Waldron stable strike twice in historic weekend double

By Jordan Gerrans

When you're hot, you're hot.

And, that was most certainly the case with the Roma-based stable of Ben Waldron over the weekend. 

Most stables across the Sunshine State would be stoked to win one Battle of the Bush qualifier for the year. 

For Waldron and his small team – they remarkably won two in the space of 24 hours. 

As non-TAB racing on a Sunday is not commonplace in Queensland, it is likely to be the first time a trainer has won BOTB qualifiers in back-to-back days at different venues. 

Reigning champion Peshwa did the business at Quilpie on Saturday before stablemate Ka Bling doubled the dose at Longreach the following day. 

Waldron prepares his small team alongside his partner Rebecca Kerwin, who is a former top jockey. 

“Training horses in the bush, as we do, it’s a full-time job on top of a full-time job you go and do during the day,” Waldron said.

“We get up at 2:30am every day just do the horses and then go to work all day.

“It never ends but it's worthwhile when something like this happens.

“It is a good weekend because it doesn’t happen very often. I worked them both together last Saturday and they both worked really well.

“Once Peshwa won, I got very confident about the other fella because he cantered past him in his work the other day.”

Ka Bling’s win on Sunday at Longreach was his first since July of 2024 when he claimed the Listed Ramornie Handicap at Grafton. 

The seven-year-old gelding has raced in black-type company on several occasions during earlier stops in his career with the Snowden camp as well as with Lindsay Hatch at Toowoomba. 

The son of Capitalist thrived in the Open Plate conditions at Longreach on Sunday as he only carried 62.5kg over 1200 metres.

“They've both been going really well, we just haven't had much luck with barriers and that,” Waldron said. 

“That old horse, Ka Bling, he's been carrying 66 and 67 kg in his recent runs.

“He's pretty well in for those Open Plate races. But, it's just been hard for him to win a race.

“He’s always been around the mark and the things that have been beating him have been carrying way less weight.”

Ka Bling has only been under Waldron’s care at Roma since October of last year with Sunday’s run the eight time he has stepped out for the stable. 

Like Ka Bling, Peshwa also was prepared by Hatch earlier in his career. 

The grey chestnut raced under Hatch’s banner through 2024 and 2025, which culminated in claiming the BOTB decider in June of last year. 

The 47-year-old Waldron had Peshwa in his barn prior to that and he was glad to take him back on when the six-year-old finished up with Hatch late last year. 

“I had him early on and in his first prep, he went really well for me. I won three races with him,” Waldron said.

“The next prep, he was around the mark and I couldn't get him to where he was before that.

“I told the owners to give him to someone else to see if they could get him going and he went to Lindsay.

“He went really well for Lindsay and I've got him back now. 

“He's going as good as I've ever had him going. Touch wood he can keep going that way.”

Hoop Scott Sweedman, who is based in northern New South Wales, was in the saddle for both of Waldron’s BOTB qualifier winners across the weekend.

Experienced jockey Sweedman collected a winning treble on the Quilpie program before nabbing another win the following day at Longreach.

Waldron says Sweedman will be offered one of the rides in the BOTB decider in the city later this year.

The 2026 Battle of the Bush series will culminate in the Final on Tattersall’s Tiara Raceday at Eagle Farm on Saturday June 27, 2026.

Peshwa and Ka Bling are likely to have another run somewhere in Queensland before heading to the big smoke. 

Waldron and Kerwin prepare a team of 14 at Roma. 

The BOTB heat winners from the weekend were the headline grabbers.

But, a few of their other horses also performed smartly.

Boulevard Boy won his maiden at Quilpie on Saturday while Lunessa, who races under Kerwin’s racing banner, also greeted the judge first.