From the Callers Box – August 2025

The 2025 Constellations has come and gone for another year.

The difference this year, and for the next three years, is the Inter Dominion is now at its heart while traditional winter features have been moved to the upcoming summer carnival.

Personally, I think this is a win for both carnivals, winter and summer. And as results prove, the Constellations was a runaway success.

This year’s Inter Dominion was condensed from four to three nights of racing – two rounds of heats into finals. Wagering across the series smashed a string of turnover records. It was by far the biggest turnover meeting in Queensland harness history, representing a 23% hike at the corresponding meeting last year, headlined by the Gr. 1 Blacks A Fake. And the feedback from those who attended, from far and wide, was excellent.

The crowd on Grand Final night was the biggest I’ve seen since Im Themightyquinn stepped out at The Creek in the Blacks A Fake back in 2014. To be honest, I was stunned by the crowd size in the grandstand twenty minutes before the opening race. The common denominator is the champion horse, back in 2014 it was “Quinny” and in 2025 it was the “King of the Creek – Larry”. People want to witness a ‘champion’ in action. And that’s exactly what we got.

But can we improve? For next year and beyond? Absolutely!

Valuable lessons were gained from last month’s Constellations, things that worked and areas that didn’t. Not everything went perfectly but that’s to be expected given it was the first time an Inter Dominion series was staged at the heart of a Constellations carnival. They key lesson is that we address what worked successfully and what didn’t hit the mark. And those matters will be discussed in the coming weeks and months.

But with the 2025 Summer Carnival much stronger than ever before and fast approaching, it presents another perfect opportunity to make the experience even better for those who enjoy a night of fine harness racing action.

With Albion Park now playing host to three major events annually, Ultimate Drivers Challenge, Constellations/Inter Dominion and the Summer Carnival, it’s time to get to work. And to get it right. Consistently. No different to me as a broadcaster.

Until next time.