Little brother upstages Valhalla as Queensland dominates Straight Of Origin

By Pat McLeod

Jedda Cutlack’s That’s Hot completed a miracle resurrection, spearheading a Queensland domination of the Terry Hill Straight Of Origin at Capalaba on Sunday.

Once on the cusp of being sent to the Greyhound Adoption Program as an unraced, fast, but injury-prone youngster, the Orson Allen and Femme Folle chaser led from box-rise to finish post in the $40,000-to-the-winner annual feature.

Litter brother, and straight track superstar, Valhalla (trained by Tom Tzouvelis) was second, with fellow Queenslander, Mat Vincent’s Hotel Whisky One, third.

The winning time was 19.62 seconds. 

NSW’s trump card, Darren Sultana’s Shall Not, finished fourth.

“This win means a lot for many reasons,” Cutlack said.

“This particular race is big every year, but so much more so this year with the passing of Terry (Hill).

“Also, we always love racing at Capalaba and it feels good to do well here. But, for me the biggest joy is just to see this dog racing well. It is a miracle for him to be racing let alone winning a race like this.”

Cutlack, who owns and trains the dog, said That’s Hot ‘was fine’ until about a month before the litter started racing.

“From that point it was just one thing after another. Injury after injury,” Cutlack said.

“He would have extensive time off and then come back and then the second trial back he would break down again. It got to the point where I thought ‘It probably isn't worth it’.

“I told Tom (Tzouvelis), ‘I am booking him in to be desexed for the GAP program’. I thought, ‘He is cute, he's little, only a 27kg, fawn, so should get adopted quickly and maybe that is the best for him’.

“But, having said that, he also loves to run, he loves to race. When he is feeling well, he just loves it.”

So, after talking to Tzouvelis, Cutlack decided to momentarily shelve the GAP plan.

“I didn't want to give up on him, but it was so frustrating,” Cutlack said.

“But, we also knew that we had time. There was no hurry to get him to the track. In the end, time was the cure. And, since he has started racing he has held up fine. He has stayed fit and sound.”

Tzouvelis said that before the injuries struck, That’s Hot was trialling almost as fast as Valhalla.

When the litter started to race and That’s Hot remained sidelined with injury issues, Valhalla became a Capalaba legend, with the majority of his $258,685 in prize money being earned at the boutique South East Queensland straight track.

After a delayed start, That’s Hot is also establishing an impressive statistical record.

In his 14 starts to date he has eight wins and three placings for $55,735 in prize money.

Cutlack said that while That’s Hot had shown potential on ‘the circle’ the immediate plan was to keep him safe and sound at Capalaba.

“I have tried to take him away from here (Capalaba) a few times,” she said.

“He usually begins well on the circle and when he begins well he does really well. But, he can also miss it a bit on the circle and then he seems to get knocked around a little bit.

 “So, given what he has overcome, I'm not saying he will never race anywhere else, but with the features here until the end of the year, and if he stays sound, we will keep him racing here.”

Sunday’s race program at Capalaba was also a tribute to rugby league and greyhound celebrity Terry Hill, who recently passed away.

Hill was a passionate greyhound industry devotee, the ‘face’ of the annual Origin Greyhound Series at Albion Park and the owner of the previous two Straight Of Origin winners – Mr. America (2022) and Shall Not (2023).

Race five at Capalaba on Sunday was named in his honour – the Terry Hill Final Open. 

It was won by Greg Stella’s Journalist in 19.75 seconds with Saanvi (Tom Tzouvelis) second and All Lies Ahead (Stephen Keep) third.