2023 Group 1 Queensland Cup all-in betting markets wide open
The 2023 Group 1 Queensland Cup heats attracted 40 nominations after close of nomination at Racing Queensland (RQ) on Monday June 26 2023.
Again Victoria will play a big hand in the Group 1 heats with 12 greyhounds engaged.
Notably there is only one representative from West Australia (WA) vying for the $175,000 first prize, while New South Wales (NSW) greyhound racing has provided just two stayers.
Once a powerhouse of Australian greyhound racing, surely NSW administrators will be looking internally after just one greyhound from the state will be contesting the 2023 Group 1 Brisbane Cup heats, and only two stayers from NSW have been nominated among the 40 greyhounds in the Queensland Cup heats.
That said the two NSW aspirants are both high quality, and more than capable of featuring in the $262,505 feature Albion Park 710m staying final, unfortunately they have drawn alongside each other in the opening Queensland Cup heat (race 1).
With five heats of the Group 1 staying race, only the winners and the three fastest seconds will progress to the rich final.
Greyhound betting sites have posted NSW stayer, and 2023 Group 3 State Of Origin Distance series winner Palawa King (box five, race 1), as favourite at +360 to win the final.
The Ray Smith-trained greyhound will face his toughest competition from the only other NSW greyhound in the heats, the Dennis Barnes-trained Nangar Rocket, from box four in the same race.
The 715m runner-up at The Gardens has been quoted at betting odds of +600 in the ‘all-in' Queensland Cup betting markets, despite the likelihood that only one of the two greyhounds may qualify for the final.
Outside of the top two in betting in the opening Qld Cup heat, Victorian trained Fast Milkman for Tim Britton seems the only plausible other hope.
The litter brother to First Picked, Wheel And Go, and recent Group 3 Paradise Street Trophy winner Quick Smart, is yet to contest a black-type race final but did win an Albion Park 710m 5th Grade race on Monday June 26 in 42.19.
Online bookies weren't impressed by the win though, leaving Fast Milkman at +5000 to win the Queensland Cup final.
Victorian trained greyhound Moraine Suzie will contest the third of the Queensland Cup heats (box seven, race 3) and has been marked as the +380 second favourite in ‘all-in' cup betting.
The 2022 Group 1 Topgun Stayers winner, and 2023 Zoom Top runner-up, has won both her past two starts in Victoria; and will be racing on debut for Victorian greyhound trainer Brendan Pursell at Albion Park on Thursday night.
Moraine Suzie will face stiff opposition from fellow Victorian dogs Play Nice (box one), and Osprey Storm from box four; and also from the sole WA contender Rippin' Grace.
Rippin Grace, trained by Shayne Williams, won the 2023 Group 2 WA Oaks (520m) at Cannington in May, and was also a runner-up in the Group 3 The Miata, and made the final of the 2023 Group 1 Galaxy at Cannington.
Rippin' Grace is being quoted as the equal third favourite in Qld Cup ‘all-in' markets at +600, along with 2023 Group 1 Super Stayers (Meadows,730m) champion Ariarne Bale (box five, heat 2 race 2), 2023 Group 1 Galaxy (Cannington, 715m) winner First Picked (box one, heat 5, race 5), and Nangar Rocket (race 1).
Disqualified 2023 Group 3 Golden Ticket finalist Respectability, 2022 Group 1 Hume Cup placegetter Wheel And Go, and 2023 Group 3 Dashing Corsair runner-up Wendy Rocks; make up the fourth line of betting at +600 in the markets.
Remarkably, greyhound betting sites are betting against last to first Superstayers Invitational winner Days Of Thunder (box four, heat 2, race 2), pricing her at just +1600 to win the feature staying final.
In addition to the $10,000 first prizemoney on offer to each Queensland Cup heat winner on Thursday night, many of the greyhounds will also be racing for $10,000 bonus payments made available to greyhounds who were placed in Queensland Winter Carnival lead-up races, and who can win a heat of the 2023 Queensland Cup.
The $262,505 feature 2023 Group 1 Queensland Cup final will be run on Friday July 7 2023 at Albion Park, paying $175,000 to-the-winner.