Rockhampton Racing Review: Friday 14th November 2025.

Erimar survives a protest to win the TAB Breeders Plate

Trainer Clinton Taylor and his wife Erin had to sweat out a protest hearing before they could celebrate a gallant front-running win by Erimar in the TAB Breeders Plate (1050m) at Callaghan Park on Friday.

Erimar drew barrier one and controlled the race from the front with her jockey Justin Huxtable not able to do a lot on the colt in the straight due to it racing greenly.

Every time the colt started to veer off the track, Huxtable stopped riding it.

Bowdene (Chris McIver) was chasing and also raced a little green, as it was trying to get past Erimar.

Just before the line the two youngsters touched and that brought the finishing result in question.

With margin just under half-a-length, the QRIC stewards then had to decide whether level of interference would change the result. After a delay of a few minutes the protest was dismissed and the past-the-post placings stood.

“I don’t think I need to be concerned at all, they both were green and ran about,” Taylor said after the race. “My horse was in charge all the way, barrier one is gold in 2YO races and this horse is a real professional.”

Erimar is raced by Erin Taylor and her friend and stable accountant Marina Crossland, and he gets his moniker from the pairing of both owner’s names.

The Shalaa colt started at $2.80 and defeated Bowdene ($8.00) with Maganista ($51.00 – Les Tilley) a further two lengths away in third place.

Taylor picked up Erimar at an Inglis Sale, purchasing the Twin Hills bred in NSW as a yearling for $30,000.

Trainer Kris Hansen was philosophical about being the runner up.

“I thought we might have got the protest, but that’s racing,” Hansen said. “I guarantee, we will get them the next time.”

Erimar was the second winner for Taylor who also saddled another tip- top 3yo debutante to score an impressive win earlier in the day.

Sky is the limit for the Taylor-trained 3YO

When you stem from the same family as multiple Group race winners including Amor Victorious, Sky Cuddle and Champagne Cuddles, it’s generally a fair bet that you will be able to run.

Well, trainer Clinton Taylor has a nice gelding from the successful family, named Senzora and it streeted its opposition on debut.

Having its first start after a massive 24.5 length barrier trial win less than a fortnight ago at Callaghan Park, the three-year-old was never headed to take out the QTIS 3YO Maiden Handicap (1050m).

Jockey Ashley Butler was beaming when he got back to the winner’s circle.

“Golly this is some horse, and he is still learning, he is as green as anything,” Butler told the ownership group headed by Senzora’s breeder Sophie Morgan.

Senzora won by four lengths from Better Spirit (Justin Huxtable) with Leica Flamingo (Adam Sewell) in third place over 6.5 lengths from the winner.

Senzora is by Morgan’s Group One performing sprinter Sensei (Dream Ahead) from Koizora, a Snitzel mare that Morgan has at The Grove Thoroughbreds (Condamine).

“She is proving to be an outstanding mare,” Morgan said.

Koizora, who was trained for racing by Gai Waterhouse, has produced at stud, the 2024 Group 2 Shannon Stakes winner Amor Victorious (by Caravaggio), trained by Bjorn Baker, and Presszora (by Press Statement) who Taylor also trains.

Further back in the family tree, Sky Cuddle was a Group 1 Emirates Stakes winner and Champagne Cuddles won a Group 2 Breeders Classic.

From Ballina to Rocky to find a win Former Ballina galloper Intrepid Lad scored an easy first-up win in the Dick Sullivan Memorial Maiden Plate (1300m).

Intrepid Lad trained by Ricky Vale turned its most recent form completely around to win the feature by four lengths. Starting the $2.45 race favourite, the 4YO son of Zousain provided jockey Ashley Butler with his second of three winners at the meeting.

Cash Pit ($8.00- Natalea Summers) ran second with She’sanais ($61.00-Adam Sewell) in third place. Intrepid Lad was formerly trained over the border by Stephen Leewhere he had eight starts without success.

The Maiden was raced in memory of Dick Sullivan, who was a highly regarded member of the thoroughbred and harness racing community. It was the sixth edition of the race and his wife Lyn was on track with a large group of friends to present the trophies to the winning owner, trainer, jockey and strapper.

