Rocky Racing Review: Thursday 21 August.

Premier trainer off to a flying start for the season

Clinton Taylor, the premier Rocky trainer for the past three seasons, is off to a flying start for 2025/26.

Taylor trained a winning double at the first Callaghan Park meeting for the season, then this week added another three winners Devil Devil, Woodstock Rock and Pride of Venus to the list on Thursday.

The trainer only had runners in six of the eight races.

Whopping five-year-old gelding Devil Devil was the first leg of the Taylor and Ryan Wiggins treble when he worried his stablemate Rideau out the major portion of the prize in the TAB Benchmark 60 Handicap (1050m) at Callaghan Park on Thursday.

“The way the race was run it was set up perfectly for him,” trainer Clinton Taylor said. “he was given a beautiful run too.”

Devil Devil (Ryan Wiggins), who towered over the other runners in the race, wore down the race leader Rideau (Justin Huxtable) to win by almost half a length, with Pretty Slick (McKenzie Apel) two-and-a-half lengths away in third place. “He is a big, big boy and gives you the impression that he wants a longer distance, but he only has a short sharp sprint,” Taylor said.

The trainer saddled a double for owner Shane Mills when Woodstock Rock won the Edenbrook Developments Class 3 Handicap (1300m) later in the day.

“I love training winners for this horse’s owner Shane, he is the hardest worker you will see and a great supporter of the stable. Devil Devil (Spirit Of Boom – Annamarie) was bred by Raheen Stud and he has been a great horse for Mills and Taylor. He has won five races and been in the minor placings four times from 11 race starts.

Taylor described Woodstock Rock as a “real fighter”. “He’s been a bit revvy so I brought him back to the races to settle him down,” Taylor said. Woodstock Rock was on the quick back up after running third in Mackay last week.

Jockey Ryan Wiggins has started the season well at Callaghan Park too. Taking advantage of premier local jockey Justin Stanley sitting on the sidelines with an injured shoulder, Wiggins is doing the race riding for Taylor.

He has ridden six Rockhampton winners this month.

Newcomer Pride Of Venus, a four-year-old mare was his fifth and Woodstock Rock his sixth. Having her first Rockhampton start, Pride Of Venus had been impressing Taylor in her trackwork, and he was starting to wonder why she hadn’t won before. Before the Rocky win,

Pride Of Venus had seven starts for Sunshine Coast Bill Healey. “The owners sent her up to me and I was pleased to get a result for them,” Taylor said. The daughter of Pride Of Venus ($2.15f) won by 1-3/4 lengths from John Wigginton’s Moochi Starlight (Anthony Allen- $3.70) with a few lengths back to Taylor’s Rage (Hannah Richardson- $9.00).

Woodstock Rock ($5.00) packed too much power for challenger Outwitted (Ash Butler – $5.50)) to win in a photo finish. The other Taylor trained runner, the race favourite Out Of Luck (Justin Huxtable – $2.45) fished third.

“It was probably a trainer error with Out Of Luck,” Taylor said. “I scratched him out of the mile race, and he raced like he wanted that today.”

John Poots back in the winners’ circle after a tough couple of years

It was heartening to see owner-trainer John Poots back in the winners’ circle today with six-year-old gelding Snazzy Snitzel.

Poots, seriously injured in a paddock accident at his home a couple of years ago, was smiling when Snazzy Snitzel, ridden by apprentice Amy Graham, got the photo finish result in the Centre State Signs 0-55 handicap (1100m).  After being held in the saddling enclosure for a few minutes to get a bridle replaced, Snazzy Snitzel ($6.00) showed enormous courage to hold off a determined Gilbert’s Gold (McKenzie Apel – $7.00) and win by a nose. ‘Toowoomba-trained Chockablock (Jade Metcalfe -$19.00) was close up in third place. It was Snazzy Snitzel’s first win since he scored his maiden win at Callaghan Park last August.

“He is a big lump of a horse, and he just keeps on going,” Poots said.

“His trial form has been good so I’m glad he could win again.”

Louise, John’s wife was also extremely happy for John whose life was put on hold in July 2023 when he had his accident.

Poots had a slow but somewhat miraculous recovery.

The horseman suffered serious brain injuries in a horse accident at his Port Curtis property and was airlifted to the Royal Brisbane Hospital for surgery.

