Callaghan Park Racing Preview: Friday 4 July – One Syndications Newmarket Day.

Hansen zeros in on sixth Newmarket victory

Sunshine Coast-based trainer Darryl Hansen will chase a record sixth Newmarket Handicap win at Callaghan Park on Friday with his brilliant sprinter Demon Award.

Hansen made a hit and run raid on Callaghan Park two weeks ago to claim a winning double including the Tattersall’s Sprint with his $100,000 One Syndications Newmarket candidate.

The trainer who first got his license to train at age 21 at Callaghan Park, has an impressive big race record in Rockhampton, where he trained for about 13 years.

Hansen has won the prestigious Newmarket Handicap five times. He won his first in 2008 with Onalar, then Perugin Thought (2011), Le Cap (2015) and twice with Doctor Zous in 2021 and 2022.

On 20 June, his 2025 candidate Demon Award looked every inch, Hansen’s next Newmarket winner. He ran a super time of a fraction over 1m.08s. for 1200 metres and from all reports has done magnificently since returning to Callaghan Park. “Really I could not be happier with his progress,” Hansen said. “I love going to Rocky and the way he raced last time, I think he could be Newmarket number six.”

Hansen took a deep breath when Demon Award drew barrier 12 of 14 runners.

But the gate should not determine the result according to Hansen, although the trainer admitted his horse generally likes to go forward. “I can’t change the barrier,” he said. “He is a horse that normally races on the speed, and they always go quick in this race, but if he gets back, he has done that and won before too. “We will play it by ear, and Jai knows the horse well.” In the Tatts Sprint, Jai Williams had Demon Award one horse off the fence and running in second place to the turn before pushing the go button the 400m.

Plenty chasing the $20,000 Trainers Bonus

Demon Award is one of eight horses Hansen will be racing at Callaghan Park over the two-day Carnival, and like quite a few trainers bringing horses from the south in numbers he will be chasing the $20,000 TAB Trainer’s Bonus, awarded to the most successful trainer with runners on Newmarket and Cup Day.

Last year the Bonus was won by leading local trainer Clinton Taylor who collected $25,000 with a $5,000 top up for being Rockhampton based.

Local trainer Ricky Vale said earlier this week that he was banking on a good barrier draw before deciding whether Track Tale would take his place in the Newmarket.

Well, he got it!

Track Tale will run from barrier 2, with only Eyeliner Stakes runner up Jeff Dunn’s Sha of Gomer drawing closer to the rail. With 52kgs and Georgina Cartwright in the saddle, 4YO mare Track Tale will give a ton of cheek. Vale also has last year’s Guineas winner Parade Ground (10) and Master Montero (13) in the race.

Track Tale was very competitive in the Tatts Sprint, finishing three-and-a-half lengths astern of Demon Award. Before that she carried 60kg, 6kgs more than her Newmarket weight, to win Mackay’s Mick Bannon Memorial (1300m) in May.

Nash Rawiller rides the race top weight, Bank Maur (60kg) for Richard Laming. Bank Maur has drawn nicely at the middle barrier. Given that he has won at Group 2 level and has amassed $888,775 in career earnings, Bank Maur is regarded as a very talented racehorse.

But you must search back to March 2023 at Moonee Valley for Bank Maur’s last really big win. He was ridden by Craig Newitt and got the money in the $750,000 Alister Clark Stakes, defeating Suizuro. But Laming’s hopes of the galloper winning another feature were heightened when Bank Maur won the Apache Cat Classic (1400m) at Cranbourne in April this year and he wasn’t disgraced when beaten just over three lengths by Oughton in the Listed Eye Liner Stakes (1350m) at Ipswich last month.

First raced in 1918 over six furlongs (1200m) the race distance increased to six-and-a-half furlongs (1300m) in 1948 when it was won by the Roy Holt-trained Barfield, and it’s been at that distance ever since.  During this century Our Boy Malachi, trained at Callaghan Park by John O’Sing and ridden by Adrian Coome has been one of the feature’s best winners. The Rocky horse-trainer and jockey combination won the Newmarket twice in 2013 and 2014.

Memorial races on Newmarket Day

Two memorial races will be held on Newmarket Day.

The Chas Jones Memorial is race three, a QTIS 2YO Maiden Handicap (1200m) and the Ken Russell Memorial is race four, a 0-58 Handicap (1300m).

Chas Jones passed away in July 2023 at the age of 96 years. He had a wealth of knowledge and experience in all facets of racing including administration on committees and as a bookmaker. Chas’ daughter Wendy Mulry followed in her father’s footsteps and is a committee member of the Rockhampton Jockey Club. Husband, Bob Mulry is a keen racing man, with a lot of racing administration history and their son Liam is a very talented race caller.

Ken Russell’s Memorial race is sponsored annually by Rocky Mini Loads and the Goody family, relatives of Kenny, are always on track to present the trophies. Russell lost his life in a freakish race fall at Rosehill on 9 October 1993, aged 42. Nicknamed “the farmer” by fellow jockey Malcolm Johnston, Ken was a humble, straight forward bloke from Monto who liked nothing more than a cold beer and a singsong around the piano.

He was also one of the most celebrated jockeys of his era. He rode 1804 winners including seven at Group 1 level, including 1992 Goodwood Handicap, riding Euclase for Sydney trainer Jack Denham and horse owner/breeders, Geoff and Beryl White. Liam Goody who runs Rocky Mini Loads hopes to have an extra special Friday at Callaghan Park as the owner of Newmarket prospect Track Tale.

• David Aldred RJC CEO.