The Queensland Greyhound Industry Awards Panel met in Brisbane today and has confirmed four finalists for the 2018 Queensland Greyhound of the Year Award.
The 2018 Queensland Greyhound of the Year Finalists are as follows (in alphabetical order):
• Champagne Sally – Ray Burman
Raced thirty-nine times in 2018, recording ten wins and ten placings, with eight of those wins around her home Albion Park circuit. A star local stayer, the daughter of Barcia Bale and Bizarre Barbie defeated a quality field in October’s Group 2 Topgun Stayers at The Meadows in Melbourne, ran third in the Group 1 Zoom Top behind champion Fanta Bale and was invited to compete in the local Superstayers Invitational alongside Group 1 winners Tornado Tears and Rippin’ Sam.
• Cosmic Bonus – Evelyn Harris
An ever-consistent chaser who covered plenty of kilometres up and down the eastern seaboard in 2018, the son of Cosmic Rumble and Dark and Stormy raced forty times, recording a phenomenal nineteen wins and twelve placings. He won the Group 2 Gosford Cup in January, placed second in November’s Ipswich Cup (Group 3) and December’s Brisbane Cup (Group 1) and was also a finalist in the Group 3 Casino Cup in October.
• Del Rey – Tom Tzouvelis
Like Cosmic Bonus, Del Rey raced far and wide for trainer Tom Tzouvelis in 2018, collecting a stellar record of eleven wins and nineteen placings from fifty starts. The daughter of Milldean Panther and National Diamond was victorious in the Group 2 Launceston Cup at the beginning of the year and took out the Group 3 Gold Coast Cup in October. She was also placed fourth in the Group 3 Darwin Cup, and a finalist in the Group 2 Lismore Cup and the Group 3 Ipswich Cup.
• Hasten Slowly – Angela Langton
Hasten Slowly forged a tremendous record at the highest level in 2018, finally breaking through for his maiden Group 1 triumph in December’s Brisbane Cup. All told, the son of Fernando Bale and Heidi Go Seek raced thirty-five times for twelve wins and sixteen placings, recording four wins from six at Albion Park in taking out the Brisbane Cup, the Group 3 Flying Amy Classic and placing second in the Group 1 Winter Cup. He was also placed second in the Group 1 Australian Cup, Group 1 Top Gun, Group 1 National Sprint and third in the Group 3 Silver Bullet.
The 2018 Queensland Greyhound Industry Awards night will be held at the Kedron Wavell Services Club on Friday night, 8 March with further details including ticketing to be advised in due course.