Rockhampton Cup Carnival hot form continues as Vale lands Doomben winner.

For 35 minutes on Saturday, Rockhampton-based trainer Ricky Vale led the Queensland Metropolitan Premiership.

Vale sent last month’s TAB Rockhampton Cup fifth-placed mare Pipistrelle south to the state’s capital for a Benchmark 70 Handicap over 1630m at Doomben on Saturday, which happened to be Race 1 – the opening race of the 2026/27 season.

The 6YO mare has been one of Vale’s best horses in recent years since joining his operation two years ago as a maiden winner at Newcastle when under the care of James Cummings in New South Wales.

In her first campaign in Central Queensland, Pipistrelle won four of six between Mackay, Cairns and Rockhampton, while she also ran second at Eagle Farm and fourth at Doomben during that preparation.

The mare by Ribchester only had a light summer, racing once between September 2025 and April 2026, but she made the most of her day at the races, winning at Mackay in February.

This preparation, she’s now been to the races six times, placing at Doomben in late May, before running back-to-back fifths at Callaghan Park, including in our feature race.

Vale’s mare broke through for another deserving victory on Saturday, this time at metropolitan level. Apprentice rider Jai Williams went straight to the front on Pipistrelle, and she never looked in doubt, cruising in to score by 0.43L in a time of 1:37.80.

The victory saw Vale lead the Brisbane Metro Premiership for a fleeting second, before the remaining eight races were split between the likes of Tony Gollan, Chris Waller, Rob Heathcote and Annabel & Rob Archibald.

Pipistrelle’s Brisbane win continued a hot run of form out of the Rockhampton Cup Carnival. Cup fourth-placed gelding Journalism took out both the H.L. Black Memorial and Mackay Cup in his two subsequent starts following his Rockhampton run, while his stablemate Red Hot Lizzie (2nd in the Rockhampton Newmarket) backed up a week later to win the Mackay Newmarket.

Jeff Dunn’s mare Matawai ran a game second at the Gold Coast on Saturday in her first start since failing to beat a runner home in the Rockhampton Cup.

Illegal Justice bounced out of his dominant Capricornia Guineas win at Callaghan Park to race away with the Whitsunday Guineas at Mackay, while Black Eyed Blonde also took her Rockhampton-winning form to the Sugar City, bolting in to claim the Belle Of Whitsunday.

RJC Racing Liaison Officer, Nick Lloyd.