By Pat McLeod

When senior Queensland greyhound official Brenton Scott’s eyes feast on the 2023/24 Golden Greys Summer Carnival program they don’t automatically focus on the main course.

Although the 10-week carnival houses three Group 1 spectaculars, it is the Qgold concept and features night that draws his attention.

“I am extremely proud especially of one aspect of this upcoming carnival,” says Racing Queensland’s Strategy and Development manager.

“And that is that we have developed a major race series twice a year, the Qgold race series summer carnival and winter carnival, that supports the other industry sustainability payments paid to Queensland-bred greyhounds.

“The whole Q-bred system started with making sure that those who bred in this state were rewarded as fairly as possible at the most basic end of the racing career – first race start, first win, etc.

“It was great to have that in place, but now it is even better to see that evolve to the point where twice a year we provide two nights of racing, each carrying $250,000 in prizemoney for Queensland-bred product.

“That is a personal highlight for me.”

Scott doesn’t have to wait long to enjoy Qgold feature night.

The Golden Greys Summer Carnival starts on November 30 with the Queensland Flame.

This Group 3 race is now worth $90,000, but the big incentive is that the winner goes through as Racing Queensland’s representative in the $1million-to-the-winner Phoenix, to be raced at The Meadows on December 16.

Just two weeks after The Flame, Qgold descends on Albion Park.

The nine races are restricted to greyhounds born and bred in the Sunshine State. The feature night debuted at last year’s summer carnival and was an instant hit.

Scott said the Golden Greys Summer Carnival had come a long way in a relatively short time.

“If we go back about five years, the Brisbane summer carnival was very much the poor cousin of the winter carnival,” he says.

“Racing Queensland made a definite decision to develop both carnivals and that involved additional effort into the summer carnival.

“What we have got now is something that offers the opportunity to dogs across all racing distances, classes and age groups, and this opportunity emerges every six months.

“The summer carnival follows a very similar format to the winter carnival, where there are opportunities that are restricted to local greyhounds, then of course there is something at group level.

“The carnival is about ensuring balance, that there is a combination of opportunity for as many participants as possible.

“There are certainly opportunities from a Queensland point of view, but also the carnival presents as a really genuine player in the national marketplace at this time of the year.    

“So, we have been careful to present something that is very attractive to Queensland trainers, but also offers opportunities to the interstaters.”

Part of the 2023/24 summer carnival’s lure is a $150k increase in feature prizemoney.

That includes:

• Qld Flame $60k to $90k;
• Qld Derby and Qld Futurity $75k to $112.5k;
• Golden Sands $112.5k to $150k;
• Golden Ticket $70k to $100k.

Also enticing is the increase in status to the following events:

• Golden Sands now Group 1;
• Gold Cup now Group 1;
• Golden Ticket now Group 2
• QLD Flame now Group 3

“One thing we are pitching to the Interstate trainers in particular, is the uniqueness of the Golden Ticket (match-racing) concept,” Scott said.

“Greyhounds can come and compete through that series in a manner that allows them to familiarise themselves with Albion Park with also the possibility of getting that slingshot into the main event (the winner goes directly into the Gold Bullion final).

“We have been absolutely rapt with the support we are getting for that event and it also has been pushed along as far as prizemoney goes.

“Hopefully that is seen as a really enticing event for our Interstate visitors.”

Scott said the increased interest and investment by interstate kennels in Queensland was a vote of confidence in the direction the sport was taking in the Sunshine State.

This was highlighted recently by the powerful Victorian-based Britton clan opening a full-time satellite operation at Churchable.

“I think at the moment there is a belief and trust in Queensland racing that was once missing,” said Scott.

“That is purely because we are making decisions that are aligned with industry sustainability and participant needs across the distribution of revenue.

“People are seeing the right sort of capital investment taking place, being focused in the right manner and part of a long-term strategy.

“Prizemoney has been gradually, consistently, but strategically developed in a manner where both grassroots and aspirational racing has been considered in appropriate proportions.

“So, we’re seeing growth that is real, established and ongoing.

“That leads to investment confidence and participant confidence.

“Until you have that, your support system tends to be a little bit spasmodic.

“We are very clear in what we’re trying to deliver. The independent racing regions in Queensland will all in time be appropriately structured with the right racing infrastructure.

“It all has to happen in a structured manner. And it all has to be understood.

“It all has to be seen as real to genuinely secure the conference of stakeholders. There has to be a belief in the code doing what it says it will do.”

Scott said although 10 weeks may appear to be a lengthy carnival, he has no doubt the momentum will remain.

“There are carnivals within this carnival,” he says.

“The front end has much more of a Queensland flavour about it. There is the excitement of The Flame and the opportunity to win through to a $1million race.

“That then continues to flow through to the Qgold.

“Then there are the bright young things of the Futurity and the Derby. This is the time when the purists engage and are looking for the next big thing in greyhound racing.

“Next, the Golden Sands (600m). Between Racing Queensland and the Brisbane club, we have proudly developed this event into what is now a Group 1 status race.

“It in itself is an interest point.

“Then you have the unique format of the Golden Ticket, providing racing of a completely different style.

“Then we come back to the period at the end of the carnival, which is for the purists – the  Group 1 events.

“So, the flow is constantly pulsing although it is across 10 weeks.

“There is so much through the carnival that will keep people entertained, captivated, interested and focused.”