Rockhampton Racing Review: Tuesday 24th February, 2026

Stephanie Tierney scores seven Callaghan Park wins this month.

Apprentice jockey Stephanie Tierney has found her winning groove in Rockhampton with seven victories at the three race meetings run this month at Callaghan Park.

The Sunshine Coast rider, who claims a 3kg allowance, posted a career-best three wins on the same program on Tuesday, her first Provincial treble.

All three winners were for her boss, trainer Stuart Kendrick.

Tierney book ended the Rockhampton TAB program winning the opening race, the feature QTIS Jewel Qualifier 2YO Plate and the last race the XXXX Ultra Class 2. Her middle win was in the Australian Liquor Marketers BM65 Handicap.

“I’ve never ridden three winners on the same program in the country before not on a provincial track, this is a first for me,” a beaming Tierney said.

The Callaghan Park treble boosted Tierney to eight wins and the equal lead, with local apprentice Nikki Olzard, on the RJC apprentice premiership ladder.

Sunshine Coast trainer toasts Jewel success with Champers

Kendrick Racing toasted the success of debutant Another Champers at Callaghan Park on Tuesday when the Wild Ruler filly won the TAB Jewel Qualifier Two-Year-Old Plate (1100m).

Well-backed late in betting, Another Champers started the race favourite at $1.75, well and truly displacing the early favourite, Ready Marea who got out to $3.70.

Ready Marea, a winner over older horses at its only other start raced up on the speed but was under pressure a long way from the finish. In the end, Another Champers and another Sunshine Coast filly, It’s All About Mary ($3.20) fought out the finish.

The victory took Tierney’s winning tally in Rocky to six, then later in the day she added another to make seven, when Miss Mercy spread-eagled her opponents to win the ALM Liquor Marketers BM65 Handicap (1050m) and Limero gave the rider 8 winners this season, completing her daily treble of wins in the XXXX Ultra Class 2 Handicap (1200m).

The Apprentice has a 50% winning strike rate at Callaghan Park and Tierney, and trainer Stuart Kendrick have registered two winning doubles and Tuesday’s treble at the last three Rockhampton race meetings.

Another Champers was an $80,000 purchase at the 2025 Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sales. Her dam Miss Clicquot started her career with Ciaron Maher and won a race at Ipswich later in her career for Brisbane trainer Desleigh Forster. Her sire Wild Ruler won a Group 1 Moir Stakes. Sunshine Coast trainer Stuart Kendrick has now qualified the filly for the $500,000 QTIS Jewel (1200m) to be run at the Gold Coast on 14 March.

Miss Mercy was in another postcode in her race. Having its second Rocky start, the Sunshine Coast mare by Encryption was full of running. Tierney took the $2.25 favourite straight to the front and she never looked back winning by five lengths from Answering (Ash Butler – $2.70) with Canny Be Better (Cody Collis – $7.50) in third place.

Miss Mercy was an $80,000 yearling at the Magic Millions Book 2 Sale in 2023. The chestnut mare has taken awhile to find her best form but is now starting to build her prize money bank.

Third winner is a charm for Sunshine Coasters

Limero has had three starts at Callaghan Park for two wins and a second place and the 5YO seems to love coming to Rocky to race.

Tierney came with a late charge on the son of Lonhro to win the Class 2 by more than a length.

Starting at $5, Limero defeated Ten Carat Lucy (Sean Cormack- $4) with Marellity (Tahlia Fenlon – $7.50) a further two lengths away in third place. Limero has been a slow bloomer. The gelding was a $120,000 purchase by Kenrick Racing at the 2022 Magic Millions Gold Coast Sale.

He has now raced 30 times for three wins and 14 minor placings

Kai Mondo leads all the way to post a win to end campaign

A seven-day delay in going to the spelling paddock paid dividends for Kai Mondo who led from go to whoa to win the Queensland Hotels Association QTIS 3YO & 4YO Handicap (1050m).

