The backbone of the racing industry throughout Australia since its crude formation in the 1790’s has been the little player. It has been no different in Rockhampton since the formation of the Rockhampton Jockey Club in 1868. In this era of Australian racing where the big stables proliferate and dominate, nothing gives me more pleasure in this game than to record the wins of the “little players.” Rockhampton’s Bill Weeks is one of that dwindling brigade and at Mackay races last Thursday he scored what I believed to be his fourth career win as a “one horse” trainer with Mr Grey.
As a sprightly 76YO youngster, Bill and his mate the 5YO Mr Grey rock up before daylight each morning to Callaghan Park with the trainer-owner towing his mate in the float. They first hooked up last September and the Mackay Maiden came about at their 10th start racing together. Prior to them bonding, Mr Grey had two previous trainers and owners in NSW. “The first preparation I gave him he just wasn’t right and really he didn’t look it either. I got his blood done and it came back indicating he was stressed. I turned him out for six weeks at Lyn Sullivan’s property (Gracemere) and he came back a different horse. He was placed at Rocky at his two previous starts before the win at Mackay. It was a good day that’s for sure,” Bill said. Mr Grey is raced by Bill and his wife Margaret which made the win under Warwick Satherley an added bonus. Weeks has been part of the local racing scene since around 1958 when he mucked out boxes for local trainer Bill Hickson. After a two years apprenticeship doing boxes, young Bill (about 12) became a strapper. “He (Hickson) had his stables in Card Steet, North Rockhampton up near where the Ascot Hotel is. We would walk the horses over to Callaghan Park each morning and it took about 30 minutes,” Bill related. In those days and well into the the eighties, there were processions of horses being walked from all directions to Callaghan Park early each morning for trackwork. Some inventive trainers like the late Graham Bauer led the odd horse off their push bikes. The subsequent advent and popularity and affordability of modern horse floats and new on-course stabling at Callaghan Park gradually brough about the demise of walking racehorses to the track. It would be untenable today along the busy roadways but such was life less than 50 years ago in the Rockhampton racing scene. A lifetime involvement in racing brought about Bill taking out a trainers licence when he semi-retired in 2016. Apart from a two years hiatus from 2017-2019 through health issues, Bill has been part of the “early hours world” at Callaghan Park racecourse six days a week. Before Mr Grey came along, Bill and wife Margaret enjoyed success with both Lingjun Topgun and Hinvictus. While the horse racing scene in Rockhampton has evolved since young Billy Weeks mucked out stable boxes in 1958, one quality has not. That is Bill Weeks undying passion for Rockhampton racing and the racehorse itself. Go Mr Weeks and Mr Grey.
Keeping to that theme, congratulations to jovial Callaghan Park trainer Allan Clark for his win with Coco Royale at the massive country racing turnout at the annual Dingo races last Saturday. Allan is always great company and full of laughs. These days he is in “the pink of health.” Good on you Clarkie. Good day out at Dingo for Rocky trainers as Alan Jones won with Cinderella Man (Paul Hamblin); Fredrick Smith with aptly named King Ale (Savannah McCann) and Mully Green with Dragon’s Snip (Tom Orr) who was riding for the first time back from a Yeppoon fall on August 3 and subsequent concussion enforced layoff.
Elated to see Neil Vagg win the Dingo Maiden with Gotta Hero (Adam Spinks) who he and wife Elspeth train, race and bred. Gotta Hero is the fourth winner the couple have raced being bred from their outstanding multiple city race winning mare Aspiran. Trained by Vic Vagg at Callaghan Park, the magnificent Bagger Vance filly Apiran took Rockhampton racing by storm in the 2007/08 season when champion juvenile. Aspiran progressed to win 14 races with numerous placings from 36 starts. She was the darling and starlet of CQ racing for many seasons. At stud she had produced four winners for the Vagg’s who didn’t breed from her every season. “Saturday’s win by Gotta Hero thrilled us,” Elspeth Vagg told me on Sunday. The couple received a pleasant surprise just two nights earlier. “We have Aspiran home on our property at Nankin. On Thursday night she gave birth to a foal by Top Ranked (IRE). She was two weeks early but we are elated with the filly foal. Aspiran is 19 now and we were retiring her last year but Basil Nolan rang us from Raheen Stud and recommended Top Ranked (IRE) highly. Now we are pleased we sent Aspiran down for the mating. That is her last foal,” Elspeth said. The filly was born a chestnut but as both her parents are greys, it’s odds on the foal will turn that colour. Researching I came up with what could be a good “August omen” for the youngster. Mum, Aspiran was born on August 23, 2005. Her winning son Gotta Hero (x Heroic Valour) won on August 24 (last Saturday) and the filly foal was born on August 22. The Top Ranked (IRE) foal is the only one of the trio that falls under the Star sign of Leo (July 23-August 22). The strong qualities of Leo’s are “ positivity, bravery and reliability.” Who believes in the Stars? Welk, as racing people we all have to be dreamers don’t we?
Greg and Elaine Sturgiss are having a dream ride with homebred Dragon’s Snip (b g 4 Hidden Dragon-Rainbow Snip x Hemisphere) which won its fourth successive race at Dingo. All previous recent three wins at Callaghan Park and Keppel Park came under apprentices Tahlia Fenlon, Cody Collis and Jaime – Lee Devine and then on Saturday with Tom Orr. Dragon’s Snip has now won eight races and recorded another eight placings for $161,800. His mother Rainbow Snip bred by Greg and Elaine (a son of their own stallion Hemisphere) only won one race when trained by Adrian Coome at Callaghan Park, that being a Mackay Maiden (1050M)on December 12, 2018. Adrian is the partner of Dragon Snip’s trainer Sileas (Mully) Green. It’s a classic case Greg and Elaine which ever way you look at it “of keeping it all in the family”- meaning loyalty.
Brilliant win on Saturday at Doomben for the Rockhampton owned Hell. Raced by the relatively newly formed One Syndications and trained at Callaghan Park by Nick Walsh, you would have to agree Hell has been an exceptional promoter for the group. Formerly trained way down south by Tony and Calvin McEvoy, Hell (b g 4 Hellbent (x I Am Invincible) from Miss Wonderland (by Snitzel) cost One Syndications $35K at an Inglis Online sale in January this year. In six starts under Walsh it has won four times and run two placings earning $97,350. That represents a 177 percent return on the sale price. One Syndications has also enjoyed success with Shadowen, Awol and Sailor’s Rum. Hell (excuse the pun) it has had a dream start with their four to race all being highly promising winners. As Richie Callander would say “well done”.
Much more to come later in the week readers but don’t forget back to Callaghan Park TAB races on Thursday.
Happy Horses Tony McMahon.
