By Isaac Murphy
Robert Britton’s name is always going to be synonymous with Tornado Tears, a stayer that transcended the sport and will go down as one of the greats.
Little brother Here’s Tears then began to make headlines breaking track records of his own, but it’s the under the radar Blazing Cartier that Britton chose for this Thursday’s Group 1 Queensland Cup heats.
The bitch has quietly put together three months of outstanding racing in Victoria since returning from a Perth campaign, only once finishing out of the money in twelve starts against top company.
Going in to Thursday’s heats, Britton is assured her form travels and she’ll be the one to beat from box eight in heat one.
“She’s fairly reliable at box rise - being only 24.5 kilos - and she’s had to form a fair bit of race sense and I’m hoping she can come across and be in the first three when the dust settles,” Britton said.
“If she can her run home should see her get clear.
“She can come from back in a field, but I think for her confidence it’s really critical she puts herself in a good spot early given she didn’t handle her surroundings first time at Albion Park earlier this year.
“We think that run was an outlier, but until we see her race in Queensland there’s always that little question mark on her travelling.”
Britton spoke about the decision to send Blazing Cartier over Here’s Tears and Albion Park track record holder Tornado Tears.
“Of my three genuine stayers at the moment, her form has been so consistent so she was the obvious pick to send up,” he said.
“There’s not much between Here’s Tears, Tornado Tears and her on any given day, but the young one hasn’t travelled well and Tornado is getting older and he has a few niggles, so she was the natural selection to try to pick up her first Group 1.
“The only knock of her is the one occasion earlier this year when she came to Queensland and ran poorly around Albion Park when we were expecting a lot more out of her.”
Class wise Blazing Cartier looks a notch above, looking comfortable against the best stayers the country has to offer in a unique series in her home state.
“She’s had an ideal preparation; her confidence is at an all-time high racing and beating Group 1 winners like True Detective and Rajasthan at The Meadows and Sandown in the Gr8 Series we have in Victoria – it shows ability wise she’s up to the level,” Britton said.
“I think she’s earned her stripes against those dogs and although winning those Gr8 Series races bring you good money she’s talented enough to win a Group race and a Queensland Cup would really round out her CV.”
Speaking of resumes, Blazing Cartier’s has a lot more references on it than some of the local competition she’ll come up against Thursday night, but Britton knows not to underestimate any dog.
“With the two heats, no other Victorian stayers and Group 1 status it certainly looks a very appealing and achievable goal for her to come up to Brisbane and win it,” he said.
“I’ve been travelling stayers for a long time now, whether it’s Western Australia or Queensland and home ground advantage makes a massive difference, the form might read well but never discount the locals on their home deck.”
If all goes to plan and Blazing Cartier brings her Victorian form the Queensland Cup, it could be the making of her.
At three-year-old, Britton hopes she can handle the travel and jump on a plane to future Group 1 races.
“The Queensland Cup is a real test for her and a barometer of where she’s at and what we can do with her travel wise going forward,” he said.
“If she passes the test it opens up a lot of future options for us to travel with her to wherever the Group 1 staying events are.
“Her trump card is she’s a genuine stayer, I think if the races were 800 metres she would be going even better, we just need to keep her confidence where it is.”
Britton frequents Brisbane with dogs every year and struck up a friendship with leading Queensland trainer Steve Scott, and the two are always helping each other out when dogs are travelling.
“I’m one of the lucky inter-state trainers that has a great relationship with Steve and Wayne Scott, who made it easy for me to send her straight to their place,” he said.
“It’s not easy for people at the moment travelling with greyhounds, but I was lucky enough to obtain a flight and I know when I send any dog up to Queensland and they go in the Scott kennel they’re going to get similar work to what I do with them and get very well looked after.
“You’d love to be there for a Group 1 final if she makes it, but just getting her there in this climate is a win.”