Sutton family ring the Bell

By Jordan Gerrans

The Darling Downs-based Sutton clan celebrated a special victory with galloper Roigard as a massive crowd descended on Bell Race Club for their popular meeting.

The annual Bell program in early January of every year is a well-attended raceday with more than 3,000 people on track on Saturday afternoon for the occasion.

Hobby trainer John Sutton travelled Roigard from his Nobby base north to Bell for the races and walked away with a maiden victory with his bay gelding.

It was a memorable occasion for Sutton who part-owns the six-year-old alongside his daughter Stacey who also rides all his trackwork.

Based at Nobby on the Darling Downs, the Sutton father-and-daughter team are one of the few stables who use the Clifton track to exercise their horses for their upcoming assignments.

After 23 prior attempts to break his maiden status, apprentice hoop Bailie Baker piloted Roigard to victory over 1300 metres on Saturday in a Maiden Plate.

“It was really good to see him finally win,” the hobby trainer said.

“I think the trouble early on with him was that he was over racing a bit.

“He just wasn’t going to the line and just stopping. We decided to put the crossover noseband on him about five starts ago and he is going further now.

“He is going to the post a lot better now and I think that has been the trick for him. Hopefully he can do it again somewhere soon.”

The Suttons purchased Roigard for $1,600 online in October of 2024 and gave him 15 starts before he broke through at Bell on Saturday.

The racing game has always been a family affair for John Sutton with his father’s side of the family involved in the industry for many decades.

“I love it,” he said.

The 67-year-old has always kept a small team of horses at Nobby over the last 30 years.

He enjoyed recent success with When Doves Fly who won at Toowoomba in March of 2024.

When Doves Fly was also owned by the father-and-daughter combination.

The Bell Race Club attracted record crowds to their annual meeting on Saturday with upwards of 3,000 people attending, which was up from just above 2,000 the year prior.

The Suttons take their gallopers into the track at Clifton for their fast work.

Alongside local horseman Bill Keenan, the Sutton stable are one of the few that use the Clifton facility to prepare their team.

The track had an influx of horses in recent weeks with several Warwick trainers heading north to Clifton after their track was damaged following the recent heavy storms in the area.

The Nobby-based Sutton is considering heading south of the border to Deepwater for a 1400 metre Class 1 Handicap event with Roigard for his next assignment.

“He is good to work and everything,” the trainer said.

“But, when you get to the races, he knows what he is there for. He is good to work and ride.”

It was a notable day for female apprentice riders at Bell on Saturday as well as the young ladies rode the entire card.

The Gold Coast-based Baker collected a winning double with the three other races won by Amelia Heinrich, Isabel Jessop and Jess Emmerson.

Veteran trainer Sutton praised the job of the 25-year-old Baker aboard Roigard.

“She is going good and I was happy with that ride,” he said.