Trainer Tom Bourke was ready to pull up stumps on the gelding’s campaign when he ran fifth in last week’s Class 3 Handicap, won by King Spirit, but when the conditions of the age handicap were changed to allow four-year-olds into the race today, Bourke decided to give him one more run. With wet track form to his credit, Kai Mondo relished the soft track and exploded out of the gates. Ridden by McKenzie Apel, Kai Mondo ($2.35f) led throughout and ran away from the opposition at the finish to defeat Wax On Wax Off (Cody Colklis – $3.20) by 3-1/2 lengths with Electric Brae (Tom Orr – $9) doing its best work at the finish to take third place.

There were a few anxious moments for Kai Mondo’s owners, Stewart Park Racing, before the race began. Apel said the horse swiped its bridle on the gate upright, causing a delay so the gear could be adjusted.

Gelding keeps on surprising Bundaberg trainer

Bundaberg trainer Darryl Gardiner praised the will to win of 6YO gelding Tizso Fab after it won the IGT Australia Handicap (1200m).

“This horse never gives in,” Gardiner said. “I may have underestimated him; he may be better than I thought.”

Tizso Fab was given a perfect front running ride by Warwick Satherley.

Hotly challenged by Cheery Rose (Stephanie Tierney) in the run to the line, Tizso Fab kept on find a little extra to stall off the classy mare.

Tizso Fab has an impressive record of four wins from 10 starts at Callaghan Park. Gardiner also owns the gelding, and the trainer picked him up cheaply about a year ago after the horse had posted three wins in Victoria.

Satherley said Tizso Fab seemed to appreciate the “cut” in the track. Showers made the going soft and Tizso Fab ($10) scored by half a length from Cherry Rose ($1.18), who lumped 5kg more in handicap weight, with Scrub Chain (Chris McIver- $13) a distance back in third place.

Pre-post-favourite Pipistrelle was scratched following a veterinary inspection at the barrier. The mare became tangled in the gates while being loaded.

What’s In A Name – longshot wins Maiden race

The unusually named I’m Not Grey keeps on surprising his breeder, part-owner and trainer Laurie Clem.

When the three-year-old was born his coat was charcoal grey, but his greyish tones turned to a brownish black.

That’s how the gelding by Snitzel stallion Brabinger from Angel’s Crown, who is raced by Clem and Jeanette Darveniza, got its name.

Clem was the loudest supporter in the Member’s Lounge at Callaghan Park when I’m Not Grey came with a charging run to win its first race, the Great Northern Long Run QTIS Maiden handicap (1400m). Rockhampton trainer Clem knew his galloper was improving and was getting closer to a win, so he backed the horse several times at triple figure odds.

“They may not have enough money here today to pay me,” he said excitedly.

Clem and Darveniza both had nice wagers on the horse at the long-priced odds.

I’m Not Grey had finished no closer than sixth at its three previous starts.

“He had a throat operation, and it’s taken him longer than expected to fully recover, but he looks on the up now,” Clem said.

The trainer said the addition of winkers to the horses racing gear also kept him racing straight.

Jockey Jason Taylor said after riding him earlier this month to put the winkers on,” Clem said. “He was dead right.”

Tom Orr was in the saddle on Tuesday, partnering I’m Not Grey ($71) to a half-length win over Leica Flamingo (Chris McIver $2.60f) with Notforthemoney (Tahlia Fenlon – $6) in third place just under two lengths from the winner.

Jockey loses whip but still comes up trumps

No whip no problem – Cody ‘Chip’ Collis rode Our Heart Throb out hands and heels to win the Keno Together We Play BM 60 Handicap (1400m).

“I dropped my whip 300m out and thought oh no I need that for this horse,” Collis said to trainer Tim Cook.

In the end it didn’t matter. Our Heart Throb ($8) wore down those in front of him to win by a long neck over Sujeed (Rayan Wiggins – $3.10) which looked to have the race won 100m from the post. Our Turn Now (McKenzie Apel – $5.50) finished close up in third place.

Cook said Our Heart Throb likes the track and likes Collis. Our Heart Throb has had 19 starts at Callaghan Park and been in the money seven times, but this was his first Rocky win and his fourth win from 56 starts in total.

The galloper made its way to NQ from Tony Gollan’s stable in August 2023, originally with John Manzelmann before Cook acquired him.

• David Aldred CEO RJC