Rocky Racing Review – 22 April 2025

Chautauqua’s Half-Brother Scores Emotional Win At Bolter Odds
It was an emotional victory for the apprentice jockey Nikki Olzard. Five-year-old gelding I Say Boom purchased by her mum, trainer Maree Skillington for Olzard to ride off and on the racetrack, scored its first win at its third start for her new connections in the MP Security BM 60 Handicap (1600m).

Skillington, from Gracemere, was over the moon with the result at Callaghan Park on Tuesday and Olzard couldn’t hide her emotions with tears rolling down her cheeks as she unsaddled the winner.
“I bought this horse to give Nikki something to ride at home and in races for me,” Skillington said. Formerly prepared in Mackay by John Manzelmann, I Say Boom is a half-brother to the iconic and three-time Group 1 champion racehorse Chautauqua.

A former Sydneysider, I Say Boom has been racing in Queensland since April 2023. He has now won five races, all in the north, but until this race, he had been out of form for a while. Skillington sharpened the gelding up in a jump out at Callaghan Park last week and back at the races, he showed his opposition a clean pair of heels.

”He is getting fitter,” said Skillington who started the gelding only twice before, at Callaghan Park and Monto last month.

Starting at bolter odds of $41.00 and paying $61.00 on the TAB, I Say Boom lasted to win by a short neck, holding off fast-finisher, the unlucky Whatjeudoin (Justin Stanley – $7.80) with Moment of Truth (Justin Huxtable – $2.05 fav) in third place, 1.3 lengths from the winner.

Now that I Say Boom has found form, he is likely to win more races. He is beautifully bred and a good type of horse by top stallion Spirit of Boom from the former top race mare Lovely Jubly, a daughter of the Danehill (USA) stallion Lion Hunter.

It’s been 23 years since Lovely Jubly won the 2002 Magic Millions 2YO Classic, Group 1 Sires Produce and Group 1 T.J Smith Stakes.

Moenave Sprints Quickly For Narrow First Up Victory
Bigger targets are in sight for six-year-old gelding Moenave following its narrow victory in the BM70 Handicap (1200m) at Callaghan Park.

The Sileas Green-trained gelding scored a first up triumph under jockey Justin Huxtable. “That was nice and smooth” Huxtable said seemingly unphased that he scraped in by a short head. Staring at odds of $12.00 Moenave clung to a narrow margin over the fast-finishing Deep Blast (Raul Silvera Olivera – $51.00) with race favourite, Diddly Squat (Montana Philpot -$2.25) a half neck away in third place. “I think he is a better sprinter than a miler,” attendant Adrian Coome said, referring to the winner’s previous failure over 1600m at the Sunshine Coast at the end of his last preparation.

“He goes very well fresh.” Moenave will likely have his next start in a few weeks with Green possibly bypassing the Amateur Carnival. The $75,000 The Fitzroy Open (1300m) is on the table but could it be a week too soon for the galloper’s program.

Deciduous May Tackle Amateur Cup Next Month After Game Win
Deciduous, a $475,000 yearling at the 2022 Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale returned to the winner’s circle at Callaghan Park with a game victory in the BM70 Handicap (1500m) and is on track to tackle next month’s Amateur Cup.

The $35,000 Amateur Cup (1600m) is run on The Archer Day at Callaghan Park 4 May.

Trained by Kerrod Smyth, the superbly-bred Deciduous has found top form this preparation after the former Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott galloper got off to a reasonably slow start in central Queensland last year.

Smyth paid $18,000 for the The Autumn Sun- Bollywood (JPN) gelding at an Inglis online sale 12 months ago. After two unplaced starts in Guineas races in CQ and NQ, Deciduous found the winners stall for the first time for Smyth in Mackay last August. He then had a run of six minor placings during the summer before winning again. He won a BM65 (1600m) at Callaghan Park on St Patrick’s Day, then won a BM 70 in Mackay (1560m) before running unplaced earlier this month.

“I had a bit of a virus go through the stable, so that set me back a bit, I’m glad he has bounced back today,” Smyth said. The Amateur Cup on 4 May looks like an ideal target as a next step for Deciduous. Jockey Warwick Satterley positioned Deciduous ($4.20) in the pack and brought him with a well-timed run to race past the leaders. He won by 1.75 lengths. Race favourite, Our Turn Now (Ryan Wiggins) ran home well to place second with Prepotent (Chris McIver) third.

Devil Devil Scores Last To First Victory
Premier trainer and jockey combination Clinton Taylor and Justin Stanley combined with huge galloper Devil Devil for a last to first victory in the QTIS BM58 Handicap (1050m).

