Toowoomba brickie lays foundations for stable

By Jordan Gerrans

When you have laid bricks for a day job for as long as Toowoomba’s Stephen Kirkwood has, it becomes second nature. 

All horse trainers put in long hours, but the 55-year-old from the Darling Downs probably takes it to another level. 

He prepares a team of around 10 well before the sun rises before putting in a full day on the tools. 

A brick layer since he was 15 years of age, Kirkwood admits that while he does work long and hard on building sites around Toowoomba, it does allow for plenty of thinking time for his team of gallopers during the day. 

“As I have been doing it for so long, whilst there has to be a little bit of thought in brick laying, there's not a lot,” the trainer says.

“I've got plenty of time all day. I've got nine or 10 hours at work during the day where I can think about everything.

“That goes for what horses are doing, what they've done, what we should be doing or what we shouldn't be doing.

“That sort of fills the day in and keeps me occupied while I'm there.”

While Kirkwood puts plenty of mental energy into all his horses, Magritte has taken up lots of his time as he has built houses over the last year. 

The two-year-old filly is still a maiden runner, but she could easily have strung together a few wins if things had gone her way. 

Despite not yet winning a race, Magritte has banked more than $120,000 for her connections after placing in the Listed Phelan Ready as well as running in the Magic Millions Classic. 

The daughter of Better Than Ready is back for her second racing campaign as she placed in her first-up assignment at Doomben earlier this month. 

With the 2026 Queensland Racing Carnival on the horizon, Magritte will start in the Listed Calaway Gal over 1200 metres on Saturday.

“She raced very nicely in her first-up run,” Kirkwood said.

“It was a really good run for a first-up performance since her run in the Magic Millions, so we're very happy with her.

“I think she's just really learning her trade, learning how to race properly. She was always a little bit slow to begin in her first prep.

“And, this prep, she has come back and had a trial and a jump-out leading into that first start.

“She began nice in both of them and then in the race she began very nicely and a lot better than what most jockeys, after seeing her in a race, expected.”

Kirkwood’s stable apprentice Isabel Jessop rode the filly in her trial in the middle of last month at Clifford Park and she was impressed with how well she has come back this time in.

“She went super the other week, just before her last run,” Jessop said.

“She was really well and the best she's ever felt. 

"So, it's pretty exciting leading up into this second run of her preparation.

“She gave me a very good feel, she's very professional, she loves her job and she loves to gallop.

“She loves to be there. She doesn't really jump the best, but it's a very good feeling when you're sort of sitting behind and you've got a whole lot of horse underneath you still.”

Teenager Sabastian Kent is Magritte’s regular trackwork rider. 

The Kirkwood camp have plenty of potential pathways going forward with their promising filly.

She goes to 1200 metres on Saturday but could also look to drop back in trip towards the Magic Millions National 2YO Classic at the Gold Coast at the end of May.

The Listed Carter Stakes over 1350 metres at Doomben could also be a viable option.

The experienced trainer says he will wait and see how Magritte performs before he decides her winter path.

Kirkwood is the son-in-law of long-time Toowoomba trainer Ron Macrae.

He prepares his team alongside wife Catherine, who is also a part-owner of Magritte.

Catherine was also heavily involved in introducing the King of the Mountain race at Clifford Park in recent years. 

The Toowoomba trainer says Catherine is vital behind the scenes at his barn.

“Without Catherine there'd be no Magritte here,” he said.

“Between her and Steve Morley, they're the ones who picked her out at the sales and purchased her.

“I don't do any of that, Catherine does all the sourcing of yearlings.

“They've come to the conclusion that people want to race two-year-olds, so that's what they look for, two-year-old types and then hopefully they can progress through and go forward.

“It gets people to the races once they buy into a horse and it gets them to the races quicker, which is a big buzz for people and they've had a big buzz with this filly so far.

“It's lovely to be able to work with your wife, your partner that you spend all your time with.

“Two-year-olds are always good fun. They're like sponges, they just love to learn and it makes it very easy if they're forward types and they're going to be early.”

The Kirkwood camp are working with three yearlings they purchased at the sales earlier this year with an eye to Magic Millions day in early 2027.

On top of Magritte, the Kirkwood stable has runners set for Gatton, Warwick and Dalby over the coming days.