Rockhampton Racing Preview: Friday 24th April, 2026

Two trainers and a jockey get winning doubles at Callaghan Park

Sunshine Coast trainer Garnett Taylor and jockey Georgina Cartwright, along with Rockhampton trainer Ricky Vale scored winning doubles at Callaghan Park today.

The Barber gives his rivals a haircut

A large group of One Syndications syndicate owners lined up for the winners’ photo when new galloper The Barber made a successful debut in the TAB QTIS 2YO Maiden Handicap (1200m) at Callaghan Park today.

Ridden by Tahlia Fenlon, The Barber came with a late rush to get up on the line and win by a long neck.

Trained by Alisha Taylor, The Barber, a $90,000 graduate of the Gold Coast Magic Millions 2025 Yearling Sale, had trialed twice for Taylor and shown promise before its first race start.

“He is still very green,” Fenlon told Taylor. “But he wants to do it and learn, so there’s lots of improvement in him yet.”

The Barber ($6) defeated Stylish Diamond (Chris McIver – $4.40) with Sport (Raul Silvera Olivera – $3.10) two lengths back in third place. Natalie McCall’s Formal Affair led the field but raced greenly over the concluding stages to finish fourth just behind the third placegetter.

Victorian bargain wins first up

When Tom Steindl paid $5,500 for three-year-old Triple Spirit he knew he had got himself a bargain.

The owner missed out on two others up for sale before securing Triple Spirit.

“You know both the other two won first up too,” he said. Trained by Lyn Petersen in Bundaberg, Triple Spirit had raced twice for the Freedman stables, finishing third at Wangaratta in February before he went up for sale online at an Inglis sale last month.

The Yes Yes Yes gelding arrived at Petersen’s stable race ready and with a little bit of Bundy polish, was able to lead and score a gritty win in the Great Northern Maiden Handicap (1050m).

Triple Spirit ($6), ridden by Georgina Cartwright, was joined and possibly headed by two-year-old Bowdene in the home straight but fought back strongly to win going away from the field. Cash Pit (Tahlia Fenlon – $13) finished second three lengths from the winner with Bonie Bouquet ($3.20 – Step Tierney) a further three lengths away in third place.

Cartwright told Petersen that Triple Spirit is still learning.

“He’s very green and doesn’t really know what he is doing at the moment,” she said. “When he was out the front on his own, he was having a good look around, and when they came at him he got going again, there’s a lot of improvement in him.”

Vale’s Wayno comes with a late rush

Jockey Raul Silvera Olivera kept his powder dry early on three-year-old Wayno, before letting the gelding explode over the concluding stages of the race.

Wayno ($6) came with a big late rush to win the QTIS 3YO Handicap (1400m).

The galloper finished so fast he overhauled the front runners to score by ¾ length from the short-price favourite Scialla (Georgina Cartwright) with another fancied runner Betterlucknexttime (Aiden Holt) in third place. It was Wayno’s second win from just six race starts.

Raced by Pav Cheimardinov, Wayno was a $5,000 buy at the 2024 Capricornia Yearling Sale.

Vale stable doubles up

Ricky Vale saddled his second winner on the seven-race program in the final race of the day, the Korte Group BM 60 Handicap (1300m).

In a hotly contested finish, Vale’s determination, ridden by Aiden Holt, was the strongest

over Warna (Steph Tierney) who didn’t have a lot of luck with Sujeed (Adam Sewell) hitting the line hard for third place.

It was the third career win for the 5YO Determination, and the galloper’s second at Callaghan Park.

The Taylors go head-to-head in another photo finish

Father and son Garnett and Clint Taylor saddled up the runners that fought out a tight finish to the Ashton Engineering BM60 Handicap (1600m).

Garnett Taylor got the result by a nose in a photo finish with tough galloper Bold Blaze (Ron Stewart – $2), defeating the up and comer Smart Mission (Sean Cormack – $2.45). Replace The Ace (Adam Sewell – $17) was only a neck away in third place.

Garnie Taylor believes 4YO Bold Blaze, a winner of four of his 16 race starts, could make a nice Cups horse this year.

“He will get in with a nice light weight, he runs a strong 1600 – 2000m and you never know,” the trainer said. Bold Blaze has won twice this year at Callaghan Park also winning over 1817m in February. Race by the Clearys who bred the galloper, Bold Blaze is by Under The Louvre from the Zariz mare Bold Chloe.

Clint Taylor may be thinking the same thing for Smart Mission, who has now won four of 15 starts.

Taylor has the former Townsville galloper back to top form and he looks set to win more races. The 1600m Cup distances in June and July will be to his liking.

Doubles to Garnie Taylor and Georgie Cartwright

Garnett Taylor got a race to race double when Neverenoughlego scored its second win at Callaghan Park in as many races on the Rockhampton track.

The heavily backed Ole Kirk 3YO, ridden by Georgina Cartwright was impressive drawing clear at the finish to beat the Clinton Taylor trained  Ten Carat Lucy (Nikki Olzard – $2.20). Blitzwater (Cody Collis) finished third. The winner came around 35 mins after Taylor’s previous success with Bold Blaze.

The victory was also Cartwright’s second winner.

She rode Triple Spirit to win earlier on the program.

Neverenoughlego, who is from the good broodmare  Excessabeel was a $130,000 yearling who graduated from the Inglis Classic Sale in 2024. He was lightly raced without success in Victoria before joining Taylor’s Sunshine Coast stable. Taylor has only started him twice, winning both times.

Ï think he might be alright, this horse, I backed him up quickly to test him and he went better today than the first time he won,” he said.

Sunshine Coast trainers have a good day out

Following on from Garnett Taylor’s success, another Sunshine Coast trainer Stuart Kendrick saddled the smart King Spirit for an easy front running win in the CJB Constructions BM 72 (1050m).

Step Tierney controlled the race on the $2.30 favourite and the four-year-old gelding was far too strong for his rivals at the finish.

The son of Spirit of Boom has an impressive Rocky record, with three wins and a second place from four starts at Callaghan Park. Electric Brae (Amy Graham – $4.60) ran on gamely to take second place in advance of the fast-finishing longshot Bungarribee Lad (Aiden Holt-  $31), who nosed Universal Harmony (Chris McIver) out of third place.

An $80,000 yearling, King Spirit has now won close to $180,000 prizemoney.

• David Aldred (CEO)