The Spirit of Boom gelding had the entire field in front of him when heads turn for home, but with giant strides Devil Devil ($6.00) ate up the ground and lunged at the line to score by just over half a length. John Manzelmann’s Tow The Line (Justin Huxtable) finished second with More Stylish (John Wigginton/Leah Martyn) only 1.5 lengths from the winner in third place.

It was Devil Devil’s first race start since last November. “His jump outs have been really good, I thought he was over the odds today, I really did,” Taylor said. “He is well above-average this bloke.” The win was Devil Devil’s third from just six race starts.

The 4YO is from the former smart Michael Nolan trained race mare, Annamarie.

No Excuse Needed – Sheza Alibi Is A Natural
Owner Fred Noffke knew that it wouldn’t take long for his 2YO filly Sheza Alibi to win its first race after its debut at Callaghan Park a fortnight ago.

“She’s a natural,” Noffke said. We put her against the older maidens at her first start and she ran into a good one to finish second, so back in her own age she had to go close to a win.” Sheza Alibi ran second to Universal Harmony at its initial race start on 11 April.

Noffke was right, the Kris Hansen trained galloper scored an easy win in Tuesday’s QTIS 2YO Maiden (1200m). Ridden by Chris McIver, Sheza Alibi ($2.05) took the lead inside the final 200m and shook off a challenge from debutante Bungarribee Rain (Warwick Satherley) and won comfortably by 2.75 lengths.

Valubious (Adam Sewell) was well-backed and ran home strongly into third place. Noffke has been patient with Sheza Alibi, a well-bred filly he purchased online as a weanling for $10,000. By multiple Group 1 winning stallion Saxon Warrior from six-time NSW winner Sheza Gypsy, Sheza Alibi is from the same family as Group 2 Reising Stakes winning 3YO, Glistening.

“I think she has what it takes, and she looked good in the mounting enclosure today, so I think we will keep her going, for a little longer before we think about a break,” Noffke said.

Bargain Buy Takes Out QTIS Maiden
Zelezny surprisingly didn’t start the favourite in the QTIS 3YO Maiden (1400m) but he won the race like a good thing. Trainer Ricky Vale was stunned that bookies had Mackay visitor Remlap Kava ahead of Zelezny in the betting. “I couldn’t believe it,” Vale said. A runner up at its previous two starts in Mackay and Rockhampton, Zelezny was never headed.

Jockey Ryan Wiggins took the Better Than Ready gelding straight to the front and controlled the speed at a moderate gallop. Remlap Kava (Ash Butler) trailed the leader but didn’t have anything to give when his jockey asked him to go forward. Badlifedecision (Brooke Johnson) peeled out at the top of the straight and ran to second but was never going to catch the leader. Zelezny ($3.40) won by 4.75 lengths from Badlifedecision ($6.00) with a half-length to Remlap Kava ($2.30fav).

Formerly trained in Brisbane by Kelly Schweida, Zelezny was purchased online by Vale last November for just $5,500. He was originally sold for $110,000 as a yearling at the 2023 Gold Coast Magic Millions Sale. Zelezny’s dam Hurl (by Redoutes Choice) was a four-time winner for trainer Michael Nolan.

Spellhound Bounds To An Easy Maiden Victory
Sunshine Coast galloper Spellhound broke through for its first win at its fourth start in the TAB Maiden Plate (1400m).

The 3YO son of Hellbent found the lead half-way down the home straight for apprentice jockey Leah Martyn and went right on with its job to record an easy victory. Duke Of Lancaster (Justin Stanley) rallied well over the final 300m and filled second place two lengths behind the winner. Fine And Rare (Ash Butler) doing its best work late, to finish third.

Spellhound found the Callaghan Park assignment much easier than its previous races at Doomben and the Sunshine Coast. The gelding started as the $1.55 favourite. Spellhound is from the Viscount mare Magic Zefta and stems from the family of Sally Lou a former smart race mare by Salieri.

Number Comes Up For Just Bingo
Bundaberg trainer Darryl Gardiner’s ears pricked when he heard the Callaghan Park track was posted as a soft 6 on race morning.

About 5mm of rain fell at the track during early morning and that was enough to give Gardiner a bit of confidence that his longshot Just Bingo’s chances could improve. A winner three times on the sand, Just Bingo doesn’t like hard tracks and the surface in Rockhampton must have been just right. Tuesday’s Callaghan Park win was the first for the galloper on turf.

The four-year-old gelding from the unraced High Chapparal mare Polzeath was ridden by apprentice McKenzie Apel and odds of $61.00 proved too strong for the well backed pair Itza Motza (Leah Martyn) and Northumbria (Warwick Satherley).

By David Aldred, CEO – RJC