The trainers' thoughts: Brisbane Cup

Greyhound writer Isaac Murphy has canvassed the opinions of all the major players ahead of Thursday evening's Group 1 Brisbane Cup at Albion Park. 

After week upon week of elite racing, the 2021 TAB Queensland Winter Greyhound Racing Carnival reaches its culmination this week with the running of the $375,000 Group 1 Sky Racing Brisbane Cup Final.

Some of the key participants gave their take on what needed to go their way to claim the ultimate prize.

Tony Brett - Wynburn Sheean – Box Two

It wouldn’t be a Brisbane Cup Final without the presence of Team Brett.

The first of the premier Queensland trainers chances comes in the form of Tasmanian Wynburn Sheean, who’s riding high off her biggest win yet in last week’s heats.

“I don’t think the track suited those high-speed kind of dogs last week and despite that he stuck on really well and wasn’t letting anything past for a third straight week,” Brett said.

“He’s a different dog to the one who first arrived up here over a month ago, he didn’t settle in too well and he’s just kept improving every week he’s been here, the timing for him is perfect he’s ready to run the race of his life this week.

“You look at the interstate dogs who have qualified for the final and apart from Shima Shine, who’s just a freak of a dog, all the others like Music Event, Wise Thunder, Equalizer have been here for a few weeks have really benefited.”

The Tasmanian relies on sheer early burn to win his races and has no room for error at box rise if he wants to be a realistic chance.

“If he wants to win this week he’s going to have to get out and go and he’s got the box two to do it, I’ve got no doubt he can rattle off something in the 5.4 seconds range early and give them something to chase,” Brett said.

“There’s going to be two races going on in the space of one, the speed battle early with him, Wise Thunder, Land Down Under and the back markers with Equalizer, See Them Try and Music Event who’ll be catching them late.

“There’s so many scenarios that can play out you’ve just got to concentrate on your dog being ready and Wynburn Sheean is that.”

Tony Brett – Equalizer – Box Four

Brett won last year's Cup with Jason Thompson’s Victorian Black Opium and will look to repeat the dose with Equalizer this year, who bulldozed his way through the field in his heat.

“Backmarkers like Equalizer always need a little bit of luck in transit, but I’ll tell you he’s pretty smart this dog he’s been weaving his way through fields his whole career and this race is not beyond him,” Brett said.

“I’d back him to pick up just about any dog in the race apart from Shima Shine who’s probably the one dog capable of running a complete race start to finish.

“If Shima Shine jumps I think we’ll all be in trouble, but Equalizer couldn’t have done much more his first two weeks up here and will be jumping out of the ground if they give him a look.”

Equalizer and Wynburn Sheean are polar opposites when it comes to race pattern.

Brett is hoping the only time they come close to each other is at the winning post.

“We’ve been fortunate with the draw, Wynburn Sheean is a rail crasher and if he was drawn outside Equalizer that could potentially ruin his race but having them in the two and four respectively suits their strengths,” he said.

“I spoke about the speed map and we’re fortunate enough to have one who’ll be going forward in Wynburn Sheean and one who’ll be coming late with Equalizer, hopefully they meet at the finish line.

“Going back six or eight weeks ago I had my tail between my legs having lost Simon Told Helen, Sentenced and Orchestrate being just a fifth grade -  the stocks looked bare for the Brisbane Cup.

"I can’t thank Jason Thompson and Ben Englund enough for giving us a couple of chances to race their dogs for this kind of money.”

Warren Nicholls - See Them Try – Box Five 

See Them Try left owner Warren Nicholls scratching his head in his early days.

The pup was capable of anything on his day and also had his fair share of vices.

But since a recent kennel change to Selena and Mick Zammit, the Queenslander has flourished and is a feel good runner in Thursday’s final.

“We’re over the moon, we did have a big opinion of him as a pup, but he’s always been that kind of dog who just does what he wants, he’s had plenty of troubles coming the lids amongst a host of other things, but here we are in a Brisbane Cup Final,” Nicholls said.

“He had no right to run second in that heat last week, he was well back and out of it, but it’s almost become the norm recently for him to come into the picture late and he didn’t disappoint.

“He might have a few tricks to him the dog, but one thing that’s never been in question is his heart, give him a chance and he’ll run on from anywhere.”

Like a lot of another connections, Nicholls singled Shima Shine out as the dog to beat, but with a stroke of luck, couldn’t help but dream of a fairytale win.

“We’re not going in with any huge expectations in the final, but in saying that he’s earnt his spot and if he’s somewhere near them going down the back you’ll hear me getting up and about,” Nicholls said.

“Box five he’s not fast out and he’s going to have to weave a bit of magic in the run to and around the first turn, but it’s nothing he hasn’t done before.

“Shima Shine’s going to be odds on and fair play, but if you look back the last month or two of racing, he’s just about been the most consistent Brisbane based dog in the Final and what an honour to fly the flag along with Cooper Dooper and Land Down Under.”

Michael Hine – Wise Thunder – Box Three 

Western Australian trainer Michael Hine brought Wise Thunder across to Queensland for a trial three weeks ago knowing the dog had to go under 30 seconds to justify him staying.

The dog went 29.94 seconds and a fortnight on finds himself in the biggest race of his life, finishing just on the heels of Wynburn Sheean in last week’s heats.

“It was a nervous wait last week after running second in one of the earlier heats, with only the fastest three seconds going through we were sweating on times an eventually got in by .03 of a second,” Hine said.

“I was trying to stay cool and calm knowing it was all about the final this week, but I was that excited I didn’t sleep much that night.

“I came over from Perth with the pipe dream of making a Brisbane Cup Final, we had a few things fall our way and we’re ready to give them a run for their money this week.”

The dog went 5.49 seconds early when trialling first up and Hine thinks he’s well in the reckoning if he can produce that early split.

“The track didn’t suit front runners last week with the rain, the time was far from sensational buy he was less than three tenths off the quickest heat winner, there’s not much separating them,” he said.

“The weather report looks good this week and I’m sure the club will have the track nice and fast for their show-piece night and my bloke should improve lengths on what he ran in the heats.

“I was really happy coming up with the three, I wanted to be drawn outside Wynburn Sheean who can be a bit of a crasher and with no pace outside I think it’ll be between us and Wynburn Sheean who leads early, if we can get around the first turn untouched anything is possible.”

Selena Zammit - Music Event – Box Six 

Selena and Mick Zammit couldn’t wait for the 2021 Brisbane Cup.

Superstar sprinter Sequana finally looked like she’d get her chance.

It wasn’t to be with a pin muscle ruling her out.

But they did take the reins with Victorian Music Event, who’s proved a worthy replacement along with See Them Try.

“The dog’s flying, his box manners have been no-where near his best and he just keeps finding ways to run a race, he’s done it the tough way but we’re where we want to be,” Mick Zammit said of Music Event.

“The six is an ordinary draw if he begins slowly again but has the potential to be a really good draw if he can turn things around.

“See Them Try in five and Equalizer in four are probably the slowest away, so if he can cross them and put himself up there with a Wynburn Sheean early you back his strength in to beat a dog like that.”

He’s been able to make it this far on pure talent but needs to execute if he wants to win the lot, the trainer thinks. 

“He was able to overcome that slow start in the heat, but when you get to a final, he can’t afford to be giving them that sort or start and wanting to win,” Mick Zammit said.

"We’re certainly not taking for granted the fact we have two slots in the Brisbane Cup Final, the plan a couple of months ago was to have Sequana here, but things change and myself and Selena are really proud of the accomplishment.

“Shima Shine looks a huge problem, but strange things can happen in finals, and we’ve given ourselves two chances.”