It is normally Chloe Butler’s favourite time of year, but Team Teal will take on extra meaning for the young harness driver in 2025.
Butler and Taleah McMullen are Queensland’s official 2025 Team Teal ambassadors, which kicked off over the weekend.
The annual campaign, which raises funds for ovarian and gynaecological cancer research, will run until March 15, with the Queensland harness racing industry donating $200 on every occasion a reinswoman drives a winner in the Sunshine State
All Queensland reinswomen will also wear teal-coloured pants to highlight the campaign.
In conjunction with WomenCan, Team Teal donations will support the Australian and New Zealand Gynaecological Oncology Group’s Survivors Teaching Students program.
The program educates future medical professionals to improve the diagnosis and care of women with gynaecological cancer.
In 2024, Queensland’s female harness racing drivers raised over $15,000 for Team Teal, with more than $150,000 raised over 420 winners across Australasia.
Butler has been involved with the campaign previously and said she was looking forward to driving as many winners as possible over the next six weeks.
“I love it, it’s my favourite time of the year to get out there and raise as much money as we can with the Team Teal pants on and knowing it’s going to a good cause,” Butler said.
“It’s always good when we raise enough money and it means a lot knowing that whenever you go over the line that you’re raising that bit of money for those that need it.”
The 21-year-old knows all too well the importance of vital cancer research.
Her father and 2022 Queensland Trainer of the Year, Jack Butler was last year diagnosed with Stage 1 pancreatic cancer.
Chloe's grandfather also suffered from prostate cancer.
It will provide extra motivation for the rising star when she takes to the track.
“It does hit a lot harder even though it’s a different cancer, but yeah, seeing what Dad went through, you wouldn’t like to have it at all,” Butler said.
It was fellow ambassador McMullen who took out the Team Teal Female Drivers Invitation race on the Doug Hewitt-trained Infinity Beach last year.
Butler finished fifth in that race with the Shane Graham-trained Diamond Bikini.
She had tasted success previously in the event in 2023 with another Graham horse in Red Trix, and is determined to recapture the winning feeling this year.
“I won one a few years ago for Shane Graham and that was really good to get that but hopefully we can go a couple better this year and win it,” Butler said.
The Team Teal Female Drivers Invitation race will be held on Wednesday, March 12 at Redcliffe.
RQ GM of Racing David Brick said that RQ was delighted to be associated with Team Teal once again in 2025, taking the reins to help important research.
“The 2024 campaign saw $15,200 raised, and I am hoping we can go bigger again in 2025,” Mr Brick said.
“Two out of three women die from ovarian cancer, and only 49% of Australian women diagnosed will survive five years.
“It is fantastic to see the industry’s willingness to fundraise - and support – such an important cause; it is extremely heartening and demonstrates everything that is great about our industry.
“I urge all participants to give what they can – every dollar counts.”
The Team Teal campaign was created by Duncan McPherson OAM, who lost his wife Lyn to ovarian cancer in 2010.
Mr McPherson co-founded the campaign with fellow harness owners and trainers Michael Taranto and Jim Connelly as a way to associate their passion of racing with the cause to fund clinical research nurses.
Click here for more information on the 2025 Team Teal campaign.
