Pretenders will be exposed warns Queensland Winter Carnival king

By Pat McLeod

Refreshed Queensland Winter Greyhound Racing Carnival king Tony Brett has warned that any ‘pretenders’ will be exposed as the heavyweights arrive early for this Thursday’s Group 1 Flying Amy Classic heats at Albion Park.

“Owners and trainers are taking real notice of this carnival and planning ahead for it,” Brett said.

“We are still about five weeks away from the Brisbane Cup heats and we have 50 really good dogs here on Thursday night for the heats of a limited age race.

“You look around and there are already so many really fast dogs here and we are just at the Flying Amy stage. These are the young dogs and there's as good or better to come.

“By the time we get to the Brisbane Cup the quality will be insane, probably the best range of dogs that we have ever seen here. Six out of the last eight Brisbane Cup winners have come from my kennel and this, I believe, will be the toughest one to win across all those years.

“It will be interesting to see who stands up on Thursday night. If you are a pretender, you will get found out.”

Brett is stepping back into the full greyhound grind this week after a five-month sabbatical.

He said the complete break from the constant pressure of high-end greyhound training and the 24-7 requirements of the industry was a much-needed relief.

“You ask any dog trainer, and no matter how much they love it, the one thing they don't enjoy is the fact that you are tied down so much,” he said.

“My plan was to always get back into greyhound racing it was just a question of when.”

Brett is adamant that this time around he will reduce numbers in his kennel to a ceiling of 10 race dogs under his full-time care, with the capacity to go to 15 at carnival time.

He said he and wife Fleur were also determined to structure the kennel so they could take regular breaks away.

“We love travel and really enjoyed doing that during this recent break,” he said.

“You have to travel while you are young enough to do it and you do need two or three weeks every now and again to do that.

“We have plans in place to do more travel. Our travelling is not done. We just need to structure our way back in so that enables us to do it.”

Brett returned to the track with his first starter, August Bob, on May 2.

He now has nine race dogs under his care, all on a short-term agreement with interstate trainers.

All nine will campaign across Wednesday’s Dashing Corsair heats over 710 metres and Thursday’s Flying Amy Classic heats over 520 metres.

Brett describes this current squad as ‘different’.

“There are a few in there with the X-Factor,” he says.

“August Bob is an X-Factor dog. On his night he will run a 29.60 seconds or something like that. He can really gallop, but he just needs things his way.

“The two Jason Thompson dogs that are with me, Excavation and Bernie Burrow, also have an X-Factor.

“Zipping Megatron is as good as any dog going around, but he just lacks that little bit of early pace.

“Of the other dogs, the likes of Daintree Idol, and Lakeview Emily, I don't know if they can run the times of the other dogs that are here, but they're just good beginners. Because, they have got good early pace you have to give them a go in these races.”

Brett also hopes to unlock the potential of South Australian distance chaser Lena Jinx.

“I have followed her career because I trained her mother, Luna Jinx,” he said.

“Lena Jinx has probably been a little disappointing interstate because she holds the track record at Angle Park and has won by some big margins there, but just hasn't taken that form  interstate.

“Hopefully over the next five weeks we can find that form. I believe she can do well at this carnival. She also does have that X-Factor, but is a bitch who needs things to go her way.”

While in awe of the visitors, Brett proudly describes the home talent as ‘probably got the best crop of local dogs that I've ever seen’.

“In recent times I believe we have had the best sprinter and the best stayer in the land with Jay Is Jay and Valpolicella,” he said.

“Jay Is Jay is as good as any sprinter going around. I have no doubt he will come back and he will be the hardest to beat up here at this carnival.

“I don't care what dogs are coming from where. When he is on-song, he is the dog to beat. Everyone is looking at the draw, hoping that they have avoided Jay Is Jay or Valpolicella.”

Brett applauded the resolve of Jay Is Jay’s mentors, Selena and Mick Zammit, for not blinking when the pressure came on after their star’s ordinary last run, a fourth behind Cyndie’s Cyndie at Albion Park on March 21.

“There was something wrong that night and that wasn't the Jay Is Jay that we know,” he said.

“Kudos to Mick and Selena because I would have been trialling him and looking for him to post that good time.

“Whereas they have just said: ‘Let's just give him some time. Let him freshen up.’

“From what I have heard he is trialling great. I have no doubt that he will be at the top of the tree come Cup time, without a doubt.”