A Round-up of a terrific day of Callaghan Park racing.

STANLEY RIDES A ROCKY QUARTET

Justin Stanley started the Tony McMahon Recognition Race Day where he left off on Caulfield Cup Day at Callaghan Park, opening the program with the first two winners.

The premier jockey didn’t need to wait long to get his third and fourth, taking out the fifth and sixth races on the program.

Jared Wehlow saddled up the first winner, Blue Ray in the TAB BM66 Handicap (1500m), the 6YO returning to the winner’s list for the first time in nearly two months. Stanley jumped Blue Ray to the front in the small field and dictated the speed to hold off the chasers at the finish. Starting at $7.00 in the four-horse field, Blue Ray defeated the two favourites Our Turn Now and Bold Smuggler, holding a length margin at the finish. Stanley’s second victory was a replica of the first. Riding the Clinton Taylor-trained Janean, the jockey went straight to the front and led comfortably. The win was Janean’s seventh from 14 starts. She defeated the Jason Morgan-trained Doubting Eye by almost a length with the other Morgan runner Media Empire in third place. Stanley’s treble came up in the Paradis Imperial Maiden Handicap (1100m). He steered the Nick Walsh-trained Bigcat to a gutsy win. Bigcat, a 4YO by Brazen Beau from a Fastnet Rock mare defeated Wehlow’s Shekinah and the Kris Hansen-trained Run Freda Run. “I reckon he wants further,” Stanley told Walsh. “He was strong and he was never going to lose from the 300m mark.” Bigcat has raced 11 times and had five placing’s before its first win. The quartet clicked over for Stanley in the day’s feature the Tony Mc Mahon Recognition Stakes (1100m). Stanley rode the Taylor trained Devil Devil to defeat Bold And Smooth and Craiglea Etna. The nicely bred big son of Spirit Of Boom and four-time winner Annamarie who stems from a great family of European Group race winning stayers, powered away from its opposition to win handsomely. Taylor said Devil Devil is still learning and could be a future metro winner. The 4YO has been given plenty of time to mature and has won twice and finished a second from four race starts.

SOUTHERN VISITORS OUTGUN LOCALS THREE TIMES

Sunshine Coast trainer Garnett Taylor made a long trek to Rockhampton with the lightly raced 3YO Bold Blaze to win the QRIS Three-Year-Old Handicap (1300m). Bred by the owners, the Cleary Family the Under The Louvre gelding from the Cleary’s winning mare Bold Chloe (Zariz), came with a strong finish to score its first win at its third race start. Bold Blaze, ridden by Georgina Cartwrioght defeated race debutante Southaven, trained by John Wigginton with Woodstock Rock trained by Clinton Taylor running third after setting the pace in the race.

Toowoomba’s Matt Kropp saddled 7YO mare I Promise You, trained and owned by his son William, to win the Mamselle Corday BM65 Handicap (1300m). Apprentice jockey Olivia Kendall produced a peach of a ride leading all the way on the Panzer Division mare. I Promise You was challenged from all directions as it travelled down the long Callaghan Park straight and defied all comers to defeat the Bundaberg trained Spirit of Giving and local All The Shops.

Madame Lexis packed too much punch for its opposition in the delayed last race, the 0-55 Handicap (1600m). Coming out of the barriers last the Sunshine Coast filly powered home in the straight for jockey Sean Cormack to defeat locals Young Henry and Aleaco. Having its first Callaghan Park start for Ashley and Calvin Perks, Madame Lexis had one previous victory at Ballina on the New South Wales north coast.

By David Aldred – RJC CEO