Gaga breaks luckless streak

By Rockhampton Jockey Club CEO David Aldred

Sir Donald Bradman’s brother couldn’t bat, and Dame Nellie Melba’s sister couldn’t sing and for a while it looked like the Rockhampton-trained sister of superstar thoroughbred Giga Kick couldn’t win.

But Miss Gaga, an older full sibling of Giga Kick, the $9.6M race winner of the TAB Everest, Group 1 Doomben 10,000 and ATC All Aged Stakes, dispelled that theory when she broke her “duck’’ in Maiden race run at Yeppoon’s Keppel Park last Saturday. As if he was the mare’s lucky charm, Giga Kick’s 28yo trainer Clayton Douglas was in Rocky the day before the race, as a guest of the CQ Amateur’s – The Archer 2024 launch at the Red Lion Hotel. Ridden by in-form apprentice jockey Brooke Johnson, Miss Gaga won the Yeppoon $10,000 Maiden (1000m) defeating Goldie’s Power and Kuryakin. For Berserker trainer Clinton Taylor it was a case of mission completed. Taylor achieved what he had to do, win a race with the 5yo daughter of Scissor Kick and Rekindled Applause who was previously trained in Brisbane by Steven O’Dea and Matthew Hoysted. With the victory locked away on her resume, Miss Gaga will now leave CQ to be transported to a stud in NSW for the start of the next phase of her life as a broodmare. Because of her bloodlines, Miss Gaga retires after five starts for one win and zero placings as a valuable broodmare.

Callaghan Park’s track manager Trent Williams will represent the RJC at the TAB Australian Racecourse Managers (ARMA) Conference in Cairns next week. The keynote speaker at the Conference is Chris Stickels, the Head of Racing and Clerk of the Course (the Racecourse Manager) at Royal Ascot Racecourse in the UK. Mr. Stickels is expected give the Australian track managers some amazing insights to turf management. The conference is geared towards empowering attendees to remain up-to-date with the latest developments and to encourage networking and collaboration within the industry, and as such it will address topic such as: Mental Health & Support for Track Managers; Equine welfare from a turf management perspective; The future of battery-run equipment and machinery; How technology is changing turf management practises; Managing media inquiries and presentation; Environmental issues and practises in the industry and Businesses & products within the industry that improve efficiencies and provide safer workplaces. There will be a number of trade exhibitions at the conference and the track managers will also enjoy presentations on the progress of significant racecourse projects, such as the Moonee Valley & Gold Coast Turf Club Masterplans and the new Heath racetrack at Caulfield.

Twenty-two-year-old young gun Rockhampton trainer Tom Smith landed his very first Brisbane metropolitan race winner with Acres Away at Eagle Farm last Saturday. Acres Away made it four victories from five starts, the latest couple with Les ‘Bubba’ Tilley in the saddle. A locally owned and bred three-year-old chestnut gelding by Top Echelon from four-time winner Hoywedge (by Choisir) is proving to be a profitable horse for the punters. If you have been following the chestnut gelding in its career so far you would have achieved a 332 percent return on investment. On Saturday Acres Away put away Kitri by almost half a length with Crimson Warning chasing in third place. Prior to winning at Eagle Farm, Acres Away’s previous three wins had been in Mackay at Ooralea. His only defeat was at Rocky’s Callaghan Park, when he finished third to the smart youngster Shamedy in a QTIS 2yo at Callaghan Park back in March. Smith has come a long way in a short time. He trained his first race winner, Ask Me Tomorrow just three years ago.

In the north, with the Townsville carnival in full swing, trainer Jamie McConachy flew the flag for Rockhampton winning the $75,000 Magic Millions Townsville Guineas last Sunday with City Mission. Ridden by Adrian Layt, City Mission burst clear of the pack to win the QTIS feature from another Rocky local Top Spy (Les Tilley) with Gulf of Lion (Jason Taylor), third. Having her race starts well-spaced, it was City Mission’s second victory from her last three runs with her previous win at Ipswich’s Bundamba track back in May. Lightly raced, City Mission, the winner of three races has finished top three, 12 times from 13 starts. The 4yo mare, a daughter of Group 1 Champagne Stakes winning Aquis Park stallion, The Mission from Alexandra Gardens (by Royal Academy) has now won close to $100,000.

The new extension to the Rockhampton Jockey Club function rooms, including a fabulous new spacious covered entertainment deck overlooking the racetrack and saddling enclosure is getting closer to competition every day. The RJC extension, which will also incorporate new offices, training rooms and other industry facilities, is tracking towards being finished by the end of the month, or soon thereafter. Contractors are busy working on the extension and upgrades which will also include a new entry to the course as well other cosmetic improvements to show of one of Rocky’s sporting crown jewels, Callaghan Park.

CQ and NQ Carnival racing continues today with the Gladstone Cup at Ferguson Park and the Townsville Cup at Cluden Park. Rockhampton trainers and jockey are heading in both directions, chasing the prizemoney and feature races. The Gladstone Cup raced on the sand over 1608m carries total prizemoney of $15,000, while the Club’s sprint the Newmarket handicap (1194m) has $12,000 on offer. In Townsville the $150,000 Townsville Cup has drawn a monster field for the 2000m contest. Similarly, the Cleveland Bay sprint (1300m) will be a crackerjack race. Ricky Vale and Ryan Wiggins team with the topweight Namazu in the Townsville Cup but they haven’t been well-served by the barrier draw, almost the outside of the capacity field. Similarly, Jared Whelow has copped a “visitors draw” with Quality Asset. Grame Green’s dual Rocky Cup winner Master Jamie (Les Tilley) and Clinton Taylor’s speedy Princess Tenko (Justin Stanley) will also run from a wide gate in the Cleveland Bay. Jamie McConachy has faired only slight better at the gates with Montenegro Man (Adrian Layt). Wehlow has had much better luck in Gladstone with Kobe Rocks to be ridden by Chris McIver to jump from barrier one in the Cup. Tim Cook’s Agus Tawynd has drawn barrier two while the race topweight Starsonic will run from the widest gate (6) for apprentice Brooke Johnson. Best wishes to both the Townsville and Gladstone Clubs for their feature race days.