Champion hoop Maurice Campbell still producing

By Jordan Gerrans

The days of the great Balmerino are long gone but champion former rider Maurice Campbell can still produce a winner.

Now based on the Gold Coast, Maurice prepares a small team of horses alongside his trainer wife Paula as they keep an interest in the gallopers for their enjoyment.

The Campbells landed a memorable maiden triumph with All Too Foxy on Sunday afternoon after they previously trained her mother Indibelle. 

The husband-and-wife team are no longer racing at the highest level like the peak of their careers in the sport, but the victories are still as sweet as ever.

They both have multiple Group 1 victories on their resumes after decades in the caper as Maurice travelled the globe alongside champion horse Balmerino, who was prepared by long-time Brisbane conditioner Brian J Smith.

The 74-year-old Maurice is still riding work for his wife around the Gold Coast track most mornings.

“He has ridden work for other trainers up until about a year ago, but he just mainly focuses on our horses now,” Paula said. 

“He will still ride jump-outs, you cannot stop him because he is very fit.”

Maurice rode trackwork for the Edmonds and Laming stables on the Gold Coast until only recently. 

Balmerino put Smith and Maurice’s name up in the greatest lights as the stallion raced extensively across the globe before being inducted into the Racing Hall of Fame in Australia and New Zealand.

The great Balmerino won a Brisbane Cup in 1976 in a career that dazzled the globe.

The long-retired Maurice rode Balmerino in Sydney, New Zealand, Brisbane, the USA and in England.

All Too Foxy won at her 11^th career attempt on Sunday after running a nice race at Caloundra first-up in the middle of December.

Group 1-winning hoop Kyle Wilson-Taylor has struck up a nice bond with the Campbell barn as he rode the filly in a Gold Coast trial in early December and has been the pilot in her two runs this preparation. 

Wilson-Taylor’s ride aboard All Too Foxy on Sunday at Lismore was praised by Maurice and Paula as he stalked the leaders before sticking to the inside and winning by half-a-length. 

The stable had no luck with All Too Foxy through 2025, so they were glad to see her chalk up her first victory. 

“That was her best performance, by far,” Maurice said. 

“A lot of things didn’t go right last prep; she went good first-up and then after that in a few runs, nothing went right so we put her out and started again.

“She will get 1400 metres; there is no doubt about that. I had the best rider on in the race, as well.”

The 26-year-old Wilson-Taylor has remained loyal to the three-year-old filly throughout her entire preparation and the jockey was pleased to ride a winner for the Campbells.

“She was good,” the top hoop said of Sunday’s performance.

“She did weaken the other day over 1000 metres, I thought she would be pretty right to go 1000 metres.

“But, she does so well between trials and she did so well between that run and this one. She will improve from this run again.

“It is good to get a win for them; they are good people. They do a good job with their horses.”

All Too Foxy’s mother Indibelle was originally prepared by Mick Price in Victoria before having four starts around the Gold Coast area for the Campbell stable back in 2019. 

While she did not win a race on the track, Indibelle – who is a daughter of Lonhro – has now been able to produce a winner as a broodmare. 

Indibelle’s first progeny Black Assassin has gone 24 starts without success. 

All Too Foxy’s victory on Sunday was a special one for the Campbell stable.  

“My sister and my brother-in-law, they bred from the mare and she is the first winner from her,” trainer Paula said.

“For them, it was a big thrill. It was really good to see her win.

“It was good for the team to get that win after a long process with breeding. Hopefully she can go through the grades now and see how we go with her.”

The Kiwi Campbells have been in Australia since 1995 and are enjoying poking around with a small team in the Sunshine State. 

The win on Sunday was the first for the stable since the 2022-23 season. 

“I enjoy our horses, it has been our lives,” Paula said.

“So, we do it for the enjoyment of it all. I like dealing with horses. We just work four horses now, mostly for our family.”

Paula says the stable will go in search of a Class 1 race or Benchmark 58 level event for All Too Foxy as they aim to win the second race of her career in the near future.