Rocky Racing Review: Saturday 14th June.

ROOKIE JOHNSTON TRAINS WINNING DOUBLE THE ONLY TIME HE HAS TWO RACE STARTERS

Rookie trainer Will Johnston celebrated his first year as a trainer with his first winning double in unique circumstances on Saturday at Callaghan Park. It was the first time that Johnston has saddled two horses that he trains on the one race program, and he was over the moon when they both won!

“It has been impossible for me to train a double before, because I have never had two of my horses racing on the one program,” Johnston beamed, sporting a wide grin. The double success was made even more special as he did it in front of his great grandparents and his Pa shared in the ownership of one of his winners. “It’s so special to have my great grandparents here,” he said as the family toasted success in the winner’s circle bar.
The young trainer who only took out his trainer’s license in June 2024 and saddled his first starter last September, won the TAB $20,000 Trainers Bonus BM 55 Handicap (1400m) with 4YO gelding General Hippo and the Frenchville Sports Club BM 60 Handicap (1200m) with Outback Bandit.

He races General Hippo with his “Pa”, Ken Hughes, and Clay Usher, and he races Outback Bandit with his former boss, dual Rockhampton Cup winning trainer Graeme Green.

HIPPO A HORSE ON THE WAY UP

Jackson Murphy rode General Hippo perfectly but said the horse did everything himself. The jockey steered him from an outside alley to get the box seat behind the leaders, then just gave him his head in the straight and allowed the big son of Caulfield Cup winner Boom Time to stride away. General Hippo started at odds of $21 and won the race by a half-length from Milagro (Tasha Chambers) with Victory’s Ghost (Leah Martyn) in third place. General Hippo was a $1,000 buy by Johnston when he kicked off his training career.

“He had had four starts without success, and I’ve taken him along quietly and managed to win three races with him,” Johnston said. “He is such a strong good-boned horse I reckon he will be racing for a long time.” Johnston’s strike for his debut season as a trainer is impressive. He has had 15 starters for five winners, that’s a one in three success rate.

BIGGER PRIZES ON THE HORIZON FOR JOHNSTON’S BANDIT

Jockey Sean Cormack commented on the excellent progress Will Johnston has made with up and coming three-year-old Outback Bandit who coasted home to an easy win in the Frenchville Sports Club BM60 Handicap (1200m). “He feels so mature now, I can’t believe what you have done with him,” Cormack told Johnston.

Having his 12th race start, Outback Bandit travelled smoothly for Cormack before putting his opposition away. The $3.10 favourite had almost 3-1/2 lengths to spare on the chasers with Outback Bandit finishing well ahead of runner-up Bold And Smooth (Leah Martyn) and Northumbria (Warwick Satherley). Graeme Green bought Outback Bandit for $10,000 at the March Magic Millions Sale two years ago. And his earnings are now seven times his purchase price. Green shares in the ownership of Outback bandit with Johnston, his former stable offsider.

Green said he will now look at bigger prizes at the Northern Carnival with the son of Encryption. “A race like the Newmarket in Mackay may not be beyond his reach,” Green said.

SILVERA OLIVERA BLASTS HIS DOUBLE WITH LAST TO FIRST VICTORIES

Rockhampton-based South American jockey Raul Silvera Olivera was at his brilliant best to ride a winning double at Callaghan Park. Riding the Steve Rundle-trained Deep Blast, Silvera steered a passage from last to first taking the short way home to victory in the Welcome Gold Club Members BM 70 Handicap (110m). With the whole field in front of him, Silvera Olivera made his move and only went around one horse before switching back to find a saloon run along the rail.

Deep Blast (11/1) finished so fast he won by almost a length from the race favourite Henry’s Blade (Sean Cormack), who looked the winner halfway up the straight, with Street Glory (Warwick Satherley) not far away in third place. Jim Rundle picked up the $230,000 yearling by Deep Field from Wind Shit for just $5,000 at an Inglis online dispersal sale last October. After the purchase, Deep Blast had run some promising seconds in Rockhampton and his first local victory was an indicator of more to come. Silvera Olivera rode the horse quietly and he had plenty of speed under him when he called on it. “The inside is the best place to be that’s why I went there,” he told the trainer.

He also looked for inside runs on his second winner Crimson Decipher for trainer John Wigginton. The promising three-year-old filly scored its second win at her fourth start, taking out the Rocky Cup Carnival On Sale Now Class 1 Handicap (1050m). The $3.40 favourite was back with the cap catchers when heads turned for home but you could almost see Silvera Olivera plotting his way forward. Patiently ridden he started to thread his way through, and Crimson Decipher had the motor to put pay to his opposition once she was give her head. Lengthening stride Crimson Decipher won by almost 2-1/2 lengths from Irish Rocket (Jackson Murphy) with French Wish (Leah Martyn) in third place.

“I think she only has to run like that to be competitive during carnival,” Wigginton said. She has only had four starts and both times that she has been perfect, without issues, she has won.” Syndicate manager Dale Whyte was also excited by his filly’s potential. “She is a very good horse,” Whyte said.

UNWANTED GALLOPER FINDS THE WINNERS’CIRCLE

A discarded horse rescued by trainer Shawn Geritz found the winners’ circle at its third start in a race at Callaghan Park. The four-year-old gelding Spirit Talker didn’t have a perfect start to life and called on his learnings from tough upbringing when it counted in the Great Northern Maiden Handicap (1400m).

Taken to the lead at the start by Tasha Chambers, Spirit Talker (Speith – Lacerta) was challenged and headed in the home straight but rallied gallantly to hold off the swoopers CheckOne Two (Amy Graham) and Grumpywantsatissue (Raul Silvera Olivera) to win by ¾ of a length. Spirit Talker had supporters at odds of $4.40 but wasn’t the favourite. The best backed runner was Sunshine Coast galloper Sak The Writer who went up to win but had little left in the tank at the finish to run fifth.

STURGISS FAMILY CELEBRATE OUR EAGLE ROCK’S WIN

When Greg Sturgiss bought 14yo mare Talon Lady from Widden Stud he hoped he could breed a Callaghan Park winner. On Saturday, his hope turned into reality when 2yo gelding Our Eagle Rock scored its first victory in the TAB QTIS 2YO Maiden Handicap (1100m). Sturgiss selected Group 1 BTC Cup winner Your Song, by Fastnet Rock, to send his mare to and Our Eagle Rock is the result. Talon Lady had a Supido foal at foot when Sturgiss bought her. That that foal is called Super Talon, who has had a win and four placings from 8 starts for Greg and his wife Elaine.

“This horse looks promising, and we are hoping we can win an Open two-year-old race with him over carnival,” Sturgiss said. “Mully (Green) is doing a good job training him and he is getting better with each run. Our Eagle Rock is still learning his trade and showed a ton of courage to come back after being headed to draw away at the finish and win nicely by just under a length.

The gelding ridden by Nikki Olzard defeated race favourite Milk Maid (Ash Butler) with Next Legacy (Tash Chambers) in third place just ahead of the fast finisher Giapponese (Nathan Thomas). Sileas Green’s stable representative Adrian Coome said, “Our Eagle Rock will benefit greatly by the experience.” “He still has a lot of improvement in him.”

David Aldred – CEO RJC