Nash locks in his Rocky Cup Carnival rides

Champion jockey Nash Rawiller, the ambassador for the 2025 TAB Rockhampton Carnival, has locked in his rides for this week’s feature races at Callaghan Park.

Rawiller will partner:

• Caboche for Chris Waller in the $150,000 TAB Rockhampton Cup (1600m)
• Bank Maur (Richard Laming) in the $100,000 One Syndications Rockhampton Newmarket (1300m)
• Dream Smart (Liam Birchley) $50,000 TAB Belle Of Capricornia (1400m) and,
• Mr O’reilly (Bevan Laming) $75,000 Magic Millions Capricorn Guineas (1500m).

The Callaghan Park track should suit 6Yo Vadamos gelding Caboche whose latest victory was in The Gibson Handicap (1805m) at Eagle Farm in April. Rawiller has ridden him before. A couple of years ago he rode Caboche to finish third behind Speycaster and Father’s Day in a 2400m Handicap at Rosehill. A versatile galloper, Caboche is proven over medium to a long distance in all types of going and on both clockwise and anticlockwise tracks. His best distance has been 2000 – 2400m and he has posted six wins from 1500m upwards.

Rawiller’s Newmarket ride Group 2 winner Bank Maur, is also very versatile.

He doesn’t win often these days but he has been keeping himself in pretty good company contesting top races including Group 1s.

Trainer Richard Laming saddled Bank Maur to win the Apache Cat Classic (1400m) at Cranbourne in April and he only needs to bring his “A” Game to Callaghan Park to be a serious contender in the time-honoured Sprint. One thing is for certain; he won’t find a Red Phantom or Makram in this field. They were the duo he defeated at his last win. Bank Maur post his Alister Clarke Stakes, Group race win at Moonee Valley in March 2023.

He was only beaten by about three lengths in the Listed Eye Liner Stakes (1200m) at Ipswich a couple of weeks ago and before that finished on the placed horses’ heels in the Listed Spear Chief (1500m) at Eagle Farm.

Richard’s father Bevan trains Mr O’reilly, a promising 3YO that has won two of seven race starts. He won his first two races at the Gold and Sunshine Coast’s during the summer, but this time it has just taken a little longer to come to hand. Mr O’reilly should find the 1500m Capricorn Guineas right up his alley. At his most recent start he placed fourth over 1600m at the Sunshine Coast.

Dream Smart, a $60,000 Inglis Classic Yearling Sale 2023 graduate, prepared by Liam Birchley, defeated locally trained Astapor and Hearts Are Better in the QTIS Jewel Prelude (1110m) at Doomben in February and the filly’s recent form suggests that the 1400m distance of the Belle of Capricornia may be just what the doctor ordered. On 21 June, the winner of the big Scone Inglis Maiden, Dream Smart worked home well when beaten four lengths in a 3YO Handicap (1350m) at Ipswich.

David Aldred CEO