2023 Straight Of Origin Queensland and NSW greyhound teams named
In a bid to reclaim inter-state supremacy, Racing Queensland (RQ) has announced its lineup for the upcoming Straight Of Origin clash against New South Wales (NSW).
On Sunday June 18, the Capalaba Greyhound Racing Club will host an all-new, revamped format event in the Sunshine State.
The highly anticipated line-up will be headlined by none other than the Chris Brydon-trained Coonamble Kid.
Coonamble Kid, a seasoned racer with 13 victories at Capalaba, has set a personal record of 19.38, which is only two lengths away from the track record.
The athlete also demonstrated impressive skills during the Group 2 Maitland Cup series, securing third place in the final.
Panama Canal, who was transferred to leading Queensland trainer Tony Brett earlier this year, will be joining him.
Panama Canal, a seven-time winner at Healesville and a finalist in the 2023 Group 2 Healesville Cup, recently secured his maiden win at Capalaba in a time of 19.67 on May 28.
In his most recent outing, he finished second to the highly-regarded top seed from New South Wales, Shall Not.
Valhalla, trained by Jedda-Cutlack, has been making waves on the straight-track circuit with an impressive track record.
The Maroons will be counting on him to deliver another strong performance, having won four out of his last five races, including a notable win in the Capalaba Young Guns Final just last month.
Lose Your Cool, an emerging talent, trained by Jeff Crawford, is set to complete the Queensland team.
The talented greyhound has won his last six starts up the straight at Capalaba, including a remarkable 19.58 victory over his Queensland teammate Valhalla in his last race.
In a recent development, the Straight Of Origin format is set to undergo a significant change.
The event will no longer feature a heat and final format.
Instead, it will be an invitational, one-off final run.
The top four dogs from each state will be selected by RQ and Greyhound Racing NSW to participate in the event.
In a significant development, the prize money for the event has been increased from $24,000 to $63,500.
The winner of this year's edition will now receive a whopping $40,000, which is a substantial increase from the $15,600 awarded in 2022.
According to Brenton Scott, the Senior Greyhound Racing Manager at Racing Queensland, the upcoming format change in 2023 will result in a higher level of competition quality than ever before.
According to Scott, Straight Of Origin will feature a preferential draw event this year, in addition to the one-off final and increased prize money.
This will enable participating trainers to select their preferred inside or outside draw.
In order to qualify for the upcoming race, greyhounds must have previously participated in a race or trial at Capalaba and met the necessary requirements for residency in either Queensland or New South Wales.
According to CGRC Manager Erin Cameron, she anticipates an impressive display of greyhound racing from both Queensland and New South Wales, much to the delight of racing enthusiasts.
Cameron expressed her satisfaction with the quality of both squads and eagerly anticipates the national straight track racing spotlight shining on Capalaba greyhound track on June 18.
In the last four years, straight track racing has made significant strides, and the upcoming Straight Of Origin event is a testament to its progress.
In the upcoming Straight Of Origin, NSW will be aiming to retain their championship title, following Darren Sultana's victory with Mr. America over local favourites Impact and Milligan in the 2022 version of the race.
Sultana is set to make a comeback in 2023, with high hopes of securing another victory at Capalaba.
The Blues team will be led by Shall Not, who is fresh off a historic win at the Queensland venue.
Shall Not has achieved an impressive feat by winning his last 10 races at Richmond up the straight.
The greyhound's remarkable performance includes setting a personal best time of 17.18, which is only one length away from breaking the Richmond Straight track record.
Shall Not was an impressive winner at Capalaba on Sunday at his first look at the track in preparation for the Straight Of Origin, extending his winning streak to 11 races back-to-back.
Queensland Straight Of Origin Team
- Coonamble Kid – T: Chris Brydon
- Panama Canal – T: Tony Brett
- Valhalla – T: Jedda Cutlack
- Lose Your Cool – T: Jeff Crawford
New South Wales Straight Of Origin Team
- Shall Not – T: Darren Sultana
- Slingshot Rusty – T: Darren Sultana
- Canya Unleash – T: Michelle Lill
- Commands Respect – T: Glenda Dart
The Capalaba Greyhound Racing Club is set to host the box draw for the upcoming event on Sunday June 11.