Cartwright: Winter carnival leaves industry with ‘the best’ feeling

By Pat McLeod

Aussie rock band Boom Crash Opera put a fitting exclamation mark to the 2023 Queensland Winter Greyhound Racing Carnival on Group 1 night at Albion Park with the classic line from one of their biggest hits: ‘This is the best thing that has ever happened to me’.

According to Queensland’s highest-ranking greyhound official, Dale Cartwright, that certainly is the sentiment pervading the Sunshine State.

“The winter carnival was just astronomical, incredible,” Cartwright said.

Cartwright is also long-serving member on the Board of Racing Queensland.

“It is now a very strong carnival. It is unique because it goes for almost eight weeks, yet this year proved that it could continue to gain momentum and hold people's focus for that amount of time," he said. 

As racing returns to regular programming at Queensland greyhound racing headquarters, Albion Park, on Thursday night with an 11-race program, Cartwright said it was fitting to reflect on what many have described as the state’s ‘best-ever greyhound carnival’.

“To see where we have come from to where we are now, well that is just amazing,” he said.

“There were a number of factors that made this carnival so successful. Obviously the $3.3 million in prize money did play a big part, however don't underplay the significance of the programming.

“The placement of the races through that carnival proved a real winner.

“The preludes were a big hit. They gave visiting trainers the chance to have their one start before the heats of the Group 1 races.

“A major reason for the carnival’s success was the amount of planning that went in well before and behind the scenes within Racing Queensland and also the Brisbane Greyhound Racing Club.

“What that resulted in was a plan that was well executed and came together perfectly with the outcome that we saw on the final night."

The promotion of the whole carnival was also a major success, Cartwright feels.

"It attracted attention from around Australia and beyond," he said. 

“Now when people talk about the ‘Winter Carnival’ it really means something. Their minds and their planning are focused on Queensland.

“Of course, the exciting factor is that across the next 18 months we will be moving to our brand new facility at 'The Q' and I would also expect in that time frame for there to be even further prize money advances.

“So, it truly is an exciting time for greyhound racing in Queensland.”

Throughout the carnival, which started back on May 18 with heats of the QGOLD features, there has been a flood of praise from prominent owners and trainers drawn to the Sunshine State for its richest greyhound carnival.

Rugby league and greyhound celebrity Terry Hill captained the NSW Greyhound Origin Series squad.

Hill is also the owner of Straight Of Origin winner Shall Not and he described Queensland as the ‘leader of the pack’, across state greyhound carnivals.

“Queensland racing, wow, how good is it,” Hill said during the carnival.

“I have to tell you, nobody is doing it better than Queensland.

“The people involved are absolute professionals.

“Well done Queensland greyhound racing. You are the leader of the pack.”

Successful NSW trainer Jack Smith was also high in his praise while campaigning eventual Group 1 Queensland Cup winner Palawa King.

“The prize money in Queensland is unbelievable and hats off to them,” Smith said.

“Also, the stayers have been really looked after up there as well. Often, they (distance greyhounds) don’t get anywhere near the amount of money that the sprinters get.

“But, they have certainly been catered for. I am very grateful for that.”

Top South Australian trainer Tony Rasmussen, whose kennel stars include champion Victa Damian, targeted his praise at the Brisbane club and their track presentation.

“It is a nice track. These dogs will pull up good after racing on that surface,” Rasmussen said.

“It is a credit to Albion Park to have a surface to run on like that.”

A highlight of the carnival was the large number and quality of interstate chasers who attended.

An interesting after-taste is the fact that the powerful Victorian-based Britton clan – Rob, Jeff, and Tim – still have dogs kennelled here with nine placed in Thursday night’s Albion Park program.

“What impressed me was the number of people who travelled so far to be here for this carnival,” Cartwright said.

“Some trainers came back and forth, while others stayed here for a prolonged amount of time. Big names travelling big distances.

“But, there was no doubt this was the place you had to be.”

Looking forward Cartwright hinted at another song lyric, this time from Bachman-Turner Overdrive: ‘You ain’t seen nothin’ yet’.

“The fact is we will not be sitting on our laurels,” Cartwright said.

“We don't want the momentum just to continue, we want everything to continue to improve.

“There is always something very exciting coming up.

“The Nationals are fast approaching (state finals August 10). There's the Townsville Cup (August 25) and Capalaba Cup (October 8), each worth $75,000 to the winner.

“There are many great features happening on the horizon. The industry here has confidence and it is looking great.”