Milligan gives champion trainer Tony Brett his second Capalaba Cup

By Alex Nolan

Milligan notched his maiden Group win and landed master trainer Tony Brett a second Group 3 Capalaba Cup, after a thrilling finish to the 366 metre dash on Sunday.

The son of Keybow made a clean getaway from box three and made a beeline for the centre of the track, before squaring off with race favourite Sacred Stance mid-way down the running.

The pair broke clear to fight it out over the concluding stages but it was the local hope who got his nose down on the line to win in 19.48 seconds.

Fellow locals Tira Mira and Horchata finished third and fourth respectively.

Milligan started favourite in both the Group 3 Rockhampton Cup and Group 3 Brisbane Young Guns earlier this year but came up short on both occasions.

He announced himself as a genuine Capalaba Cup contender when winning the Queensland Straight Track Championship Final in August, before being placed second to Mr America in the National Final at Richmond.

Premier Queensland breeder-owner Steve Williams owns Milligan. 

“He’s always been a gutsy dog,” Williams told The Greyhound Recorder. 

“Tony has always had a huge opinion of him.

“We’ve spoken about stepping him up.”

Williams won the Cup last year with the Kevin Ellis-trained Impact.

However, Sunday’s breakthrough win takes his career record to 18 wins from 31 starts, with the $40,000 winners’ cheque boosting his career prize money to more than $120,000.

Brett has won just about all there is to win in Queensland greyhound racing, but the Capalaba Cup was one that had eluded him until Hara’s Clyde helped him lift the trophy in 2020.  

His second Cup success follows another golden winter carnival when he claimed a fifth Group 1 Brisbane Cup via Orchestrate and put the finishing touches on Collinda Patty to win the Group 1 Queensland Cup.

On the same night, the champion trainer announced he would be winding back his operation to spend more time with his wife Fleur and their children.

Orchestrate returned to Albion Park on Thursday for the first time since a bold second to Good Odds Cash in the Group 3 Origin Sprint, running a blistering 29.73 seconds to win a best eight event by 4.75 lengths.

It followed a three-week campaign in Sydney that culminated with a runner-up finish in the TAB Million Dollar Chase Consolation at Wentworth Park.  

Earlier in the afternoon on Capalaba Cup day, the Tricia Fuller-trained Georgie Choo took out the Bob Vernon Memorial Maiden Final ahead of Ninetymile Queen for Bianca Whitford.

Last year’s Capalaba Derby winner Fernando Grand won the Cup Consolation for trainer Gary Mackay, beating home Champagne Jazzy and Bogie Fury.