Racing AROUND Rocky with Tony McMahon.

Highlights abounded at Callaghan Park racecourse last Friday and Saturday for the Rockhampton Newmarket and Cup race meetings.

It’s just a matter of taking your pick to choose from but here are a few of mine. 

Fabulous to see the long running trainers bonus incentive over the two major days of the Rockhampton Jockey Club’s Winter Racing Carnival go the way of a local trainer. The RJC offered two separate prizes, sponsored by TAB. The first was a $20K cash prize for the leading trainer on a points-based table over the racing last Friday and Saturday. The second was a $5000 prize for the leading local trainer. An attractive prize (such as a car) for the leading trainer over the two days had been in operation for many years until a cash change. This for memory came about in more recent years when also a cash prize was offered for the leading local trainer. It came into vogue as the big southern stables, through sheer weight of horse numbers always won the leading trainer award. For that reason, an attractive prize was offered to the leading local. It was never seriously envisaged that a local could win both awards but that’s exactly what happened last Friday and Saturday. Callaghan Park trainer Clinton Taylor scooped the pool through four winners (three on Friday) as well as four second placings and one third. Thereby, Clinton claimed the $25,000 prize and he was a popular and worthy recipient. It is to the credit of the Rockhampton Jockey Club that such a trainers’ incentive scheme exists and as I say fantastic that the money stayed locally.

Courtesy of a superbly timed and executed ride by Justin Stanley, the Taylor trained Honkytonk Diva won the $100K One Syndications Rockhampton Newmarket (1300m) in a bottler of an exciting finish. Less than a length separated the first four placegetters, Sir Warwick, Bonaparte and Ef Troop. “This is the race I have always wanted to win. I considered it unlucky not to have trained the winner last year. I know there will be a lady (owner Kaylene Gibson) back home in her lounge room very happy after having just watched this win,” Taylor proclaimed after the realisation of Honkytonk’s success had sunken in. The win made it seven for the trainer with the Under The Louvre mare since he took her over from Brisbane’s Kelly Schweida in June last year. Friday’s Newmarket win lifted the Gibson family-owned mare’s prize money haul to $375,625. Clinton and close mate the jockey Justin Stanley also shared a win on Saturday with Barry’s Lane. Of the 244 winners that Clinton Taylor has trained since he took out his brief in 2018, some 111 have been ridden by Justin Stanley. That makes it 31.8% (Racing and Sports) of the horses they have combined with in races to have been winners. Their winning strike rate in the space of a relatively short period of time is astounding.

No wonder Clinton Taylor 39 was so chuffed at winning the Newmarket for Honkytonk Diva’s owners, Brian and Kaylene Gibson from Dulacca on the Darling Downs. “Ï actually broke in and educated Honkytonk’s mother Dulacca Diva (by Lion Hunter) well before I got into training later around Dulacca. The Gibsons virtually got me started off (2018),’’ Clinton said fondly. It won’t surprise one iota if Honkytonk Diva heads north for either the $75K Mackay Newmarket (1300m) on July 26 or the $100K Townsville Cleveland Bay Handicap (1300m) on August 3. No guessing who would be the jockey – Justin Stanley. On Saturday, Clinton and Justin will combine with top youngster Astapor in the $137,500 QTIS 2YO Handicap (1200m) at Eagle Farm. However, their confidence was shattered when Astapor with 60kg drew barrier 16. “He has been working really well but it would be quite a feat to win from out there at 16 barrier under 60kg. I don’t know yet if he will start but the trouble is there isn’t much else on for him,” Taylor procrastinated. Astapor, a Doomben winner has remained in Brisbane since his close fourth behind Megastar Heart in LR race company over 1300 metres at Eagle Farm on June 15. He finished second in a Deagon trial over 1050 metres last Tuesday week. As Clinton Taylor surmised, it would be quite a feat if Astapor could win under Saturday’s circumstances. Luck in running will play a vital part.

There were cheers aplenty in The Members at Callaghan Park last Saturday just after 1.20pm when Greg and Elaine Sturgiss’ Dragon’s Snip (Cody Collis, $18.00) won in a tight finish from heavily backed Hell (Alisha Donald, $2.90). At Friday’s races and again on Saturday before the race, the couple tipped Dragon’s Snip to their many friends and even strangers close to their table. The tip was so good that the upstairs tote was unable to pay out at the time in cash to all the joyous winning punters and new friends of Greg and Elaine. They were all still toasting the win hours later. Greg and Elaine Sturgiss are loyal supporters of Rockhampton racing. Trainer Mully Green has Dragon’s Snip really firing having won his last two races.  

Former Rocky apprentice Alisha Donald, now Toowoomba based had a whirlwind day on Saturday causing quite a commotion arriving in the Callaghan Park infield by helicopter. Her only ride was Hell which as stated above was narrowly beaten (0.21 length). Some 20 minutes later Alisha rushed out with her riding gear and flew out by helicopter bound for Clifford Park, Toowoomba for four race rides there later that day.

Certain I saw a very smart racehorse win on Friday in Graeme Green’s Top Spy. I am not suggesting for one moment it will be a replacement for retired stable champ Master Jamie. I am definitely saying the Green stable has an extra talented horse in Top Spy so look for him on the northern tracks in the weeks ahead. Colin Bell has invested heavily in yearlings over the years with not a great deal of luck. That has now changed as his $62K Better Than Ready juvenile gelding with Kevin Hansen named Ask Me Mate (Tash Chambers) is well above average. He made his rivals look second rate, winning the $42K QTIS 2YO Handicap (1200m) on Cup Day.  I am predicting many more wins will come the way of Ask Me Mate but don’t ask me when as I am not sure if he is headed north or south. Although finishing second, Michael (John) Stephens trained General Wolffe produced a mind-boggling run from last to be runner-up in last Friday’s 1600 metres Class 1. Follow General Wolffe but it will almost give you heart failure as the gelding has to ridden “cold” from way back. Incidentally, there was no more dapper trainer at Callaghan Park than John Stephens. Donned in a “pork pie” hat, a racecourse rarity these days, he looked like a trainer from the good old days. Remember them?

Good luck to Rockhampton lass, apprentice Tahlia Fenlon riding Brookvale for her master Chris Munce in Thursday’s $200K Grafton Cup (2350m). She is the only apprentice jockey in the prestigious race and her booking is a magnificent compliment from her master the Melbourne Cup winning jockey Chris Munce. Tahlia has come a long way from the Twin Hill picnics to Grafton in July. Melbourne Cup winning jockeys Blake Shinn and Michael Rodd will also line-up in the Cup. Both Rodd, the son in law of Rocky’s Vince and Judy Aspinall have already won the historic Grafton Cup (first run 1910) which falls within the qualifying conditions parameter of the Melbourne Cup. Fenlon’s boss Chris Munce won the Grafton Cup twice on Stormhill in 1999 and Count Scenario in 2005. Chris trained the 2018 winner First Crush. I imagine it would be historic if Munce, a three times Grafton Cup winner’s apprentice could win the race for him on Brookvale. I can’t find a claiming apprentice jockey ever riding a Grafton Cup winner, but I stand to be corrected.  Many a Rockhampton dollar will be riding with Tahlia on Thursday who has really come of age as a jockey from her Brisbane headquarters.

Happy Horses everyone and hope to see you at Callaghan Park races next Tuesday – Tony McMahon.