Rocky Yearling Sale Grads star in the $500,000 QTIS Jewel

There’s no stopping Sunshine Coast trainer Liam Birchley who bagged another big two-year-old race on Saturday, this time with 2025 Capricornia Yearling Sales graduate, Swift Dragon.

Birchley continued a golden streak with his two-year-olds, which this year has seen him dominant in both New Zealand and Queensland.

A Rockhampton winner earlier this season, Swift Dragon wasn’t favoured by punters but won the $500,000 QTIS Jewel 2YO (1200m) on the Gold Coast, like a short-priced pop.

The gelding looked to be going strong at the finish and had a length to spare on those chasing him home.

It’s been a great year for the Birchley stable with the trainer also collecting big New Zealand prizemoney earlier in the year when Dream Roca won the $1m Karaka Millions 2YO at Ellerslie.

As much as $26 was posted by bookmakers for Swift Dragon with some stable money pushing his price into $19 by race time.

Ryan Wiggins celebrated the victory. One of the most travelled riders in the state, Wiggins travels between SEQ and NQ every week to ride and is currently Rockhampton’s leading jockey. Wiggins had ridden Swift Dragon before. He was on the youngster for its debut win in Rockhampton last December.

“I like to reward jockeys who put in the work,” Birchley said.

Wiggins, who is now odds on to keep the seat for next month’s $168,000 Capricornia 2YO Classic (1200m) at Callaghan Park was full of praise for Swift Dragon.

“I’ve been riding him in his work, and he hasn’t missed a beat. And if you want to be riding two-year-old and three-year-old horses, you want them to be trained by Liam [Birchley]. The horse was definitely on song today.” Wiggins said.

The Capricornia Yearling Sale Race, next month, is exclusive to horses sold at last year’s Rockhampton Sales, and Birchley is looking for back-to-back wins.

Birchley saddled $100 longshot Kerzner to win the 2YO Classic last year and will shoot for double success. Kerzner now races in Hong Kong under the new name of Quantum Cloud.

A gelding by Snitzel stallion Dracarys, Swift Dragon was purchased by Birchley’s Bloodstock Solutions for $60,000 at the Magic Millions Capricornia Sale from the draft of Ellay Bloodstock.

Swift Dragon has a big group of owners, including Victorian racecaller Ric McIntosh who shared in Kerzner’s success last year. With two wins from four starts Swift Dragon has banked nearly $330,000 in prizemoney.

Swift Dragon is the first winner for Tay Swift, a winning Rothesay mare from stakes-winner Perfect Feeling. Tay Swift has a yearling colt by him and was covered by him again last spring after missing the previous year.

Rockhampton’s 2YO Classic on 11 April is shaping to be a very good race.

Another 2025 sale graduate, Better Blitzem, trained in Townsville by Georgie Holt finished third behind Swift Dragon in Saturday’s QTIS Jewel.

Better Blitzem was sold by Kenmore Lodge to winning-bidder Holt Racing in Rockhampton last year for just $5,000.

The one-three finish in the QTIS Jewel is an amazing result for the Rockhampton Sale.

Better Blitzem ($8), ridden by Aiden Holt, who rode last year’s long-priced CYS race winner, was previously unbeaten before the race.

Splitting the CYS duo on the Gold Coast was the Rex Lipp trained Esperanza, the $4 favourite who tried valiantly to reel back Swift Dragon.

The Capricornia Yearling Sale is once again proving to be the best value for money yearling auction in Australia. With only 90 or so yearlings to be sold next month demand is expected to be high. Auctioneers Magic Millions will sell the yearlings at the Robert Schwarten Pavillion, Rockhampton Showgrounds on 12 April. Catalogues for the Sale are online on both the Callaghan Park and Magic Millions websites.

• David Aldred CEO