Brisbane Cup hopes for trainer Jedda Cutlack

By Jordan Gerrans

Cooper Dooper went around as a $101 shot in last year’s Brisbane Cup and while he ran almost 14 lengths behind the winner – his kennel feel just landing in the big Group 1 Final was an achievement in itself.

Almost a year on from Cooper Dooper’s Cup tilt, emerging trainer Jedda Cutlack has hopes of landing two starters in this year's Cup Final.

The 25-year-old Cutlack thinks kennel stars Showdown and Tungsten Miss have what it takes to progress through to the Final.

The Group 1 Brisbane Cup will be run for a record $525,000.

It firmly entrenches it amongst the nation’s richest and most prestigious greyhound races and outstrips the prize money for some of the more prestigious thoroughbred events during the TAB Queensland Racing Carnival.

The Brisbane Cup purse is more than three times the total prize money of the $150,000 Group 3 Lord Mayor's Cup over 1800 metres won by Bigboyroy last Saturday at Eagle Farm, and double that of the Group 3 $250,000 Fred Best Classic over 1400 metres taken out by Vilana.    

Cutlack, who was recognised as the industry's young achiever at the annual awards earlier this year, points to Cooper Dooper’s presence in last year’s Final as inspiration for Showdown and Tungsten Miss this time around.

“I do not think many people expected Cooper Dooper to make it but he did and that is what counts,” Cutlack said.

“We have a lot of decent dogs this time and fingers crossed some of them can get into the Final.

“We would not be looking at targeting Showdown and Tungsten Miss into staying races.”

On the first evening of the 2022 TAB Queensland Winter Greyhound Racing Carnival last Thursday night, both Showdown (heat of the Anniversary Trophy) and Tungsten Miss (Young Guns Final) finished third in their respective races.

The kennel has Tungsten Miss, Lily Monelli and She's Savage nominated for graded races this Thursday while Showdown has drawn the six alley in the 50th anniversary feature race.

The Park Ridge South-based trainer wishes she had a kennel full of dogs like Tungsten Miss, with the young bitch having won 12 of her 18 career starts, including feature events such as the Group 2 Bogie Leigh Futurity Final and Listed Ipswich Young Guns Final.

“She is an exciting young dog that has been doing well for a while now,” Cutlack said.

“She is not perfect but she almost is.

“She is a good dog and you would love a kennel full of dogs like her.”

The young trainer says Tungsten Miss will be prominent throughout the carnival, as will Showdown.

“We take things week by week with all of the dogs but we are hoping she can stay sound and do well throughout the carnival,” Cutlack said.

“If there is a race on that suits her, she will be in it.

“There is feature races on every week every week in the lead-up to the Cup.”

Brisbane Greyhound Racing Club CEO Luke Gatehouse says there is plenty of depth in the local racing ranks with a massive southern invasion of interstate greyhounds set to start as soon as this week.

“There is a lot of depth in our open class dogs in terms of quality and we have a fair few up and comers as well,” Gatehouse said.