Skip to main navigation Skip to main content

Stewart makes rare trip to Mackay

16 October 2019

Share this page

Share on a platform

Or copy the page link

By Glenn Davis

Widely travelled jockey Ron Stewart will make a rare appearance at Mackay on Thursday when he joins the list of fly-in riders.

Stewart has been a journeyman most of his riding career having ridden with great success in Singapore, Mauritius, Macau as well as South Australia, NSW and now Queensland.

Stewart, a former champion Sydney apprentice, has called Brisbane home since relocating three years ago following a stint riding for John Meagher in Singapore.

Stewart currently sits just outside the top 10 in the Brisbane jockeys’ premiership with six wins.

He has picked up five rides, most of which were originally taken by jockey Ash Butler who broke a finger riding in Townsville last week.

Two of his rides are on the Olivia Cairns-trained Deejaybeat in the Maiden Handicap (1560m) and Last Chance in the Benchmark 60 Handicap (1300m).

His others are the Jared Wehlow-trained Durif in the Open Handicap (1100m), Ricky Vale’s San Vincenzo in the Class Six Plate (1300m) and Clint Thompson’s Ancient Aztec in the Class 2 Handicap (1100m).

Wehlow is confident Durif can maintain his unbeaten record at Mackay despite a last start failure when 10th at Cairns on September 14.

“He’s unbeaten in three starts at Mackay and he should be hard to beat again,” Wehlow said.

“He’s coming back to 1100 metres and he hasn’t drawn too well in barrier nine.

“Hopefully, Ronny can get the best out of him and overcome the draw.

“He’s the best horse I’ve got in my stable.”

Last Chance looks to the best of Cairn’s rides for Stewart.

Deejaybeat finished second in his stable debut for Cairns at Mackay on October 5 but has the burden of carrying topweight of 59kgs from a horror barrier 13.

Last Chance also has topweight with a mammoth 62kgs in the final event but is better drawn in barrier six.

The four-year-old caught the eye when he resumed with a fast finishing second, beaten in a photo, by Cohesion at Mackay on October 5.

Racing Queensland webnews  October 16