Rocky Racing Review: Friday 30th May

TINKERBELLA WAS A STAR AT CALLAGHAN PARK’S BIRTHDAY PARTY

Tinkerbella upheld a family tradition, becoming the fourth progeny of broodmare Miss Bam to win a two-year-old race at Callaghan Park.

The Toowoomba trained filly showed a distinct liking for the rain affected track defying the challengers to win the TABQTIS 2YO Handicap (1050m), the first race at Callaghan Park’s birthday race meeting on Friday morning.

Trainer Glenn Richardson said she didn’t let us down and get up the great Rockhampton record for the family. “That’s the fourth winner from the mare to win a two-year-old race at Callaghan Park, not a bad record,” Richardson said.

Ridden by Hannah Richardson, Tinkerbella fought of challenges on the track rated a “Heavy 9”. The first challenge came from the race favourite Saraqael (Warwick Satherley) and then Cuddles For Kimmy (Justin Stanley). The daughter of Invader showed plenty of determination to win by a half-head from another Toowoomba youngster, Cuddles for Kimmy with 1-3/4 lengths to local favourite Saraqael.

“She handled the track really well,” Hannah Richardson said. “The track didn’t race like a real heavy track, and she went through the ground nicely.” Tinkerbella has had a busy month. She won her maiden at Gatton three weeks ago and ran unplaced at Warwick a week before that.

The Richardson’s hope to be back in Rockhampton for the One Syndications Newmarket, 4 July at Callaghan Park

“We have a nice horse we got from Godolphin. He has had a couple of minor setbacks but all going well he might get into the Newmarket,” Glenn Richardson said.

 NO PRAYERS NEEDED FOR TAYLOR’S PROFIT

“I couldn’t believe the price,” trainer Clinton Taylor said, referring to the starting odds of his filly Profit’s Prayer in the QTIS 2YO Maiden Handicap (1200m).

Ridden by Justin Stanley, Profits Prayer scored comfortably from a pair of debutantes Next Legacy (Tash Chambers) and Giapponese (Ash Butler). Heavily back favourite Bungarribee Rain (Brooke Johnson) missed the placings after tiring in the home straight.

“She has improved heaps from her Mackay run, and I was really confident today,” Taylor said of Profits Prayer. The filly has only raced twice finishing second three weeks ago in Mackay before Friday’s win. Retained by her breeders, Profits Prayer was passed in the 2024 Magic Millons March Sale when she failed to meet a $40,000 reserve.

TAYLOR AND STANLEY SCORE DOUBLES

Devil Devil a big striding horse lapped up the wet conditions to win the Patron Dr. William Callaghan Class 3 Handicap (1050m) and brought up a winning double for Clinton Taylor and Justin Stanley.

The jockey had no hesitation in taking the Spirit Of Boom four-year-old along the rail in the home straight and the $2.30 favourite scored by 1.5 lengths from race leader Cummin Spinner (Nikki Olzard) with Answerinmg (Raul Silvera Olivera) in third place almost four lengths from the winner. The victory was Devil Devil’s four from just eight starts.

BALLINA TRAINER GETS ON THE BOARD IN ROCKY

Ballina trainer Jordan Lee travelled to Central Queensland to get away from wet tracks but didn’t mind the rain falling on Friday.

Four-year-old gelding He’s Poplar has taken a liking to rain affected tracks and handled the surface far better than his opposition to with the Happy Birthday Callaghan Park Maiden Handicap (1600m). Before his Rocky win He’s Poplar had been placed twice on rain affected tracks andjockey Ryan Wiggins said he revelled in the going. “He definitely likes to get his toe in, and he will get over longer than a mile too,” Wiggins said. He’s Poplar settled at the back of the field before Wiggins peeled him to the outside. Once in the clear He’s Poplar bounded to the leaders and drew clear to win by 2.5 lengths from Boom Crusher (Warwick Satherley) who traveled wide with a big weight and Fine And Rare (Tahlia Fenlon) in third place. He’s Poplar lived up to his name as the $2.70 favourite. Part-owner Cameron Smith was on track to see the win and bought his good luck charm, son Beckham. He said his horses know when Beckham, who turns one year old next week, is on track. “They always win when he is with me,” Smith said.

