Queensland winter carnival stars aligning for a cracker

Several big racing names have already been confirmed for the 2025 Queensland winter carnival which is shaping up as one of the best yet.

Melbourne Cup winner Knight’s Choice is one of the stars set to campaign in the Queensland winter carnival. Picture: Racing Photos via Getty Images.

It may currently be the middle of summer but the Queensland winter carnival is already shaping up as one of the best yet, with a galaxy of stars set to make the trek north.

A pair of Melbourne Cup winners, 2024 champion and homegrown Queensland hero Knight’s Choice, and 2023 Cup winner Without A Fight, appear set to contest the Queensland winter as a springboard to further glory in the spring.

A race like the rich Q22 – which was won in 2023 by Without A Fight before he went on to capture the Melbourne Cup – shapes as a likely winter goal.

Connections of The Everest winners Bella Nipotina and Giga Kick have this month indicated they are poised to campaign in Queensland during the winter carnival.

Then there’s local star Antino, which won the Group 1 Toorak Handicap in Melbourne last spring before having an overseas mission in Hong Kong.

Tony Gollan has flagged that Antino’s winter mission is likely to include a tilt at the Group 1 Doomben Cup over 2000m on May 24.

To date, Antino has largely been trained as a miler but champion Queensland trainer Gollan has always been keen to try him at 2000m.

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Antino is likely to attack the Group 1 Doomben Cup in the Queensland winter carnival. Picture: Getty Images.

Brisbane Racing Club chief executive Karl deKroo said the Queensland winter carnival was increasingly attracting established stars, as well as unearthing elite new talent.

“For a period, Queensland hung its hat on being the carnival that tended to unearth the next wave of racing stars,” deKroo said.

“But increasingly many of the best trainers and stables from across the country are recognising that bringing their top line horses to Queensland in winter not only allows them to compete for very handy prize money here, it also sets them up for The Everest, Cox Plate or Melbourne Cup campaigns a few months later.

“The rise of the Doomben 10,000 to 22nd in the recently released 2024 Longines World’s Top 100 Group 1 Races rankings is a prime example of how our carnival has benefited.

“It is now one of the world’s elite sprint races and it provides a great opportunity for racing fans in Queensland and interstate to come and experience top class racing and everything our carnival has to offer.”

Originally published as Queensland winter carnival stars aligning for a cracker