Race favourite Explicit is set to break the million-dollar prize money barrier with a victory in the Group 1 Brisbane Cup (520m) at Albion Park on Thursday night.
The talented son of Bernardo is one of three finalists trained by premier Victorian trainer Jason Thompson, who is aiming for a record-breaking sixth Brisbane Cup title. Alongside Explicit (box two) in the main event are impressive heat winners Flying Zulu (box one) and Excavation (box seven), with the latter clocking a remarkable 29.47 in his heat.
The trio's dominant performances have placed them at the top of the betting for the $650,000-to-the-winner final, with Explicit leading at $2.80. Thompson remarked, "I couldn't have boxed them better if I picked them myself. Flying Zulu needs the inside, Excavation prefers the wide, and Explicit should have a great run from his position."
Explicit, who has won 19 of his 25 starts, rose to fame with his Group 1 Temlee victory at The Meadows earlier this year, one of four group race wins on his record. However, it is Excavation's rapid rise during the Queensland winter carnival that has surprised Thompson, as the youngest and least experienced runner in the field.
"When I sent him to Queensland, I thought he could be a 29.60 or a 29.90 dog – I wasn't sure," Thompson explained. "Every week he's just improved, and given he's only two this month and had just 16 starts, it's hard to know his ceiling."
During the Queensland winter and summer carnivals, Thompson often relies on champion Queensland mentor Tony Brett to oversee his team. Brett, who has two finalists of his own in Lakeview Emily (box six) and Zipping Megatron (box eight), is also aiming for a record sixth Brisbane Cup win. Between Thompson and Brett, they have won 10 of the past 20 Brisbane Cups.
With next year's Brisbane Cup moving to the new 'The Q' facility, Thursday night's final will be the last at Albion Park. In 2008, Thompson won the final Gold Coast Cup at the Parklands circuit with his superstar sprinter El Galo before winning the Brisbane Cup that same year. "Hopefully lightning can strike twice," Thompson said. "Having the last Brisbane Cup winner at Albion Park would be special."
Regarding the potential winner, Thompson added, "It honestly wouldn't surprise me if any of the three won. They are all perfectly boxed and in great form. It will come down to which dog executes best on the night. But it's a very good field, so we are not taking anything for granted."