Tzouvelis claims Capalaba Cup hat-trick

By Terry Wilson

Master Queensland mentor Tom Tzouvelis warmed up for his shot at Million Dollar Chase glory by becoming the first trainer to win the Capalaba Cup three years in a row.

Looking for a hat-trick of straight track Cups after victories with Valhalla (2023) and Simply Express (2024), the Park Ridge-based Tzouvelis went into this year’s Group 2 sprint holding strong winning claims with two runners in the big Final.

And, he again headed the pack when Secret Story led all-the-way to land the $75,000 first prizemoney.

A black dog by Shima Shine from Ice Cream Story, Secret Story won by just over a length from Victorian performer Alston (trained by Brian Fothergill) with a head away to third placegetter Blue Blend (Jeff Crawford).

Official club records do not show it, but Tzouvelis believes he is entitled to claim he has now won four Capalaba Cups.

He says that when he was just 21 years of age a dog named Highway Jon won an event called the National Straight Track Championship in the days when there was no Capalaba Cup.

“It was the forerunner to the Cup and was the main race at the time,” Tzouvelis said. 

“We beat Flying Amy in the heat and we beat Flying Amy in the Final, so it was the Cup of the day in 1995.”

However, Tzouvelis has definitely completed the hat-trick of Capalaba Cups and Secret Story did it in a manner to suggest there are many more wins ahead.

Tzouvelis missed the big race at the bayside Brisbane track because he was in Sydney preparing Daysea’s Rory for Friday’s Million Dollar Chase Final at Wentworth Park, after victory in one of eight MDC semi-finals last Friday night.

But, the $75,000 first money picked up by Secret Story more than compensated for not being trackside at Capalaba where he continues to have significant big-race successes over the years.

Tzouvelis watched the Cup from a boat on Sydney Harbour where he was a guest for the official Million Dollar Chase box draw and when Daysea’s Rory ended up with the six rug.

It is a draw that could have been better, but the trainer says his charge has drawn the six many times over the years and has had some good successes from there.

Cheering Secret Story home, Tzouvelis said everybody on the cruise knew he had won because of the racket he made.

“The whole boat knew I was watching and when he won, I thumped a table really hard,” the Park Ridge trainer said. 

“He has had success from there (box eight) and I thought it was a winnable box with the way other chances were drawn.”

Alston, who is based at Marionvale in country Victoria and having only its eighth race start, was a gallant runner-up at good odds, paying $11.

The Secret Story and Alston finish gave boom sire Shima Shine the Cup quinella and another Shima Shine product, Amarta, (Tzouvelis’ second runner) finished fourth.

“I was confident knowing the form Secret Story had and when I saw the box draw because in my opinion, he had been the best dog at Capalaba this year,” Tzouvelis said.

“I had Amarta in the seven and once he drew there, and knowing he wanted to go to the middle, he’d give us a chance out wide (with Secret Story).”

Secret Story will now be given a crack at the Ipswich Derby heats at The Q this Thursday night.