Rockhampton Racing Review: Thursday, 29 January 2026

Capricornia Sales graduates star at Callaghan Park

Saraqael was a standout winner at Callaghan Park on Thursday and one of three graduates of the Capricornia Yearling Sales that got the plum result.

Three of the first four Rockhampton races were won by CYS graduates, a fantastic advertisement for the upcoming 2026 sales to be held at the Rockhampton Showgrounds on 12 April.

Nominations for the yearlings to be sold at the CYS Sale close this weekend.

The Warwick Satherley-trained and ridden three-year-old by Flying Artie won his fifth race from 11 starts and is on track to continue to race his way through the grades. Ridden in a confident race by Satherley, Saraqael ($1.30f) raced in the box seat and ran home strongly to win clearly by over a length from the front-runner Craiglea La Vie ($21.00 – Tasha Chambers) with Storm Force Ten ($26.00 – Stephanie Tienney) close-up in third place.

Nominations for the upcoming Capricornia Yearling Sales close on 31 January. So far about 100 yearlings will be catalogued.

Satherley and Vale get doubles with Determined victory

Warwick Satherley closed the program, booting home another favourite Determination for trainer Ricky Vale in the Lincoln Hire and Sales Class 2 Handicap (1050m).

The victory completed a winning double for Satherley and the Vale stable.

It was a cold ride by Satherley who got a late split close to the inside to enable him to sail through and win the race. Determination was runner-up at its previous start at Callaghan Park late last year. The chestnut by Churchill is bred to run longer journeys and more victories are in store. Starting at $2.15, Determination won by a long head over the Tracy Simmons-trained Melo Melo Kava (Adam Sewell – $6.50) with its Mackay stablemate Daltz Jatz (Leah Martyn -$19.00) close up in third place

Tight finish for first race favourite supporters

Favourite backers started the Callaghan Park program, holding their breath while waiting for the result of a photo finish.

In a deceptive finish Barbarian King (Cody Collis- $1.85) got the bob in to win the QTIS 2YO Handicap (1100m) by a nose. But he almost threw the race away after racing greenly over the concluding stages.

“He settled nicely in the run then almost gave it away,” trainer Tom Smith said.

Frontrunner Craiglea Monnie (Natalea Summers – $2.90) led to the very last stride. The Krystle Johnson trained Sunshine Coast home-bred filly looked certain to win, 10 m from the line.

Barbarian King had one last dive and got up with Anders Kiss (Fred Larson -$16.00), trained in Mackay by Lachie Manzelmann, running home strongly to take third place, just a long neck from the winner in the four-horse field.

Barbarian King was bred by part-owner Gary Milner, who owns a share in the stallion Barbaric.

“I am pretty sure this is the sire Barbaric’s first winner,” Milner said. “I can have a mare served by him every year, and I have this one’s mother back in foal to him.” Barbaric was a top two-year-old by I Am Invincible. The $900,000 yearling won a Black Opal Stakes. He stands at Lyndhurst Stud for a $6,600 service fee. Barbaric King’s dam Aleysa’s Queen won two races in Rockhampton for the Milners.

Capricornia Yearling Sales graduate salutes at its second race start

Just 31 minutes after Barbarian King scraped home another favourite, Wayno won the Great Northern Maiden Plate (1100m) by a short margin.

The first leg of a winning double for Ricky Vale, the $1.45 favourite Wayno (McKenzie Apel) won by about a head, running down a gallant longshot Sumich (Adam Sewell – $71.00) who lasted for second a nose ahead of fast-finishing Sunshine Coaster Bold Change (Leah Martyn – $4.40). Vale wasn’t on track for the win, with the Berserker trainer currently holidaying in Thailand.

Wayno, raced by Pav Cheimardinov, is a graduate of the 2024 Capricornia Yearling Sale. Bred by KBL Thoroughbreds, Wayno, a $5,000 buy, has now been in the prizemoney at his only two race starts. By Under the Louvre from 5-time Rockhampton winner Jayaqua. The gelding stems from the family of multiple Group race Sunline Stakes winner Sirleo Miss.

Trainer and owner Craig Russell who saddled the runner-up Sumich was stoked with the 4YO’s run. “He has come back strong since being gelded, and I am stoked,” he said. Originally with Moody Racing, Sumich (I Am Invincible – Petty Cury) was a $500,000 graduate of the Inglis Premier Yearling Sale in 2023. He failed to win twice on the synthetic track at the Gold Coast before Russell picked him up. He won two official barrier trials for Russell in December and January at Callaghan Park and Russell was surprised at the odds bookies posted for his local debut.

Cream rises to the top

Master Showman, the best performed galloper in the Highgrove Bathrooms Open Handicap (1100m) put its best foot forward to provide apprentice Stephanie Tierney with her first Rockhampton winner.

Tierney, a 3kg claiming apprentice, was having her first day out on a provincial licence and was thrilled to collect the win.

Riding Master Showman ($6.00) for her boss, Sunshine Coast trainer Stuart Kendrick, Tierney tracked down the race favourite Early Fusion (McKenzie Apel-$1.90) to win the sprint by almost two lengths. Upstart Legend (Chloe Lowe – $17.00) finished third. Eagle Farm winner Master Showman has won almost $350,000 and raced in the Listed Chief De Beers at Doomben last May and performed well on Tatts Day at Callaghan Park last season.

Punters had to cop sizeable deductions with the late scratching of Pipistrelle, who reared up in the barriers dumping jockey Warwick Satherley.

Hussar rushes to score a narrow win

The RJC judge Steve Bryant was again made to earn his pay packet when Bold Hussar and Kayleen’s Profit went to the line together in the Rockhampton Mini Loads BM 60 Handicap (1200m).

It was the third close finish in consecutive races. Once again, after viewing the electronic image Bryant found a short-half-head margin in favour of the Garnett Taylor-trained Bold Hussar. The chestnut from the Sunshine Coast defied a betting drift to win at odds of $5.80. Jockey Leah Martyn brought the Holy Roman Emperor gelding down the centre of the track and the galloper finished with plenty of power. But the Ricky Vale-trained Kayleen’s Profit (McKenzie Apel – $3.80) finished just as strong on the rails and forced a photo finish. The $2.70 favourite Replace The Ace (Cody Collis) was in the thick of things for a long way in the straight, but trainer Tom Smith had to settle for third place, just over a length from the winner. Bold Hussar has now won over $100,000, winning five races from 33 race starts.

Garnie Taylor and Leah Martyn score a winning double

Bold Blaze completed a winning double at Callaghan Park for Garnett Taylor and Leah Martyn, taking out the 0-55 Handicap (1400m).

Bold Blaze ($3.00) tracked down Our Heart Throb ($9.00 – Cody Collis) close to the post to score by a half neck. There was 2-3/4 lengths back to Peaking Tom ($21.00 – Raul Silvera Olivera) in third place. It was the second win for Bold Blaze who has had 12 race starts.

• David Aldred CEO RJC