Interstate rivalry will ramp up next week with a new coaching battle to headline this year’s Ladbrokes Origin Greyhound Series at The Q.
Greyhound Racing NSW and Racing Queensland have locked in their teams for the showpiece event to be held on Q2 Parklands on Thursday, June 25.
The battle for state supremacy will reignite with the Group 3 Origin Sprint and Origin Distance, along with the Group 3 Origin Match Race, in the eighth running of the series.
NSW have assembled a top squad that is headlined by superstars Winsome Jet, Winsome Rambo, Magpie Hector and Cumbria Jack, with the latter fresh off a destructive victory in the Group 2 Cyndie's Magic at The Q on Thursday night.
Winsome Jet also ran second to fellow NSW-owned chaser, Consigliere, in the Group 1 Flying Amy, while Secret Bandit finished third.
Ayden's Warrior heads to Queensland off the back of a recent breakthrough Group 1 victory in the Sandown Cup in Victoria, while Magpie Hector ran second in the same feature race.
After wrestling back the Origin crown in 2025, the Sunshine State has announced a strong line up of stars, headlined by star sprinter and reigning Queensland Greyhound of the Year Daysea’s Rory.
Daysea’s Rory will be joined by Flying Amy finalist Zipping Urban and Rockhampton Cup winner Star Turn in the Sprint, while the Jedda Cutlack-trained Soiree will represent the Sunshine State in the Distance following her come-from-behind win in the world’s richest staying event The 715m.
Queensland will once again be represented by Blue Blend in the Match Race after his victory in 2025 secured the shield for the Maroons.
The Group 3 Origin Sprint and Origin Distance will again be run for $150,000 each, while the Listed Origin two-dog Match Race has a $60,000 purse on offer.
The overall series tally sits at four-three to Queensland after its introduction in 2018.
Both states have also announced their squads for the Group 3 Straight of Origin, to be held at Capalaba on Sunday, June 28.
Terrell Banner, Storms Will Roll, Magic Mania and Eidetic Memory will represent the Blues, while Armarta headlines a four-pronged attack for the locals, who will be out to retain interstate bragging rights after winning the race with Daysea’s Rory last year.
