Rocky’s Alisha Taylor strives for unique treble of firsts

Pepperdine has been a terrific horse for the recently licensed Alisha Taylor to start her training career in Rockhampton. Today at Doomben, the trainer and the gelding will attempt to complete a unique treble of firsts together in the State of Rest 2021 (Bm 70) Handicap 2000m. A victory in the Brisbane race would provide Taylor with another first, a metropolitan winner.

As far as perfect beginnings go, it couldn’t have gone much better for Taylor when she took Pepperdine to Mackay and saddled him as her first starter as a trainer last month. Arriving at Ooralea with three horses, Taylor walked away with a first-up winning double.

Taylor is someone that’s been around the industry all her life. She is a daughter of Caloundra mentor Garnett Taylor, formerly based in Rockhampton, as well as being the sister of premier Rockhampton trainer Clinton Taylor. She rode for her father and had a successful career as a jockey before stepping away once she gave birth to her daughter Chloe just under a decade ago. After a period, riding trackwork and being employed as a foreman for her husband, former Rockhampton trainer Jared Wehlow, Taylor branched out on her own at the start of the season with a small team of horses.

She quickly got out of the blocks winning with Pepperdine, her first runner in Mackay, then Pepperdine, her first runner at Rockhampton’s Callaghan Park, did the job again. “It been very surreal,” the 33-year-old said. Pepperdine, who has raced in Brisbane several times before for her husband, is at double figure odds to win three in a row and get the hat trick of firsts for Taylor, but the race and distance will suit him.

His two wins, fresh from a three-week let up, have been over 1560m and 1600m and the added 400m at Doomben should be right up his alley. The six-year-old by Pierro will also appreciate a little drop in handicap weight to 61kg. Taylor has booked Justin Huxtable for the ride.

RJC CEO, David Aldred.