Kinnear Fulfills Lofty Ambition In Brisbane Cup

AS Tom Kinnear stood at Albion Park on Thursday night taking in all the glamour of Group 1 racing, he thought back to a decade ago when he set in motion a plan to give greyhound racing a try.

Tom is a wheeler and dealer in high finance, but the former schoolboy track and rugby star is also a racing fanatic. He tried thoroughbreds … briefly.

Greyhound racing was his lure.

On Thursday night, Tom was engulfed in group 1 glory with his star sprinter Orchestrate (Barcia Bale-Speculate).

Interviews, congratulations, group 1 presentations, it was all heady stuff for the Sydney-based young man.

“How good is this,” was all he could say. “How good is this.”

Kinnear bred Orchestrate from his bitch Speculate, a full sister to Group star Jagger Swagger but from a later litter.

A simply faultless from the Tony Brett prepared Orchestrate to win the 2022 $525,000 @SkyRacingAU Brisbane Cup over kennelmate Just A Sort and Victorian star Photo Man!#QLDisRacing@RaceQLD @tabcomau @GerardDaffy @Bunny_Brasch @SEN_track @GRV_News @MMcInallyPhotos pic.twitter.com/IEDOPHjKTO

— Brisbane Greyhounds (@BrisGreys) July 7, 2022

“She was going to be something and when I sent her to Jason Thompson he predicted she would be a fine stayer,” said Tom. “The words almost had not come out of his mouth before she broke a hock.

“But, she was always going to be a broodbitch.”

The first mating had to be to Barcia Bale, the champion sire.

“It was just at the right time,” said Tom. “Mepunga Blazer was a superstar and he is by Barcia Bale from a daughter of Premier Fantasy. It was exactly the cross we would achieve by putting Speculate to Barcia Bale.

“We could only hope for a dog like Mepunga Blazer. I think we can rightfully say Orchestrate is.”

Kinnear split up the litter with Jason Thompson getting some and Orchestrate heading off to Tony Brett.

“I got some advice that said one of the better ones should go to Tony as well,” said Tom.

Now after 41 starts, 22 wins, 10 placings and earnings of $538,000, Orchestrate is on a career path even Tom did not see all those years back when he set out on his greyhound racing career.

“I thought it was pretty good when he won the Rocky Cup,” said Tom. “Then he added last year's State Of Origin and a Young Guns.

“Along the way he was placed in the Super Sprinters and a Flying Amy Classic and made the final of the Bullion.

“Yes, I suppose there is a chance he should have a stud career. But, he has only just turned three and there are plenty of races to come for him.”

Those include the State Of Origin next week.

Tom Kinnear admits he might have to give next week's race a miss personally.

He and wife Rose have an almost one-year-old son Jimmy.

“I booked into a hotel right next to Albion Park on Thursday night and had a plane booked for 8am on Friday to get home,” said Tom. “But, celebrations had to come after winning the Brisbane Cup.

“How often do you win a Group 1?”