KOBY RINGS UP HIS SIXTH CALLAGHAN PARK WIN

Victory in the three-horse race, the Chairman Robert C, Boland Open Handicap (1050m) was never in doubt for the Jamie McConachy trained Desert Koby.

It was a romp for the four-year-old, ridden by Sean Cormack, who passed the post 6.25 lengths clear off the runner up Frosty Bear (Adam Sewell) with 6.75 lengths to Doubting Eye (Warwick Satherley). Raced by Helen and Tony Yeats, Desert Koby, a gelding by Kobayashi from Desertsunprincess is proving to be a versatile performer racing on all surfaces, but Rockhampton has been his favourite track. The connections will be hoping seven-time winner Desert Koby will measure up to top class during the Rockhampton Racing Carnival, in June and July.

BUNDABERG OWNER CELEBRATES HIS 80^TH WITH A WINNER
It was certainly a day of birthday celebration for owner Brendan “Pedro” Petersen who celebrated his 80^th at Callaghan Park’s 126^th year of racing.

Petersen from Bundaberg owns Nicconori, trained by Gary Clem, and his galloper, a former Sydney galloper took to the wet track like a duck to water. Nicconori ridden by Liv O’Donnell won the Secretary Robert R Dawbarn  BM 58 Handicap (1200m) by more than a length from Neptune’s Legend (Nikki Olzard) with Graeci (Brooke Johnson) in third place. “He is a big, beautiful horse and he handled the track so well,” O’Donnell said.

Born on 1 June 1945, Peterson loves his thoroughbreds and also had a third placegetter Frosty Bear, earlier in the day. Peterson said he got the horse from Joe Pride about nine months ago and Friday win was his second in Rockhampton. Since coming from Rockhampton, he has only had four starts, all in Rockhampton.

O’DONNELL DOUBLES UP WITH KAI MONDO

Apprentice jockey Liv O’Donnell did not have to wait long for her second winner on the Rockhampton program. Just over 35 minutes after winning on Nicconori, she was back in the winners’ circle unsaddling locally trained Kai Mondo who won the Callaghan Park -126 Years QTIS 3YO Handicap (1200m).

Kai Mondo worried the chaser Electric Brae (Nikki Olzard) out the prize to defeat that runner by 2.7 lengths with Caracrist (Raul Silvera Olivera) in third place. Kai Mondo trained by Tom Bourke started the $2.50 race favourite.

BUNDABERG MARE BOOMED IN THE CLASS ONE

Boom Boom Bella found her best form to win the Central Queensland’s Oldest Sporting Club Class 1 Handicap (1400m) and provided promising Brisbane-based local apprentice Tahlia Fenlon with a welcome return to the Callaghan Park winner’s circle.

Trained in Bundaberg by Lyn Petersen, Boom Boom Bella was off the bit from the 1000m mark to the home turn but when Fenlon asked her to go, she switched on and travelled down the straight strongly. “I think she likes to be ridden hands and heels and didn’t really appreciate the whip,” Fenlon said. When I asked her to go, she did it all by herself.” Boom Boom Bella, scored its first win for its new owners, staving off Determination (Ryan Wiggins) to score by just under half a length with Smokin’ De Quad (Nikki Olzard) close up in third place. A daughter of Spirit Of Boom, Boom Boom Bella started her career with Tony Gollan and was a Toowoomba winner before finding its way to the Petersen’s. This season its raced three times in Rocky and once at Thangool. “We thought she was unlucky last time she raced here,” the trainer said. “It’s good to get it right with the jockey following óur instructions this time.”

David Aldred – CEO RJC