David Aldred’s Post

“I grew up riding my bike on my grandparents farm dreaming one day I’d ride the winner of the Kentucky Derby, and now I have,” those were the words of jockey Brian Hernandez Jr., in a television interview after he won today’s Grade 1, 150th Kentucky Derby (2012m) riding 18/1 shot Mystik Dan at Churchill Downs. “My whole family is in racing and to win the Kentucky Derby is unbelievable,” Hernandez Jr. said. In a three way thriller Mystik Dan held off late swoopers Sierra Leone and Forever Young to get the judges result in a photo with noses separating the trio. The underdog made up good ground early and loomed up to be behind the leaders. Fierceness and Track Phantom took the 20 runnners through first half of the race in 46.63s. Hernandez Jr. cut the corner and dashed Mystik Dan clear in the straight. It proved a winning move but the jockey had to call on all his strength where it counted, at the winning post. It was the second massive win for the duo over the weekend. Mystik Dan’s trainer Ken McPeek became the first trainer since 1952 to win the Oaks and Derby in the same year. Hernandez Jr. also completed the double riding yesterday’s Oaks winner. The Derby winner is owned by Lance Gasaway, 4G Racing, Daniel Hamby III and Valley View Farm. The connections got Mystik Dan (Goldencents - Ma’am) into the Kentucky Derby via an 8 length victory in the Grade 3 Southwest Stakes and a third place in the Grade 1 Arkansas Derby. 🏆DA 📸150th Kentucky Derby

On this day in 1998 the Queensland Guineas was raced in torrential rain and the Group Classic mile provided an amazing story and a happy ending to a sad week. It was by chance that the races were allowed to proceed, and it was a heart-wrenching decision whether the eventual winner, Insecure would take its place in the race. The heavens opened at Eagle Farm, and the Guineas was run through lightning strikes and thunderclaps. It was as if someone from above was letting Brisbane know that an incredible performance was about to happen. That someone was likely Toowoomba trainer Barry Higgins, who died just days before. A heart attack took the 58-year-old's life hours after he oversaw the final Guineas gallop of Insecure. The family's first thought was to scratch from the Guineas, after all, Insecure was a longshot to win and there were more important matters on the Higgins family's mind. But daughter Karen Brideson insisted that her horse Insecure race in her dad's memory. Three days after the trainer passed-away, jockey Mike Pelling told an amazing story of how Insecure's Classic win unfolded. Pelling's account would make anyone believe in divine intervention. "He was in a hopeless position, five lengths last, and a half-furlong (100m) off the leaders coming around the home turn and I couldn't see a thing (in the torrential rain). I just pulled him to the outside and hoped for the best. Something was lifting him up and it wasn't me," Pelling said as he looked to the heavens after unsaddling Insecure. "I must admit that got a little exuberant on him at the finish, after (the previous week), convincing Barry not to lose faith in him." Karen and her brother, Barry's son Craig, the stable foreman, knew their father would want Insecure to take his place in the Guineas. What an amazing result! Insecure (66/1) ploughed through the mud and scored, running away with water splashing beneath his hooves by 2-1/2 lengths from Sydney galloper Enforced (16/1) with the rank outsider Count Scenario (100/1) in third place. Odds-on favourite Noise, ridden by Larry Cassidy for John Hawkes ran fourth with the jockey telling the trainer that he was blinded by mud for the last half of the race. Barry Higgins purchased Insecure (Mendham - Secure Belle) in a package of four horses for only $3,000. His Queensland Guineas win pushed his earnings to over $200,000. Craig Higgins took over Insecure's training after Barry's death and the gelding added another $140,000 to his winnings with career earnings of $344,000 from 9 wins over distances from 1200m to 3200m. One of Queensland most successful trainers for over 30 years, Higgins is best remembered for his outstanding performers, Prince Frolic, Bucks Pride and Smileakyle. Oh, and to prove that Barry was conducting proceedings on Guineas Day, 26 years ago, the racing stewards called the remainder of the Eagle Farm meeting off, right after Insecure's memorable win.🏆DA 📸: Muddied face Mike Pelling and rain-soaked Insecure

Took a step back in time this week at Rockhampton's Callaghan Park. I was once again behind the 10 x 50s with the headset back on to call the official RJC barrier trials and jump-outs at the track. Russell "Brolga" Leonard, our regular RJC race caller, took some well-earned R&R to enjoy The Bool's fabulous annual racing carnival, so I stepped up to do the calling duties. Other than having issues with the on-track PA sound system, all else went okay. The star of the trials was Clinton Taylor's outstanding 2YO colt, Astapor (replay below). A son of Tassort, Astapor won Trial Three (900m) by 6.25 lengths, clocking 54.6s, as you would imagine easily the fastest of the session. The Rodney Hay-owned youngster has looked impressive from day one. He won his first two starts in Rockhampton and Brisbane before, finishing fourth in the Group 3 Bruce McLachlan Stakes last campaign.🏆DA 🎞WATCH: ASTAPOR'S TRIAL WIN @ CALLAGHAN PARK https://lnkd.in/gFNzxjvJ

