Head-to-head analysis of the 2026 Golden Ticket

By Josh Spasaro

The 2026 Group 2 Golden Ticket Final at Q2 Parklands will feature four fascinating match-ups on Thursday night.

Vista Weird and Accredited have come up from Victoria for Tom Dailly and Ned McDonald.

They will take on locals Tarawi Buster (trained by Jayson Valentine) and Sooty Keeping who is currently under the care of champion Queensland trainer Tony Brett.

Winsome Jet now resides in the Sunshine State for Michelle Sultana in a caretaker capacity after starting out with Melinda Finn in New South Wales. 

Winsome Jet's success north of the border was instant. In just his second start at Q2 Parklands, the 23-month-old blue dog saluted in the Group 2 Queensland Derby.

He will take on Daysea’s Rory for premier Park Ridge-based conditioner Tom Tzouvelis.

And, Irish Bill comes up with 10 wins from 19 starts for Stephen Whyte who is based at Bunyip in Victoria’s Gippsland region.

He will take on Tempting Dash for Tzouvelis in the last match-up.

Tempting Dash won the Bogie Leigh Futurity Final on January 8.

The Golden Ticket winner will be the chaser with the fastest time, picking up $60,000, as well as direct entry into the $250,000-to-the-winner Group 1 Gold Bullion Final on February 5.

Good Odds Cobber won last year’s Golden Ticket Final for Sydney trainer Frank Hurst in a time of 29.50 seconds, after Queensland great Jay Is Jay won the event for two years in a row.

Good Odds Cobber – who then went on to win the Gold Bullion Final – retired with over $1 million in prizemoney to his name.

The Golden Ticket match races analysis:

Match 1: Vista Weird (Tom Dailly) v Tarawi Buster (Jayson Valentine)

Tarawi Buster for Jimboomba conditioner Jayson Valentine might be a $19 outsider with the biggest Golden Ticket odds, but he can keep up with the best chasers in the country.

He fought well to finish a length-and-three-quarters behind Sooty Keeping in his heat, crossing the line in 29.66 seconds.

Whether it’s straight track, various distances on a circle or the match-racing format, Valentine rates his three-year-old dog the most versatile chaser in his kennels.

Vista Weird has been mixing competitively in elite company, coming fourth in the Group 1 Silver Chief Final at The Meadows on December 20.

The two-year-old dog also finished second in his Golden Ticket heat to a flying Irish Bill (29.36 seconds), crossing the line in 29.63 seconds.

Match 2: Accredited (Ned McDonald) v Sooty Keeping (Tony Brett)

Accredited finished runner-up by three-and-a-quarter lengths in his Golden Ticket heat last Thursday night, but that was to the flying Tempting Dash.

Accredited crossed the line in 29.55 seconds.

The two-year-old knows how to lift for big occasions, winning the Group 1 Hume Cup Final at The Meadows on November 8.

But, he will have his work cut out against Sooty Keeping, who won his heat in 29.53 seconds.

The Group 1 Paul Wheeler Final victor at Wentworth Park on December 20 was all class from the seven box last Thursday night.

Sooty Keeping cut down Teresita for Tzouvelis on the back straight, before comfortably holding off Tarawi Buster on the home straight.

There’s not much between these two Group 1 winners in betting, with Accredited at $5 to win the Golden Ticket Final, and Sooty Keeping at $6.

Match 3: Daysea’s Rory (Tom Tzouvelis) v Winsome Jet (Michelle Sultana)

A blockbuster match-up, this one.

It is well documented how consistent Daysea’s Rory was in 2025, qualifying for the Melbourne Cup Final, alongside making the deciders of The Phoenix and Million Dollar Chase.

And, he was outstanding in his Golden Ticket heat, crossing the line in 29.37 seconds.

He was edged out by another flying dog in Winsome Jet (29.36 seconds), giving him a chance to atone for that result on Thursday night.

Indeed, it was an absorbing contest against the Queensland Derby champion last week.

Daysea’s Rory won the start from the inside, but Winsome Jet was on his outside all-the-way down the back straight. 

The two put a clear gap on Midnight Queen and Extreme Tension.

Winsome Jet flashed home against a game Daysea’s Rory, only pipping one of Tzouvelis’ kennel stars at the post.

Daysea’s Rory is at $7 winning odds with Winsome Jet the Golden Ticket Final favourite at $4.

Match 4: Irish Bill (Stephen Whyte) v Tempting Dash (Tom Tzouvelis)

Irish Bill only has 19 starts to his name with no Group 1 Final experience, but he looked at home in his Golden Ticket heat last week. 

The $6 winning chance – now with four wins in a row – was outstanding last start, saluting by three-and-three-quarter lengths in a sizzling time of 29.36 seconds.

He also showed toughness to push off Star Turn at the first turn. He dashed seven lengths in front from there and was too strong on the home straight, with fellow Victorian dog Vista Weird second.

The fast-developing Shima Shine and Thurles Princess brindle dog will probably need to improve on that effort this week, though.

He will go up against two-year-old bitch Tempting Dash who is rapidly becoming a sensation in the Tzouvelis kennels.

Back at 100% fitness, she proved her stunning two-and-three-quarter victory in the Bogie Leigh Futurity wasn’t a freak occurrence with her heat performance last week.

Producing the fastest time in an outstanding 29.29 seconds, she opened up a five-length lead over Accredited on the back straight.

And, she never dropped off, running a 5.19 second third sectional. After her Futurity Final win, Tzouvelis said she always gives 100%. 

Indeed, Tempting Dash showed that in her heat and she is at $5.50 winning odds for the event.