Stephen Whyte aiming for gold homecoming

By Jordan Gerrans

When Stephen Whyte was training his team of greyhounds in the Sunshine State through the 1980s and 90s, he remembers going to the races and it felt like he was attending a country-style event.

Fast forward to 2026 and the veteran dog man is back in town and views an industry that has gone ahead in leaps and bounds.

On Thursday evening, he heads to the flash new The Q facility aiming to win a slice of the $375,000 on offer in the Group 1 Gold Bullion for 2026.

Now based at Bunyip in country Victoria, Whyte’s Irish Bill claimed the coveted Golden Ticket last month and has come up with the red starting position for Thursday’s showpiece race of the Queensland Golden Greys Summer Racing Carnival.

For the proud Queenslander to head back to his home state with a star dog with a shot at a major race, Whyte is savouring the moment.

“It's a pretty big buzz for me to be in a big race,” he said.

“I left in 1993, but I was here prior to that since 1980. So, I spent 13 and a half, 14 years here.

“I got some good mentoring by some of the better trainers around at that time, Tony and Michael Zammit as well as Greg Brennan.

“They were all part of that gang, as well, back then. That's how the relationship started with Greg.”

As veteran trainer Whyte is based in regional Victoria, he has been sending his kennel ace up to Brennan at South Maclean on a caretaker capacity through the carnival.

It is a method that many a southern conditioner has used over the years as local dog man Brennan has regularly taken on top chasers for the carnivals.

Whyte trained his chasers in Queensland before his children were welcomed into the world and his family decided to relocate to Victoria to be closer to other members of their extended family.

He says he did not have many champions in his kennels in those days but laughs that at 67 years of age, he has returned to his former stomping ground with a talented chaser.

 “We all think about the old days and sometimes we say they were better days, but the prizemoney wasn't as good as it is now,” he said.

“Back in those days, there was no such thing as Sky Channel, so everyone went to the track and there was a bit of a country sort of atmosphere feel there and a club feel.

“I didn't have any dogs that were outstanding in those days, but I had a dog that made the Derby in Sydney that ran second in the Final there.

“I had a collection of dogs there, but never had a really, really good one.

“You strive to get that and it's hard to get. I'm 67. I'm getting one right now so it's funny how things work.”

Irish Bill landed his place in the Gold Bullion decider of 2026 with a 29.19 second performance in the Group 2 Golden Ticket a fortnight ago.

The Golden Ticket romp allowed the son of Shima Shine to bypass last week’s heats of the Gold Bullion.

When the starting positions were released for the 520 metre event, Irish Bill was handed the coveted one alley.

Brennan has known Whyte for around 35 years with Irish Bill the first chaser he has taken on for his old mate in a caretaker capacity.

“It’s a big thrill to be handling dogs of such quality,” Brennan said.

“He's raced exceptionally well. He came up and had his trial here a few weeks ago and he has certainly come along in leaps and bounds. His run here a fortnight ago was excellent. 

“He's got to be a big hope. He's got to use his box.”

Irish Bill will not be the only Gold Bullion runner that Brennan is looking after ahead of the Group 1 on Thursday evening.

The Thomas Dailly-prepared Vista Weird has also been a regular at his place in recent weeks and was set to lob ahead of the Gold Bullion decider.

Alongside Whyte, the freakishly fast Irish Bill flew into Brisbane on Tuesday morning ahead of Thursday’s race.

Irish Bill is unbeaten in his last five trips to the races and from three starts from the red alley, he has an unblemished record. 

As of Wednesday afternoon, the bookmakers judge Irish Bill as a $2.30 chance to land Group 1 glory in the Gold Bullion.

“It is probably a pretty handy box to have in any race,” Whyte said about the one alley.

“Box one, whether you want it or not, it's the best box you can probably get statistically. So, look, I've got that advantage there now and he's just got to use the best he can.

“The dog's basically done all his work it has to do. So, when it comes here, Greg's just basically looking after it, preparing it for the race.

“Greg is very trustworthy. It's always good to have a friend like that.”

A veteran of only 20 career starts, Irish Bill competed in the prestigious Flying Amy series last year in Queensland before claiming a Brisbane Cup prelude.

He finished third in a heat of the Brisbane Cup last winter before heading back to Victoria.

At first, the Golden Ticket series wasn’t even on Whyte’s radar.

“Last time I came up in July, I stayed at Jamie Hosking’s place,” he recalled.

“I probably wouldn't be in this race unless Jamie rang me and said this race is on. I hadn't looked it up, I had no idea it was on, the Golden Ticket.

“So, I need to thank him and Greg for giving me the opportunity to be able to put me up in his place and that's worked perfectly.”