Dream becomes reality for Sultana

By Josh Spasaro

Michelle Sultana needs to pinch herself when reminded she’s got the favourite in the Group 1 Brisbane Cup Final at Q2 Parklands on Saturday night.

“It’s a life-changing Final, this one. These are the types of races I was a little girl watching them thinking ‘oh wow, one day’,” Sultana said.

Sultana's Winsome Jet will jump from box one in the race.

“And, it’s like ‘wow, I’m against some of the best trainers in the country’," she said. 

With the Queensland Winter Greyhound Racing Carnival to come to a spectacular conclusion after the running of the $1 million feature, the past couple of months have been a grind for the top conditioner.

But, it has been a carnival to remember, which quickly helps her shrug off any signs of fatigue.

Sultana and Darryl Thomas have celebrated victories with Gold Force in the Ipswich Cup and Mach 10. Winsome Jet also won the Origin Sprint Final.

“Look, it’s been a long carnival. We’ve pretty much been in every Group Final since the carnival began,” she said.

“There have been a lot of miles over six to eight weeks. A lot of prep goes into the dogs making sure they’re fully sound.

“But, we’ve had an amazing carnival. I lean on Darryl and Darryl leans on me. We have those days when we think ‘oh my God, what are we doing?’

“But, we’re there and anything can happen.”

Sultana said she had done all she could to have Winsome Jet primed for one final elite-level victory this carnival.

She added she was happy with the two-year-old blue dog’s runner-up finish in his Brisbane Cup heat, crossing the line in 29.77 seconds behind Zipping Lee.

That was after the Tommy Shelby and Princess Kiwi chaser saluted by a stunning six-and-a-half lengths in the Origin Sprint Final, recording a sizzling time of 29.31 seconds.

Kennelmate Back Tomorrow will jump one outside Winsome Jet from the two lane on Saturday night.

“It’s probably not the ideal box for Winsome Jet, but I’d rather have it than anyone else to be honest,” Sultana said.

“He’s always gone well in the middle of the track. But, drawing one and two with both of them, I think the two might come out and want to step off a little bit.

“So, I’m just hoping he begins well. I can’t do much more, to be honest. It’s up to them.

“Origin was a massive win from him. He finds his own luck – he’s never really had good boxes in Finals.

“He’s always drawn four, six and in the middle somewhere. He seems to find his luck, but the Origin was a super win.”

Sultana said she was delighted with two-year-old black bitch Back Tomorrow’s Brisbane Cup heat win, beating Secret Bandit by three quarters of a length and crossing the line in 29.65 seconds.

“She got away from them and she drew an inside box. That was what she needed to do,” she said.

Top Sydney trainer Melinda Finn sent up both Winsome Jet and Back Tomorrow to go after Brisbane Cup glory.

“Back Tomorrow has been racing top grade down in Sydney for a long time. She’s a 29.4 second dog around Sydney,” Sultana said.

“She’s up there with them, but she’s just had no luck in box draws while she’s been up here.

“She’s always drawn wide. And, to be honest, they sent her up here to get a bit of a confidence boost.

“And, she’s just jumped out of her shell. She’s come along in leaps and bounds, which is super.

“When we moved up here, Minnie said she’d send up some dogs and Jet was one of them.

“I don’t think she’ll look back now. Jet is going to stay up here for the Nationals, so he’ll be a Queenslander.”