Darcy Rodgers glad to swap neighbourhoods for bush

By Jordan Gerrans

Growing up at Roma in regional Queensland, Darcy Rodgers clearly recalls researching tried horses online during his school days. 

The high school teachers would not have loved Rodgers’ attention to their lesson for the day, but it displayed where the son of respected Roma trainer Scott Rodgers’ mind was at. 

After working as a stablehand and as a jockey manager in recent years, the 24-year-old has this year taken out his own training ticket.

At his 10^th career starter on Saturday afternoon, the now Toowoomba-based Rodgers grabbed his maiden victory as a trainer when Torvecchio scored with emerging apprentice Reece O'Connell in the saddle. 

Rodgers joked to some of his mates earlier this year that if he hadn’t picked up a winner inside his first five starters, he would give away training. 

He quickly realised it was a tough caper to prepare your own racehorse but in hindsight, he admits he is glad he persisted. 

“Definitely, it was a proud moment,” he said.

“Obviously, I put a lot of time in and a lot of effort goes into them, especially when you do it yourself and you've got such a small team.

“It's very long days, it seems never ending. 

"I'm glad I've been a bit patient because the patience was wearing very thin.

“But, you're only as good as the cattle that you've got so it was good to finally get a win with the mare.”

The daughter of Castelvecchio deserved to win a race after a promising preparation so far. 

The four-year-old mare ran second at Gatton in the middle of February in her first run for Rodgers before putting in credible efforts at Toowoomba and Dalby. 

It was at Warialda Jockey Club, which is just south of the Queensland border, where Torvecchio got the chocolates to hand Rodgers a maiden triumph. 

While Rodgers has been based in Rockhampton and Toowoomba in recent times, he was glad to win his first race on the non-TAB circuit. 

“I stem from bush racing,” he said.

“My Dad obviously has a small team at Roma and we are used to having to travel

“When I have been with him, he's had to travel obviously far distances to get to the races and when I saw Warialda was only three hours from Toowoomba, I decided to go.

“It was a great feeling obviously with very small stable, just starting out.

“It's always been something that I wanted to do. I have always had the ambition to train.

“I have been around horses obviously my whole life and my Dad trained and has trained ever since I was born.”

Scott Rodgers prepares a team of three at Roma and has collected two winners since late February. 

After starting out with his father, Darcy Rodgers has spent time learning his trade at the Tony Gollan stable for a short period of time before working for four years for the training partnership of Corey and Kyle Geran on the Darling Downs.

“They've been pretty good to me, Corey and Kylie,” he said.

“They've been big helps and big supporters of obviously what I wanted to do.”

The Geran camp also had runners at Warialda on Saturday with Rodgers helping travel their horses south for the meeting. 

The up-and-coming O'Connell is indentured to the Gerans. 

Torvecchio won by more than a length in Benchmark 45 Handicap company over 1170 metres.

“She's very consistent, she's a hard trier and she always gives her all,” he said.

“When you take her to the races you know what you're going to get, she gives her 100%.

“She's just been knocking on the door; she wasn't going good enough to win one of those races in recent weeks.

“But, she was just around the mark.

“That's what I thought, the step back down in company would help her and I just freshened her up a little bit and dropped her back in trip and it seemed to get the job done.”

Rodgers prepares a team of three with Royal Triple Shot and Egypitian's Reward in his barn alongside Torvecchio.