Stephanie Tierney heads back to Rockhampton

By Glenn Davis

Rookie apprentice Stephanie Tierney will be hoping to equal her career best or go one better when she heads to her favourite track at Callaghan Park in Rockhampton on Tuesday.

The 39-year-old Tierney is one of the oldest mature-aged apprentices in the state and has ridden trebles on two occasions at Gayndah last year and at Callaghan Park in February.

Tierney started riding in Queensland at the end of July last year and is fast making a name for herself with a strike-rate of 17.8% with 26 wins from 147 rides in her brief career.

Her season strike rate stands at 16.9% and nine of her wins have been at Rockhampton.

The New Zealand-born Tierney started off as a trackwork rider for Sunshine Coast trainer Stuart Kendrick a few years ago before deciding to make a leap of faith into race riding.

“Stu has been great. I was down in confidence a bit when I started riding trackwork for him,” Tierney said.

“It was Stu who gave me the confidence to have a go at riding.

“I’ve ridden two trebles and my aim now is to ride four in one day and all my four rides at Rocky are good chances.”

Tierney once worked as a dairy farmer in New Zealand before relocating to Western Australia where she met trainer Warwick Bradshaw and declared she wanted to learn how to ride.

Despite having no experience in the saddle, she started riding trackwork and competed in picnic races as an amateur at tracks such as Landor and Pinjarra in WA. 

She then returned to her homeland to begin a training career but only prepared eight winners in a seven-year period until 2022 before making her way to Queensland’s Sunshine Coast.

After riding work for Kendrick, Tierney made a brave decision to begin a professional riding career and hasn’t looked back.

Kendrick has been Tierney’s greatest supporter and she believes she’s a realistic chance of riding another treble.

Tierney rates King Spirit in the Open Handicap over 1100 metres as the pick of her quartet.

But, she also believes her remaining rides, Turbo Torque (QTIS Maiden), Out Of Aces (Benchmark 62 Handicap) and Storm Force Ten (Benchmark 60 Handicap) are all strong chances.

King Spirit is chasing a hat-trick of wins and Tierney was aboard in both victories at his past two starts in Rockhampton.

“He loves racing at Rockhampton and he’s a great chance with a light weight,” she said.

“I’ve won on him twice and I’d love to make it three.”