Rockhampton Racing Review: Thursday 13th August, 2026.

Breeding barn beckons talented mares

She may just have one more race start, before she retires to the breeding barn, but the talented Track Tale was impressive showing her opponents a clean pair of heels in Thursday’s Premier Jockey Warwick Satherley Open Handicap.

The Liam Goody owned Track Tale has been an outstanding racehorse winning 13 of her 25 races and trainer Ricky Vale has done a great job in keeping her interested in racing.

Wiggins had the mare bouncing on the way to the barriers.

“I was just hoping that she could carry that liveliness into the race,” he said. Leading all the way Track Tale’(Ryan Wiggins-$3.90) refused to surrender holding off strong finisher Don Pedro (Nikki Olzard – $1.75 fav.) by 3/4 of a length, with Pantalone (Hannah Richardson $9.50) a long neck away in third place.

“I am not sure whether that’s her last run or not before we make a broodmare out of her,” Goody said. “Possibly she will have one more.”

Breeders have already started sending mares to selected stallions for the spring breeding season.

Track Tale’s win was the first leg of a race to race double for top jockey Wiggins.

Ironically, he rode another mare who is headed for the breeding barn to victory in the very next race. The Kevin Miller trained Ten Carat Lucy won the Premier Trainer Clinton Taylor BM60 Handicap (1300m). Emma Langbecker representing Embrook Thoroughbreds said it is very likely that Ten Carat Lucy has run and won her last race. The mare by Exceedance and Diamond Meteor has a Group winning pedigree and the family is keen to put her to a stallion. Ten Carat Lucy scored her second win from 11 races. At odds of $6.50 she defeated Moochi Starlight (Warwick Satherley – $7) by a short neck and Autumn Gale (Chris McIver – $3.60). A protest, oddly announced after correct weight was given, was dismissed. The protest was lodged by the third placed jockey Chris McIver against the winner.

Hansen plunge horse gets the chocolates

A last-minute wagering pile on saw the odds for five-year-old gelding Encourage cut in half in the Premier Apprentice Stephanie Tierney 0-55 Handicap (1500m)

Trained on the Sunshine Coast by Darryl Hansen Encouraged was heavily back late in betting with its price tumbling from $6 to $3.70 in a matter of minutes. Ridden a gem of a race by Toowoomba apprentice Sophie Wilcock,

Encouraged parked behind the leader before coming with a well-timed run in the home straight to prove too strong for the front-running remember The Boys (Raul Silvera Olivera -$3.90) with Shiny Love (Sean Cormack – $3.90) in third place. Wilcock’s was full of praise for the gelding. Önce he saw clear running, he let down and really hit the line,” Wilcock’s said. Hansen asked the apprentice if she thought he would run a mile or more.

“I think he will, she told the trainer.”

Winners keep rolling for the Taylor stable

It appears wherever you look these days Sunshine Coast trainer Garnett Taylor is saddling a winner.

He collected prizemoney at opposite ends of the state last week, including Neverenoughlego winning at headquarters in Brisbane, and he was back in Rockhampton with another winner.

Combining with last season’s premier jockey Warwick Satherley, Taylor won the TAB Class 5 Handicap (1400m) with Bold Artic.

“He was slowly, slowly picking them up and then he just went past them and pulled away,” Satherley told Taylor as he unsaddled the winner. The victory was Bold Artic’s third from 16 races. Bold Atic ($8.50) beat another Sunshine Coaster, Warna (Steph Tierney -$3.50) by half-a-length with the Chinchilla trained Lonergy (Nikki Olzard $10) in third place. In an open betting race, Ask Me Mate started the $3.20 favourite and finished fourth.

Planets aligned for maiden race winner

It must have been written in the stars.

The planets were aligned for four-year-old mare Next Stop Jupiter to win its first race at Callaghan Park.

A daughter of Admire Mars, Next Stop Jupiter won the Pride of Venus Maiden Handicap (1050m).

The Kevin Miller-trained mare, owned by Rodney Hay is bred to be a stayer but proved too nippy for her opponents in the sprint. Ridden by Sean Cormack, Next Stop Jupiter ($4.40) defeated British Navy -Tom Orr $1.70 fav) who looked certain to win 100m out by a half-neck with newcomer Our Girl Snip (Steph Tierney – $5.50) about a half-length from the winner in third place. Next Stop Jupiter had been building up to its first race win, but the victory didn’t surprise her owner.

“She was always going to go close, but really you would think she wouldn’t be winning sprints when she is bred to stay,” Hay said.

Cormack said the mare still has much to learn. “She was a bit wayward, and I am glad I got some cover in the run,” he said. “She was trying to do things wrong, so she has a lot of improvement there.” Next Stop Jupiter was a $40,000 yearling graduate of the 2024 Magic Millions Yearling Sale. From the Redoute’s Choice mare, Unforgivable, she is a half-sister to another central Queensland winner Bo Bo Beware.

Healey stable celebrates with a Gin ‘N’ Juice

Gin ‘N’ Juice on a warm CQ winters’ day goes down well, and when a stable makes the long haul from the Sunshine Coast with a galloper of the same name, and it wins, then there is a good reason to celebrate the success with a cold drop.

Dave Barclay representing the Bill Healey stable said he was happy to come up and enjoy the day and see the 3YO gelding run a nice race. “I was hopeful but not overconfident of winning because I knew there was one or two others in the field that had ability,” Barclay said.

Ridden by Georgina Cartwright Gin ‘N’ Juice blew away the more favoured horses. Starting at $10, the galloper won the Great Northern QTIS Maiden (1200m) by a half-length from Rattlesnake Whiskey (Warwick Satherley – $25) with a short neck to Balkan Melody (Raul Silvera Olivera – $8). The $1.22 favourite Its All About Mary (Ryan Wiggins), challenged half- way up the straight but its run faded and the filly finish fourth.

Before today’s top result Gin ‘N’ Juice’s owners had only banked about $1,000 in prizemoney for the galloper but the $12,800 first prize boosted his account substantially.

Gin ‘N’ Juice is a son of Dubious and the well-bred Gin ‘N’ Bitters who was originally a $260,000 yearling bought by Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott, who was later bought online for $7,000 by Billy Healey after facing injury and bleeding issues.

Rundle stable returns to the winner’s list

Trainer Steve Rundle collected an early season winner with four-year-old mare Tara I Am in the Vale Wendy Mulry Class 1 Handicap (1100m).

Two late scratchings in the race reduced the field size and jockey Raul Silvera Olivera took advantage of Tara I Am’s speed. The lightly raced daughter of Jungle Cat led from start to finish to score its second career win. Starting at odds of $6.50 Tara I Am clung on to win by a neck over Doubtwilly (Steph Tierney) with Peking Tom (Chris McIver) third. Tara I Am was having its seventh start and had been building up to a win with placings this year at Emerald, Rockhampton and Thangool. The mare scored her only other win at Emerald almost 12 months ago.

David Aldred – CEO RJC