With our third race meeting in 15 days, the Rockhampton Jockey Club's Callaghan Park racecourse is in fine fettle, for today's six-race TAB card. The RJC raced 12 races including the Capricornia Yearling Sale 2YO Classic and Capricornia Yearling Sale 3 & 4YO Classic at Callaghan Park on Thursday 18 April, then ten days later, last Sunday, the track was again produced in tip-top order for the rich Rocky Amateurs Race Day with eight races run including the $775,000 The Archer. With races today, it will make a total of 26 individual races run at Callaghan Park in just over two weeks. We're very proud of our track manager Trent Williams and his team who have once again come up trumps today producing a magnificent racing deck with the surface rated a Soft 5. The RJC has a busy month with Barrier Trials to be run tomorrow, Races on 14 May and 23 May, Barrier Trials on 24 May, and Races on 31 May. 🏆DA

Having our third race meeting in 15 days, the Rockhampton Jockey Club’s Callaghan Park Racecourse is in fine fettle, for today’s six-race TAB card.

News breaking tonight that Bevan “Bill” Johnson has pencilled in bush legend Fab’s Cowboy’s swan song. Johnson said Fab’s Cowboy, an iconic galloper on the state’s country racetracks, will farewell racing at Longreach, an outback town, fittingly smack in the heart of Queensland. When: July 27 Where: Longreach Racecourse Race: Open Sprint (SW) 1200 metres. The 12YO recorded his 54th win last weekend at Mt Isa. His modern-day record stands at 153 starts: 54 wins: 31 seconds and 13 thirds. His prizemoney is $438,930. The gelding who has developed a cult-like following is the best-performed galloper by stallion Greenwood Lake (USA). From the mare Real Live Woman, Fab’s Cowboy was foaled in a heat wave in 2011 and weaned during a drought. He raced for the first time nearly four years later at Roma in 2015 and ran 9th of 11 starters. He scored his first win in a Gladstone Maiden Handicap in 2015. Thoroughbreds face mandatory retirement when they turn 13 years. In Australia, the horse's birthday is the 1st day in August. 🏆DA 📸: Bush Legend Fab’s Cowboy

17-year-old apprentice jockey Jaimie-Lee Devine had her first race ride on her home track at Thangool on Monday and she made sure it was a memorable one. The newbie apprentice who gained race riding experience in jump outs in Rockhampton, joined an elite club to win the race on debut. Devine rode the aptly named Imagine That trained at the Thangool track, south-west of Rockhampton by her dad, former jockey Jason Devine, and her victory was a real family celebration with her mother Edwina, the Thangool Race Club secretary, the winning owner. With the apprentice's 4kg claim Imagine That carried 57.5kg and won by 1.5 lengths from Richunclemoneybags (Tom Orr) with Chilli Palmer (Tash Chambers) 2.5 lengths away in third place. The victory in the BM 45 Handicap (1200m) was Imagine That's fourth from 23 starts. Ms. Devine was only notified three days before the race that her apprentice race riding license had been approved. What an incredible start to the talented young lady's career. 🏆DA 📸: 17YO Jaimie-Lee Devine rode a winner for her dad and mum, at her first race ride at Thangool on Monday.

The big prize on offer at yesterday's Rocky Amateurs has stayed local with trainer Ricky Vale’s tough frontrunner Namazu running its rivals off their legs in the $775,000 The Archer (1300m) at Callaghan Park. Vale is one of Rockhampton's leading trainers and his achievement to first get his sprinter into the race and then win it was remarkable. Racing in the slot for Yeppoon-based businesswoman Karla McPhail, Namazu was ridden a gem of a race by local jockey Ashley Butler, who incredibly has now won two of the three editions of the richest race north of Queensland's south-east corner. Namazu, who dropped 9 kgs in handicapped weight from his previous Mackay win to carry 59kgs under the set weight for age scale in The Archer, was allowed to stride freely in front by Butler. "I wasn't worried about the wide draw, I knew I had speed outside of me in Master Jamie," Butler said. “I got a couple of cheap sectionals mid-race and I just let him run in the straight. I knew when I straightened it was going to take a damn good horse to run me down." Namazu won by almost a length from Lavish Empire (Josh Parr) with Mishani Sniper (Robbie Dolan) a length away in third place. The heavily backed race favourite Strait Acer finished just behind the trio after being given his chance to win in the long 600m straight. In winning The Archer, Namazu took his career earnings to over $1,000,000. A 6yo by Megalia D'oro from Earthquake has now won 13 of his 40 race starts. Racing industry leaders, Queensland’s Racing Minister Grace Grace and Racing Queensland CEO Jason Scott were among those at Callaghan Park to support the event. Racegoers were treated to a feast of racing with top trainers and southern jockeys competing. The feature support race The Fitzroy (1300m) was won by Sir Warwick, trained by Jake Capewell and ridden by Melbourne Cup winning jockey Michael Rodd, while the Rocky Amateur's Cup (1600m) was won by local Devil Kick, trained by Kerrod Smyth and ridden by Robbie Dolan. Justin Stanley and Dolan shared riding honours at the meeting both getting winning doubles while other winning riders were Andrew Mallyon and Emily Lang. The Rocky Amateurs announced that The Archer is set to be even bigger in 2025 with prizemoney increasing to $1 million and the race winner receiving an automatic entry into the state's richest race, the $3 million Stradbroke Handicap (1400m) at Eagle Farm in June, 2025.🏆DA 📸: The brave Namazu winner of the $775,000 The Archer after his biggest victory on Sunday at the RJC's Callaghan Park

