Churchill’s Son determined to post a victory at Callaghan Park.

“You will never reach your destination if you stop and throw stones at every dog that barks,” is one of the great quotes by Sir Winston Churchill.

The United Kingdom’s revered wartime prime Minister’s leadership style stands as a testament to his vision, determination and adaptability during one of history’s most tumultuous periods. We would all like a racehorse with a bit of Churchill in them, and at Callaghan Park on Tuesday punters may be able to find one. Rockhampton is the seventh different track that aptly named four-year-old gelding Determination will traverse in his attempt to win its first race.

Once in the stable of champion trainer Chris Waller, Determination is a son of imported stallion Churchill, a former European 2YO champion by the champion European racehorse and sire Galileo, and he will make his local debut for reigning The Archer-winning trainer Ricky Vale in the Maiden Plate (1100m) at Callaghan Park on Tuesday.

Determination, like his sire’s namesake, has been adaptable if nothing else, and just may be ready to stop making stops now that he has arrived in Rocky. The Beef City Capital looks a great destination for him too, and with a little bit of Vale polish he just might be able to turn around the form that has seen him run out of the top three spots at six attempts. All but one of Determinations races for Waller have been on metropolitan tracks, four in Sydney, one in Brisbane and one at Newcastle, and despite not winning or placing, he has done well enough to suggest that he can measure up in a Rockhampton Maiden. Determination will be ridden by apprentice McKenzie Apel who is riding in top form.

Last week at Callaghan Park, Apel posted a winning double, just her second brace of victories in her career so far. Determination’s only Brisbane start was a fifth in a field of nine in a Maiden Plate (1200m) at Doomben won by Flywheel. He got well back that day and wound up just under six lengths shy of the winner. Last season his best form was on soft, or rain affected tracks in Sydney with his best run last May at Warwick Farm on a Heavy 10. In the midweek Maiden (1300m) he was ridden by James McDonald and went to the lead on straightening before being beaten under two lengths by Star Act. He also displayed a glimpse of form when ridden by Nash Rawiller at Canterbury in an Open Handicap for 3YOs and Maidens (1250m) on a Soft 5 track. He chased hard that day and wound up in fifth place in the race won by Jagjit, less than two lengths from the winner.

A lovely chestnut bred by Coolmore Stud; Determination was originally sold as a yearling for $180,000. Vale picked him up online for $4,500. The Churchill progeny have shown talent and include Group 1 Toorak mile winner Attrition, runner up in last Saturday’s Blamey Stakes at Flemington. Determination is from Churchill second crop of foals.

He is from the two-time winner Forget The Weather a USA-bred granddaughter of Storm Cat and Determination is a half-brother to Group 1 SAJC Robert Sangster Stakes winner Bella Vella. The family tree traces back to USA racing blue bloods with 2008 Champion USA Turf Female, the dual Group 1 winning Forever Together ($2.9M) produced by his third dam, eight-time USA winner, Wedding Picture.

Of the others in this race, Powerchute (Tasha Chambers), trained by Louise Poots, is expected to have supporters after finishing fourth at Thangool at its second race start, last month. The 5YO gelding is a bit of a late bloomer and ran home respectably behind Zara Dansaitin in an 800m Maiden. Three others have been trialling quite well. They are Overimpatient (Ashley Butler), a former Victorian now with Tom Smith, Diligente (Justin Stanley) who is having his first run for Clinton Taylor after showing a smidgen of ability when trained by Annabel Neasham in SEQ and first starter Sheeza Fling narrowly beat Diligente in a recent 1000m Callaghan Park Barrier Trial.

The first of five races, the QTIS Great Northern 2YO Maiden on Tuesday starts at 2.12 pm. The Taylor trained Old Gold who was backed like a certainty on debut will again start favourite. Old Gold, a colt from the former smart galloper Bradbury’s Chocolate put on a rodeo exhibition before chasing the field at Callaghan Park on Valentines Day. The strain of the incident and the chase took its toll, and he subsequently tailed the field home. He has since gone impressively in a barrier trial at Callaghan Park and Justin Stanley is again in the saddle. Taylor also saddles Desarae Doll (Georgina Cartwright) and Power Chic (Raul Silvera Olivera) in this race.

• David Aldred RJC CEO

Pictured: Apprentice McKenzie Apel will ride Determination for trainer Ricky Vale, in the Maiden Plate at Callaghan Park tomorrow.