He was then bedridden and fed intravenously in ICU for over six weeks.

The following September, Poots was transferred to the Surgical Treatment and Rehabilitation Services complex (STARS) adjoining the Brisbane hospital from where he underwent intensive and extensive rehabilitation therapy.

That therapy included being taught to eat normally again, get out of bed, take steps and eventually walk with assistance.

Louise “his rock” constantly remained with him during his hospitalisation and rehabilitation in Brisbane, then cared for John when he returned home so he could eventually return to what he loves.

The smiles on their faces on Thursday said it all.

“It’s been a long road but I’m here,” John said.

Raul rules the track in the Open Handicap

Rockhampton cup winning jockey Raul Silvera Olivera summed up the Office National Open Handicap (1300m) nicely, returning Media Empire to the winners’ list ending a 10 month drought.

The seven-year-old gelding’s previous win was in November 2024.

“He had been racing better horses than he met today,” Silvera Olivera said.

Media Empire ran in the Rockhampton and Mackay Newmarket Handicaps and appreciated the level of his opposition.

Silvera Olivera patiently waited behind the leaders in the small field, before pricing Media Empire to start his winning run 300 metres from the finish. Media ran past Toowoomba galloper Pantelone (Hannah Richardson) and the tiring leader Dragon’s Snip and drew clear. Media Empire ($4.60) won by almost a length from Pantelone ($5.00) with Moenave (Sean Cormack – $3.60) in third place. Dragon’s Snip, the $2.35 favourite tired to finish last of the five runners. Silvera Olivera has ridden Media Empire three times and has now won two races on him for trainer Jason Morgan.

Morgan has a small team. He only has three horses in work and two horses currently racing.

Apprentice stuck on 99 wins

Apprentice jockey Nikki Olzard started the day at Callaghan Park hopeful she would reach a milestone 100 race winning rides.

The 18-year-old who has been riding for just under two-and-a-half years won the first race on her favourite horse Our Eagle Rock which took her to one win away from the magical 100. Raced by the Sturgiss family, Our Eagle Rock ($6.50) in the small four-horse field parked behind the leaders before zipping home a quick last 600m in 32.8s to win by a long neck from the race favourite Krackacan (McKenzie Apel – $1.50) with Tinkerbella (Hannah Richardson $8.00) in third place. Our Eagle Rock has now won two races in a month for trainer Sileas Green.

Olzard was hopeful to get the ton of wins on favourite Dragon’s Snip in the Open Handicap. The winner of the Newmarket at Gladstone’s Ferguson Park last week led the field for a long way but tired to miss the placings.

Boom Boom loves Rocky

“She just loves Rockhampton,” Bundaberg trainer Lyn Petersen said after Boom Boom Bella powered home to her second Callaghan Park winner in a month.

The Spirit Of Boom five-year-old was well ridden by Leah Martyn to win the Benchmark 65 Handicap (1600m) by 2-1/2 lengths.

After getting to the lead in the straight Boom Boom Bella ($3.90) packed too much punch for General Wolffe (Raul Silvera Olivera -$4.80) with favourite Prepotent (Ryan Wiggins – $3.20) in third place.  “It doesn’t matter if its wet or dry, she just seems to love racing here,” Petersen said.

Apel scores on Bundy galloper

Another Bundaberg galloper, Tizo Fab won the Parkhurst Quality Meats 0-55 Handicap (1400m).

Ridden by top apprentice rider McKenzie Apel, Tizo Fab saluted for trainer Darryl Gardiner.

Not a noted front-runner, Tizo Fab ($2.90) clung to the lead and stalled off all challengers.

“I just let him slide,” Apel said. “He doesn’t normally lead but that’s where we land from barrier eight.” It was Tizo Fab’s first Rockhampton win from five attempts on the track.

He won by a long neck from Jay Be Ell (Adam Sewell – $9.00) with Iconic Prince (Sean Cormack – $8.00) getting home hard into third place.

Apel heads to Cairns and will ride Pipistrelle for Ricky Vale in the Newmarket Handicap at Cannon Park on Friday and has rides there on Cup Day. Pipistrelle has drawn gate 10 in the 1400m sprint.

• David Aldred (CEO)