That's 54 wins for 'The Cowboy". Fab's Cowboy loves Mt Isa and stretched his winning record to an amazing 54 victories on the outback city track. He only had a handful of opponents but with young 4kg claim apprentice Mel Campbell in the saddle Fab's Cowboy made easy work of the Open Handicap (1000m). The Bevan Johnson-trained marvel defeated Theresabearinthere by almost three lengths with Splasher in third place. The winning time was 59.8s. Fab's Cowboy is the modern-day Queensland record holder for most races won. He has raced 153 times for 54 wins and 44 minor placings. The gelding, who had a rough start in life, and has raced his entire career on Queensland tracks mostly on the country circuit, continues to build on his lifetime achievements before he is forced into retirement when he turns 13 in August. A paddock at Living Legends, just outside of Melbourne may have his name on it when his racing days are over. 🏆DA 📸 Queensland's iconic Fab's Cowboy won his 54th race in Mt Isa on Saturday.'

Two New Zealand fillies who took Adelaide by storm winning today’s Group 1 Australasian Oaks during the early 1990s began their racing careers with the great Dave ‘D.J’ O’Sullivan, who sadly was lost to racing this week, aged 90 years.                                           Three decades ago, Our Tristalight and Tristalove both achieved their fame under the tutelage of Bart Cummings but were broken in, educated, and started racing with O’Sullivan. Our Tristalight was a graduate of O’Sullivan and his son Paul's famous school and hit the track as the top of her class. The grey won her first three races, including the Group 2 Matamata Breeders Stakes, underlining her potential as a future star. Australia beckoned. Her owners Hong Kong-based solicitor Alan Lam and architect Frank Feng elected to chance their luck in Melbourne. It didn’t go as planned initially with her form below her best. But there was a reason. Our Tristalight had a throat virus. The owners elected to keep her in Australia and she remained in Cummings’ Melbourne stable under the watchful eye of foreman Leon Corstens. In the autumn of 1993, Cummings took Our Tristalight to another level. Teaching the filly to relax Our Tristalight was readied for future distance assignments. In Adelaide she flourished. The 1993 Australasian Oaks (2014m) was her first test, and she came of age. Steven King settled her in 7th place in the 15-horse field before sending her forward to challenge for the lead at the 400m. Our Tristalight made winning a Group race look easy, darting away to score by 2-1/2 lengths from Western Classic and The Penny. A fortnight later she repeated the performance in the Group 1 South Australian Oaks (2400m), becoming the first to achieve the Oaks double. A year later Lam, Feng and Cummings were back at Morphettville, this time with Tristalove. After starting with the O’Sullivan’s Tristalove, like Our Tristalight, won the Matamata Breeders Stakes, but in Australia she went one better also winning the Group 1 AJC Sires’ Produce. The spring didn’t deal up the results the connections hoped for but, in the autumn, Tristalove in Cummings stable emerged as a major player. Tristalove put together three successive wins in Group and Listed races in Melbourne before hitting Adelaide. Her first assignment was the Group 3 Guineas (1800m) and Damien Oliver guided her to victory over Sportsbeat and Jonquest. The Australasian Oaks was next. Tristalove (Simon Marshall) coasted around the home turn and accelerated down the straight to leave her 11 rivals chasing. She won the 2000m race by 1-1/2 lengths from Pindi and Our Mess. The daughters of champion sire Sir Tristram both had tremendous success on the racetrack and also proved to be top broodmares. Our Tristalight produced Group 1 2000 Guineas winner Danske while Tristalove is represented by four stakes winners including Group 1 Champion Stakes winner, Viking Ruler.🏆DA Photo: Our Tristalight