.

Share:

Facebook
Email
Print
FOR SALE

Greyhound Property
Avoca, Victoria

20 Acres of land

3 Bed | 2 Bath | 16 Car

$959,000 – $989,000

<< View Online Listing >>

Social Media

Chase News Subscribe (it's free!)
Scroll to Top