By Pat McLeod
Greyhound racing at Capalaba’s boutique straight track will be even more colourful this Sunday with NAIDOC Week celebrations a part of the 11-race program.
Racing Queensland will begin its NAIDOC Week focus at Capalaba with a range of activities centred around race four, The NAIDOC Celebration Chase.
RQ’s Tracks Coordinator, and a member of RQ’s Reconciliation Action Plan Group, Rebecca Lawson said this is the fourth year the special week is part of the racing program.
“Sunday’s celebrations will include a Welcome To Country and Smoking Ceremony with didgeridoo presented by the Koomurri Entertainment group, who will also play a role in the presentation after race four," Lawson said.
“Racing Queensland is committed to reconciliation by delivering on our RAP. We are honoured to partner with our race clubs and Koomurri to showcase Indigenous culture through these ceremonial aspects.”
Indigenous artist Charlie Chambers Jnr will also be at the track with a variety of his artwork on display and for sale.
RQ’s Senior Racing Manager for Greyhounds Brenton Scott says NAIDOC Week provides the racing industry a chance to show their commitment to strengthening relationships with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.
“NAIDOC Week plays a pivotal role in Australia each year, providing an opportunity for all of us to recognise – and reflect – on the fact that First Nations people have occupied and cared for this continent for over 65,000 years," Scott said.
“It is an opportunity for the racing industry at large to engage across NAIDOC Week and celebrate that occasion.
“NAIDOC has evolved to recognise the origins, but also reaching out and working with the community to understand what is most needed in that reconciliation journey.
“The special and appealing aspect of the celebration being hosted at Capalaba is the strong community connection that exists at that club and further it provides a particularly appropriate visual outlook and relaxed atmosphere, which really makes these activities work at this venue.”
Young Capalaba star chaser Lose Your Cool (box seven) is expected to be one of the front runners in the NAIDOC Celebration Chase.
To date the Fabregas - Frosty Fantasy flyer has raced exclusively at the straight track for seven wins and two placings from nine starts.
Lose Your Cool's trainer, Jeff Crawford, said he was rapt to be part of Sunday’s celebration race.
“This is a race that recognises our past and I am very happy to be part of the race and it would be great to win it,” Crawford said.
“Lose Your Cool is going gang busters at the moment. I would like to take him away from the track, but it is hard to justify that when he is so competitive there and racing so well.
“Also, there are races like the National Straight Track Championships coming up.”
The biggest threats to another Lose Your Cool victory appear to come from box one, Chris Brydon’s Aston Serpens, who has a best time of 19.35 seconds on the track and Cliff Houston’s Silver Sticks (box two).
Capalaba track manager Erin Cameron said the whole club looked forward to the NAIDOC celebration.
“As a club we are honoured to host the race and the accompanying activities,” Cameron said.
“It’s an important week and we are extremely pleased to play our part in helping to lift its profile.”
RQ’s NAIDOC Week celebrations will continue at Warwick’s thoroughbred meeting next Thursday (July 6) and Albion Park’s harness racing meeting on Saturday, July 15.