Caption: Tony Brett with Excavation after his BON 29.47sec Brisbane Cup (520m) heat win at Albion Park on Thursday night. (Photo: Box 1 Photography)
By Pat McLeod
The visitors may have dominated the Queensland Winter Carnival ‘Group 1 heats night’ at Albion Park on Thursday night, but high-profile local Tony Brett was the singular standout.
The Grandchester (west of Ipswich) based mentor will box six finalists across next Thursday night’s two Group 1 classics, the million-dollar Sky Racing Brisbane Cup (520m) and the TAB Queensland Cup (710m).
All six finalists are from southern kennels, with three them, Brisbane Cup runners – Explicit, Excavation and Flying Zulu – remaining under Victorian trainer Jason Thompson’s name.
Under Brett’s name are sprint finalists Zipping Megatron and Lakeview Emily and fastest distance qualifier Exploded (41.40).
“I’ve never had a kennel with this many chances in a carnival,” he said.
“In the past we always had a kennel of dogs of our own, as well as some visitors. Now we are in the blessed position when people ring, we are able to take them.
“Jason (Thompson) has also got a good team at the moment. So, if he has got a good team, then so do we.
“The pressure is on of course. You have to do your best to get them to perform, but it is nice when they do.
“It is an issue when you have so many good dogs that all need to be treated differently, they all like different things.
“You are pulling in a group of very good race dogs that haven’t been in a kennel together, so they have to get on with the dog in the kennel beside them, so it is a bit of mucking around placing them and making sure they are happy.
“I’m going to have a busy time next Thursday night … I’m going to have to find some handlers.”
With eight high class sprint heats, there was merit in the runs of all eight winners, however the BON 29.47sec performance of Excavation was exceptional, especially after all runners had to be re-boxed following an initial lure malfunction.
“The disruption didn’t affect him,” said Brett of Excavation.
“He can be a little bit highly-strung, so I thought it might have been a problem.
“But he handled it well.
“He has just been a slow burn and has been improving and improving and tonight it paid off.”
Every heat was jam-packed with group-proven quality, or stars on the rise.
But there are only eight boxes to be filled in each final, so among the big names to miss out were Michelle Sultana’s Mackenna, and Jason Sharp’s Morton in the sprint, while distance champion Palawa King sits as second reserve in the 710m final after finishing third in his heat.
Although far from one of the quickest heat wins, the run of Frank Hurst’s Good Odds Cobber was exemplary.
“He missed the kick tonight, but what he did after that was enormous,” said veteran NSW north coast trainer Dave Irwin, who has been overseeing Good Odds Cobber’s preparation for the past month.
“He is a front-runner and front-runners have to be on the bunny.
“That just wasn’t his run, so what he has done tonight is just incredible.
“It takes a pretty fair dog to do something like that.”
The other visitors through to the Brisbane Cup final are Tom Dailly with Smooth Plane and Jeff Britton (Mepunga Smokey).
The 2024 SKY Racing Group 1 Brisbane Cup (520m) Box Draw: 1. Flying Zulu; 2. Explicit; 3. Good Odds Cobber; 4. Mepunga Smokey; 5. Smooth Plane; 6. Lakeview Emily; 7. Excavation; 8. Zipping Megatron. Res: 9. Overflow Beau; 10. Kahlo Hayze.
Caption: Valpolicella (Tony Zammit) back in winning form at Albion Park on Thursday night. (Photo: Box 1 Photography)
The Queensland dogs were more prominent in the distance heats, with both Valpolicella (Tony Zammit) and Sanisha (Tom Tzouvelis) saluting.
Although not the quickest heat, the dominant performance of million-dollar prizemoney winner Valpolicella was a hearty tonic for the locals.
“That will silence a few of the knockers, having equalled the best time she has ever run here (41.55),” Zammit said.
“I like the way she came out tonight. For her to be up there so close early was great to see.
“She goes quick over the first 50 metres, but over the next 100 metres she steadies herself down to that one pace.
“I think she’s going really well at the moment.
“I certainly go into the final with a good feeling, seeing that she found the line so well tonight, so strong.
“There is no way she is going to be able to lead the really quick ones early, but you just hope that you doesn’t get any early trouble and get back too far.
“Running that time tonight put her right in final as a finish-on dog.”
Tzouvelis’ hope of a rails alley for Sanisha in the final didn’t come to fruition with Box 4, but he is rapt to be flying the Queensland flag in the decider.
“There are better dogs in the race, but we are in there and that is what matters,” he said.
“It is nice when the locals are in the finals. We can’t let these southerners take all the finals positions.”
The 2024 Group 1 TAB Queensland Cup 710m Box Draw: 1. One Hot Bandit; 2. Saige Tenniele; 3. Exploded; 4. Sanisha; 5. Fahey’s Magic; 6. Pass Mark; 7. Canya Amy; 8. Valpolicella. Res: 9. Irish Millie; 10. Palawa King.
