Callaghan Park Racing Preview: Friday 14th February.

OLD GOLD COULD BE WORTH SAVOURING AT RACE DEBUT

Anyone in racing will tell you that the excitement of presenting an untapped two-year-old to race for the very first time is like opening a box of chocolates. You never know what you’re going to get!

It is now a well-used line that was popularised in the film Forrest Gump. Just like a box of chocolates there are many unknowns in horse racing, we never really know what’s going to come our way.

So, when Rockhampton’s premier trainer Clinton Taylor takes the wrapper off another of his debutantes at Callaghan Park on Valentine’s Day, he will be hoping his cleverly named newcomer, Old Gold, will leave both him and the local punters feeling a sense of indulgence.

He won’t have to wait long, Taylor has Old Gold and two other newbies ready to line up in the first race on Friday, the $23,000 Great Northern QTIS 2YO Maiden Handicap (1050m).

Old Gold has drawn perfectly at gate two, one gate outside of stablemate Power Chic and a lot better than the other stablemate Deserae Doll, who will run from barrier eight.

Premier jockey Justin Stanley had the pick of the trio to ride and Old Gold is the one that’s taken his fancy.

Old Gold has stunning looks, dark chocolate in colour with a silky-smooth stride, and he just might be one right out of the box but to begin to tell his story we need to flip back a chapter, when just over a decade ago, his mother brightened up its connections race days. Her name was Bradbury’s Chocolate.

Bought for almost nothing before racing successfully, initially on country tracks, Bradbury’s Chocolate’s fame grew when she went unbeaten at her first seven starts before challenging Brisbane’s best in Metropolitan races. She won there too – four more times.

Bradbury’s Chocolate was originally purchased in 2011 for $4,000 at a Magic Millions Sale but was put back up for auction because of behavioural problems. Trainer Don Baker impulsively paid just $800 for the naughty filly while searching the internet for a birthday gift for his partner. She turned out to be the gift that kept on giving, sweetly multiplying her purchase price 225 times.

Taylor bought Old Gold, an uncatalogued yearling by top stallion Spirit Of Boom, listed as lot 391, for $50,000 at the Magic Millions March Sale in 2024 and last month the trainer produced him to win a 500m jump out and a 900m official barrier trial at Callaghan Park.

In his trial, with Tasha Chambers in the saddle, he cruised to a 3.75 length victory over three runners from Tom Smith’s stable headed by Luna Ready with Better Storm more than 10 lengths away. Chambers never let the youngster go and he pulled away under his own steam, going to the post with his ears pricked.

Old Gold will carry the same Mark Pascoe racing colours as Taylor’s star mare Chinny Boom, a Spirit Of Boom – Imanoremiss mare who has already won close to $700,000. Taylor’s other two acceptors in this race have also both competed well in barrier trials. On Monday Power Chic, to be ridden by Raul Silvera Olivera, was runner up in a 900m Rockhampton trial won by stablemate, Chinny Boom’s little sister, I’m A Condygirl and Deserae Doll, to be ridden by Georgina Cartwright, looked sharp when a nose second to Milk Maid in its 900m trial. Of the experienced runners in this race Nosey Neo trained in Mackay by Josh Manzelmann has been consistent without winning a race. From its five races, its record three second placings and the last time the gelding was at Callaghan Park it performed okay finishing fourth to the smart Taylor runner Don’tdoubtthelady. Our Eagle Rock, trained by Sileas Green and Babuska Doll, trained by Kevin Hansen, also have a watch on them. Our Eagle Rock (Nikki Olzard) placed third at its only race start at Callaghan Park on 30 January and Babuska Doll (Tahlia Fenlon), yet to race, finished second in a Sunshine Coast 850m barrier trial about a week ago. 

OLIVIA KENDAL RETAINS THE JEWEL RIDE ON SPEEDY BETTER THAN WORDS

Apprentice jockey Olivia Kendal has been riding very successfully for a few of years now and if all goes to plan she could pick up a prized victory at Callaghan Park on Friday in the feature Capricornia Yearling Sale QTIS Jewel Qualifier 3YO Plate (1100m) at Callaghan Park.

The young talent will again partner the Callaghan Park 1100 metre record holder Better Than Words for trainer John Wigginton in the feature race.

She picked up the mount after the previously booked Melbourne Cup winning jockey Robbie Dolan copped a riding suspension at the Sunshine Coast.

Kendal has a perfect winning strike on Better Than Words, riding the Better Than Ready filly when it posted its track record at Callaghan Park on 30 January. Better Than Words runs for $43,000 in the Jewel Qualifier, but more than that, a shot at winning her place in the $500,000 QTIS Jewel at the Gold Coast next month. She is one of two Wigginton trained runners in the Qualifier.

The successful Callaghan Park trainer also has the talented Power of Katie, to be ridden by Warwick Satherley in the race.

Power Of Katie was impressive when runner up to Better Than Words last start.

Brisbane-based Kendal, qualifies as a northerner as she lived in Townsville for several of her schooling years. She isn’t from a racing background but she did have a couple of horses as pets growing up at Bohle and then became interested in barrel racing when the family moved to the outskirts of Ipswich 10 years ago. Although being a jockey wasn’t on the cards then, she is every bit a race rider now. She liked horses but hadn’t really planned on a career as a jockey. Her career got going when she became apprenticed to Beau Gorman at Bundamba. Kicking off with her first winner about three and a half years ago, she has now had around 650 rides and is fast approaching 100 wins. Her overall winning strike is around 14% and her placing strike is a healthy 40%. Last month she rode five winners including Better Than Words and has got on the board already a few times this month, including a recent win at the Gold Coast, riding anywhere that racing takes her.

TOM SMITH’S WINNING SCRUBBER IS OUT TO SPOIL WIGGINTON’S PARTY

The unusually named but very talented Scrub Chain could be the fly in the ointment in the rich QTIS Jewl Qualifier (1100m). Trained by Tom Smith Scrub Chain, already the winner of $92,000 and four races from nine starts will be in high demand on race day. Smith has booked successful apprentice Tahlia Fenlon for the ride. Named after a heavy linked chain used for slashing grass, shrubs and small trees in bushland, Scrub Chain is a son of Jungle Cat raced by mates Stuey Nobbs and John Howard , two men who certainly know their way around land clearing. During December and January, the gelding looked impressive, posting three consecutive wins at Callaghan Park (Rockhampton) and Oroalea (Mackay). His most recent was in a Class 3 Open (1300m) at Callaghan Park when ridden by Olivia Kendal, the galloper dashed hard to the line to beat Woodstock Rock and Acedrod.

MAGIC MILLIONS IN TOWN TO PROMOTE MARCH SALE

Magic Millions’ James Dawson will be at Callaghan Park for the eight-race card to promote the Gold Coast March Yearling Sale. Dawson will speak with current trainers and owners as well as potential new clients interested in getting involved in the Yearling Sale which is held at The Gold Coast Sale Complex 10-11 March. With plenty of top local horses graduating from this sale, interest is certain to be high in the 380 lots to be auctioned. The Gold Coast Magic Millions March Sale BM75 Handicap (1500m) will be raced at Callaghan Park on Friday. The race could be an interesting tussle between two top candidates, the Jamie McConachy trained topweight Acrophobic (Nikki Olzard) and the promising Sir Grace (Warwick Satherley). Olzard will provide a 3kg relief off Acrophobic’s big steadier of 64kg. Sir Grace has only 54kg. Nick Walsh’s Fine Shot ridden by Ryan Wiggins is also certain to have supporters. Callaghan Park races commence at 12.56pm with the last race set to run at 5.19pm.

• David Aldred (RJC CEO)