Rockhampton Racing Preview: Friday 31st July, 2026.

The curtain will close on the 2025/26 racing season on Friday at Callaghan Park, when eight races are run and won.

The afternoon shapes as a thrilling showdown in the premiership race, with senior rider Warwick Satherley (21 wins) leading the charge, ahead of Chris McIver (18 wins) and Rocky Cup-winning hoop Ryan Wiggins (17 wins).

The battle for Champion Apprentice will also be hotly contested, with local jockey Nikki Olzard (13 wins) narrowly ahead of South-East Queensland-based apprentices Stephanie Tierney (12 wins) and Leah Martyn (12 wins).

With Martyn not making the trip north on Friday, the apprentice race will come down to Olzard and Tierney.

Nikki Olzard has just five rides on the card, all of which are currently double-figure chances in TAB’s Fixed Price Markets.

Meanwhile, Tierney has rides in seven of the eight races, including hot favourite in the final event of the day, the Burke In Style Benchmark 65 Handicap (1400m), Ask Me Mate for local trainer Jamie McConachy.

Four of Tierney’s rides are for master, Stuart Kendrick, while she has a ride for each of Kerrod Smyth, Jamie McConachy and Darryl Gardiner.

The seventh race of the afternoon, the Dave Bailey’s Mobile Repairs Open Handicap (1200m), could prove to be a premiership-defining race in both the apprentice title and Horse Of The Year title race, as Tierney hops aboard Darryl Gardiner’s Tizso Fab.

The Bundaberg galloper is currently co-leader for the Rockhampton Champion Racehorse for 25/26, with four wins alongside Presocratics, Pride Of Venus and Jason Morgan’s Doubting Eye, who also lines up in the seventh race.

Doubting Eye, although failing to beat a runner home at last Tuesday’s meeting, is going better than his form suggests, having finished fifth four starts ago in The Fitzroy (1300m) behind subsequent One Syndications Rockhampton Newmarket winner, Demon Award.

The 5YO gelding should appreciate stepping back up to 1200m on Friday, despite all four wins this season coming over 1050m and 1100m.

Tizso Fab will be hoping to change his fortune when first-up on Friday, as the 6YO typically takes a run or two to find form. The son of Astern hasn’t raced since April when beaten by less than two lengths by co-premiership leader, Pride Of Venus, in the 2026 Mayors Cup over this track and distance.

Standing in those two horses’ way on Friday however, will be Rockhampton Newmarket runner-up and Mackay Newmarket winner, Red Hot Lizzie. While the Open Handicap will also feature in-form gallopers such as Parade Ground, Outback Action, Track Tale, Heartoni and Eagle Farm’s Battle of the Bush winner, Roll Up (Olzard).

The first race at Callaghan Park on Friday will jump at 12:51pm, with the final event on the program scheduled for 5:05pm.

RJC Racing Liaison Officer, Nick Lloyd