Golden Greys Summer Carnival set for thrilling finish

By Jordan Gerrans 

Brisbane Greyhound Racing Club’s CEO believes the 2020/21 TAB Golden Greys Summer Carnival puts Queensland on the national stage in the code.

Ahead of the Group 1 Gold Bullion final on Thursday evening at Albion Park, a leading Brisbane trainer also declared the Sunshine State has the highest quality greyhounds in Australia outside of Victoria.

For the first time in recent memory, five different states will be represented on Thursday, underlining just how much national interest is in the Summer Carnival in Queensland.

Brisbane Greyhound Racing Club CEO Luke Gatehouse is pleased with the way the carnival has grown in just its second year as well as having to adapt to border restrictions.

“Some of the initiative’s that our club and Racing Queensland have introduced over the last few years has really put us on a serious footing nationally, particularly looking ahead into the year with our winter carnival now having the marquee Brisbane Cup coming up later in the year,” Gatehouse said. 

“That is nearly a $400,000 race and it shows that we are a serious player in the Australian greyhound racing market and a serious player in the racing market as well.”

Leading Brisbane trainer Robert Jacobsen might have two chances in Thursday’s big one, with Crazy Cool (pictured below) winning the Golden Ticket a fortnight ago to land a place in the final.

Kennel mate Rowdy Roddy is an emergency and is hopeful of getting a start, although it is unlikely at this stage.

The experienced Jacobsen believes Queensland greyhound racing is up there with the best there is in Australia and thinks it will only improve.

“We probably have the strongest dogs outside of Victoria,” Jacobsen said.

“What we have to offer up here is second to none.

“With the Queensland breeding, it gives great incentive for people to breed dogs as you are getting money back as soon as you race your dogs.

“I think as a state, we are going from strength to strength.”

The Group 1 Gold Bullion has attracted the big guns of the greyhound code, with champion Tommy Shelby in town from Western Australia, Victorian star Shima Shine set to run and recently crowned South Australian Greyhound of the Year Sir Truculent will be out to do his home state proud in Thursday night’s Gold Cup Final at Albion Park.

“We expect the good dogs to follow the big money races every year,” Gatehouse said. 

“But, this year with travel restrictions coming in very quickly in Queensland last month, it made it very difficult for people to plan ahead. 

“It was great to get Tommy Shelby over here for the whole carnival because the border to WA closed for several weeks while Tommy was here, he was trapped here.

“The trainers from interstate have done a great job to get their greyhounds here, across the two finals on Thursday night we have five states represented, which will be the first time in many years we will have that many states represented here in the finals.”

Gatehouse is hopeful the carnival will only grow again in 12 months time.

“We are only in our second year of the summer carnival and it has grown amazingly despite the COVID restrictions over the eight-week carnival,” he said. 

“We could not have asked for anything more in terms of the quality of greyhounds and exciting racing. 

“The new innovations like the Golden Ticket are starting to attract attention from all over the country.”

Shima Shine is the TAB’s favourite to claim the Group 1 Gold Bullion final, worth $220,000 in prize money, rated a $2.50 chance as of Wednesday morning with three other chances in single figures in the market.

The Listed Gold Cup and Country Cup will also be feature events of Thursday’s racing from Albion Park.

Staged at Albion Park from December 3, 2020 through to February 4, 2021, the Golden Greys Summer Carnival features six black-type events across nine weeks, providing feature racing for sprinters, middle distance types, stayers, and age-restricted greyhounds.