Tony Brett’s magical act part of a packed highlights reel

Caption: Tony Brett’s Lakeview Emily posts the quickest Flying Amy heat time (29.72secs) at Albion Park on Thursday night. (Photo: Box 1 Photography)

By Pat McLeod

Feature race magician Tony Brett has emerged from the shadows as a major player with the 2024 Queensland Winter Greyhound Racing Carnival moving up a gear at Albion Park on Thursday night.

After having a complete break from the sport for five months, the maestro mentor has gone from having no race dogs in his kennels just a few weeks ago to qualifying the fastest two heat winners through to the final of the Group 1 TAB Flying Amy Classic (520m).

But Brett’s wizardry was just one highlight of an enthralling night of racing at ‘HQ’, which involved six heats of the Flying Amy Classic and five heats of the newly named Group 2 Garrard’s Cyndie’s Magic (600m).

Already tagged as ‘the best-ever’ Queensland greyhound carnival because of the influx of star interstate chasers, the Winter Carnival headliners appeared thick and fast on Thursday night.

Three of the biggest names, Palawa King (Jack Smith), Morton (Jason Sharp) and Mackenna (Michelle Sultana) did not progress past the heats in the carnival undercard races. However, all three are expected to figure prominently in other carnival features.

“That was a super run. She used Box 1 to perfection,” Brett said after Lakeview Emily had posted the quickest Flying Amy heat time (29.72secs).

“She only trialled steady here, so to see her rattle off a time like that, I am rapt.

“This final field will be too tough for anyone to be overly confident.

“It is just a case of trying to get her to do the same thing again. She is there and she has gone way better than I expected.”

His sentiments were similar after Pronouns won the following heat in 29.77seconds.

“That was a really nice run,” Brett said.

“The owner (well-known NSW Northern Rivers greyhound identity Pat Lavis) has been on to me saying ‘she is a very good bitch, a very good bitch!’

“I was selling her a bit short against the superstars that she was up against tonight. She has got a little motor in her alright.”

Brett must now conjure something just as spectacular for next week’s Flying Amy final, with his heat winners moving from Box 1 to ‘the carpark’ for the final – Pronouns (Box 7) and Lakeview Emily (Box 8).

In fact, all but one Flying Amy heat winner (Tattooed, Box 2) came out of the red alley.

The Box draw for next Thursday night’s Group 1 TAB Flying Amy Classic (520m): 1. Hoshino (Selena Zammit); 2. Uncle Tommy (Steve Withers); 3. Overflow Beau (Craig Chappelow); 4. Hotel Whiskey One (Mathew Vincent); 5. Tattooed (Anthony Azzopardi); 6. Sunset Frazier (Tony Apap); 7. Pronouns (Tony Brett); 8. Lakeview Emily (Tony Brett). Reserves: 9. Cindy Keeping (Charmaine Roberts); 10. Speed Zone (Travis Elson).

Here is what the connections of the other Flying Amy heat winners had to say:

Uncle Tommy –  Jamie Hosking for trainer Steve Withers:

“Steve (Withers) came over with the dog last week (from WA), trialled him, settled him in and then went back home.

“He has settled in perfectly.

“He may not always be the quickest dog in the race, but he is a professional.”

Overflow Beau – Trainer Craig Chappelow:

“He certainly loves this track, that is four out of five wins here.

“I thought the race panned out how I thought it would. He began well, was able to sit and then get past the leader.

“He knows his way around and handled himself very well and waited until the right time to go.

“Hopefully winning through to this final might get him through to the Origin feature night and then it’s the Brisbane Cup.”

Hoshino – Trainer Selena Zammit:

“That was a huge run, extraordinary.

“He is only a baby, but has a big motor and a big future.

“The win did surprise a little as it was a big step up in class and he did it the hard way.

“To do that tonight proves that he is something pretty special.

“He will be a stayer, but at the moment we are more than happy to stay sprinting.”

Tattooed – Robert Cooke for trainer Anthony Azzopardi:

“That was a very good run.

“I have watched him all of his career to date and do have a high opinion of him.

“He is through to the final and if he repeats that, well you never know.

“He is a great dog to have in the kennel, so quiet. But when it is race time, he is all business.”

Caption: Victorian trainer Ian Cockerell and Churchable-based Martina Kirillidis with Hector Fawley, the fastest heat winner of Thursday night’s Cyndie’s Magic (600m) heats . (Photo: Box 1 Photography)

Hardened big-race veteran Hector Fawley, returned to ‘The Creek’, setting the benchmark across the five heats of the Cyndie’s Magic (600m) at Albion Park on Thursday night.

There were plenty of big names chasing this newly minted trophy, but the winner of WA’s recent Sandgroper claimed victory and the quickest heat time (34.63).

“I was pretty happy with that, but I have no doubt he will improve on that run,” said Ian Cockerell, who is based south-west of Melbourne with wife and fellow trainer Lisa.

“It is a bit hard to plan too far ahead with him because he is coming towards the end of his career.

“You just have to pick and choose his races, but the 600 metres is his distance obviously.

“We will see how he goes in the final next week and then most likely we will be back for the Brisbane Cup.”

Unfazed by the throng of big names on show at Headquarters, Tom Tzouvelis’ Scarlatti started the ball rolling for the locals, taking out the opening heat of the Cyndie’s Magic.

Out of the well-performed Superior Panama x Sherbini litter, Scarlatti pounced late to claim a three-quarters-of-a-length win over Michelle Sultana’s Black Tsunami, with Binny Doo (Robert Britton) third. The winning time was 35.08

“Some really good dogs come up here at this time of the year and for our kennel to be doing so well in that company really makes you feel good,” said kennel trainer Jedda Cutlack.

“In some ways Scarlatti’s win was a surprise and in some ways it wasn’t.

“That is what we thought she would do last week from the same box (Box 8). She didn’t then, but she did tonight.”

Tzouvelis also qualified second-placed runners Tagovailoa and Saanvi through to the final.

The box draw for next Thursday night’s Group 2 Garrard’s Cyndie’s Magic (600m): 1. Hector Fawley (Lisa Cockerell); 2. Tagovailoa (Tom Tzouvelis); 3. Fahey’s Magic (Tyson Barton); 4. Tarawi Moo (Denise Robinson); 5. One Hot Bandit (Michelle Sultana); 6. Scarlatti (Tom Tzouvelis); 7. Saanvi (Tom Tzouvelis); 8. She Is Fire (Mark Moroney). Reserves: 9. Plum Tuckered (Tony Apap); 10. Black Tsunami (Michelle Sultana).

Here’s what the connections of the other Cyndie’s Magic (600m) heat winners had to say:

One Hot Bandit – Trainer Michelle Sultana:

“This was his first good 600-metre hit-out for some time, so everyone will be happy with that run.

“He is an absolute flying machine and I had no concerns when he was pressured in the latter stages of the race.

“I knew that he would have something left in the tank.”

Fahey’s Magic – Trainer Tyson Barton:

“She is going very well at the moment. I thought she may have been a little underdone this week because I have been a little easy on her over the past 12 days or so.

“I think she will improve for the final and I guess she will have to, to beat the likes of One Hot Bandit.

“She always tries her heart out, that is one of her biggest assets, always gives 100 per cent.

“And she loves this track.”

She Is Fire – Trainer Mark Moroney:

“That was a sensational run tonight.

“I gave her a look here two weeks ago and I am sure that has helped tonight.

“She loves this track.

“She’s becoming a faultless starter, has the added benefit of being strong and her recent form has been exceptional.

“This dog could continue on to be something a little bit special, but you have to step up each time.

“The great thing is she is doing a lot of things right.”

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