Butler rides a winning treble

Sunshine Coast trainer Garnett Taylor said his trip home from Callaghan Park just got a bit shorter, after Bold Hussar won a three-way-photo finish to the Benchmark 55 Handicap and provided jockey Ashley Buter with his third winner for the day.

Bold Hussar travelled well for Butler but got back in the ruck. When the field raced down the straight, the runner fanned across the track with Bold Hussar making its claim.Starting at odds of $11.00 Bold Hussar got the judges result by a head over Run Fred Run ($6.00 – Chris McIver) with just a nose to Jay Bee Ell ($17.00 – Adam Sewell). The short-priced $1.85 favourite, Presszora faded in the run to the line to finish sixth. Bold Hussar by Holy Roman Emperor has won four of his 29 race starts.

No whip, no worries

Belroma Park had plenty to celebrate when pocket=sized mare Red Beauty came off the canvas to win the Benchmark 58 Handicap (1100m).

Jockey Tahlia Fenlon had a few anxious moments over the concluding stages when the Tom Smith-trained Red Beauty fought off challengers. Fenlon was unable to use a persuader after losing her whip around the 300m mark in the home straight. Hands and heels Fenlon lifted the $2.80 favourite, Red Beauty to the line, finishing less than half a length in front of Discovered Gold ($10.00 – Raul Silvera Olivera, who looked to have its measure inside the final 100m. Maikrow ($4.20 – Justin Huxtable) in third place. “She began well and had the perfect run really,” Fenlon said. Red Beauty is proving to be a good money-spinner for her big ownership group, with the win her third from just 10 starts.

Universal Harmony upsets the favourite backers

Trainer Jamie McConachy saddled Universal Harmony to score a dominant victory in the Class 2 Handicap (1200m) taking the galloper’s Callaghan Park record to two wins from three starts.

Punters piled on to back the Clinton Taylor-trained Underrated into a $1.55 favourite, but they left the money in the bookmaker’s bag. Jockey Chris McIver swung the bend with a nice lead on Universal Harmony ($2.60) and when Underrated (Justin Huxtable) went out after the leader to challenge there wasn’t a lot of petrol in the tank. Underrated tired to third while Universal Harmony got stronger to the line for a winning margin of over three lengths. Boom Crusher ($9.00 – Sean Cormack) raced into second place in front of Underrated. By Japanese import Brave Smash, Universal Harmony has raced 16 times for three wins.

McConachy and McIver double up with Cherry Rose

Scooting home in a sub 33s in the  Open Handicap (1050m), Cherry Rose got a big cheer from punters for a brave victory. The victory provided trainer Jamie McConachy and jockey Chris McIver with a winning double. Kelvin Sparrow who shared in the win of Universal Harmony, also got a double as a part-owner of Cherry Rose. Runner up Heartoni, ridden by Les Tilley, looked likely to run past Cherry Rose but the 5YO mare was game and fought back to draw clear and score by a length. She started $2.00 favourite with Hertoni also prominent in betting at $3.80. Media Empire ($19.00- Warwick Satherley) , ran third. Raced by the Sparrow family, Cherry Rose has now won $230,000 with seven victories from 16 races.

Bubba out of Button’s bin on a late pick-up ride

Bowen trainer Tom Button once put jockey Les “Bubba” Tilley in the sin bin for six months.

There was no reason for a penalty box when Tilley picked up a lucky late ride to boot home Hyde Park to a very easy win in the Class 4 Plate (1600m).

The duo joked about the sin bin when Hyde Park was being unsaddled in the winners’ enclosure.

Tilley got the last-minute ride when Justin Huxtable became ill after the Breeders’ Plate win. Hyde Park ($2.40) streaked away to win by more than three lengths over Journalism ($11.00 – Nikki Olzard) with Darlking Clementine ($2.35 Fav. – Warwick Satherley) in third place. Button has had good success with the Spiriot Of Boom gelding in Central and North Queensland winning four races. The gelding was a $65,000 buy at the Inglis 2024 February Online Sale, after being sold as a yearling for $260,000 at the 2022 Magic Millions Sale. His prize money  tips over $121,000.

• David Aldred RJC CEO