Davis delivers at Roma for emotional first training success

By Jordan Gerrans

Ipswich’s Bob Davis has travelled far and wide across the Sunshine State during his decades in racing, working on gallopers’ shoes and riding trackwork.

Now 63 years of age and preparing a small team of his own, he is starting to see the fruits of his labour with his horses.

Davis has been training since the 2024-25 campaign and tasted his maiden success at Roma on Saturday afternoon when Torvecchio scored in a Class 3 Plate over 1200 metres.

The veteran horseman had only recently purchased Torvecchio, with the mare winning at her third start for her new stable, after a couple of recent runs at Ipswich and Beaudesert.

“It was good to get it off my chest, that winner, get it off my back,” Davis said.

“When you buy cheap horses like this, there is always something you need to work on with them and you have just got to work out the horse.

“Sometimes it pays off, but it's all trial and error. So, you've just got to find the niche and find the right basis for the horse.”

Torvecchio was ridden by Frenchman Damien Boutet in her Roma victory, where she came from midfield in the run to score in a close finish with Pocket Eights and Wolfgang.

Davis, who is a farrier for a day job, tinkered with Torvecchio’s gear following her recent minor placing at Beaudesert.

“She went really well on Saturday at Roma,” he said.

“She only just got beaten the other day at Beaudesert. We could have won that race if she did not get caught trapped wide.

“At Roma, she carried 60 kilograms, which is a big weight, but she came through it well.

“Damien rode her with the big weight and it probably paid dividends by having him on late in the race, as he is an experienced rider.

“He rode the horse beautifully and we came away with a good win.

“She's only a little mare, but she's a very tough little mare. She's really good.”

Torvecchio is likely to be back at the races at Kilcoy on Tuesday of next week as she steps up to 1500 metres after winning over 1200 metres on Saturday.

The daughter of Castelvecchio has now won four races from 22 attempts, with 1400 metres being the longest distance she has triumphed over.

Torvecchio was previously prepared by Toowoomba hobby trainer Darcy Rodgers.

Interestingly, the mare also provided Rodgers with his maiden win as a trainer, just as she has done for Davis.

The Ipswich-based Davis prepares a team of four, including Onomatopoeia, whom he regards as his best galloper.

Veteran hoop Wayne O'Connell helps Davis with his trackwork.

Davis hails from Cloncurry in the North West of the state and has been based at Charters Towers and Townsville earlier in his tenure in the sport.

As a farrier, he is keen to travel his horses around the state and race his small team wherever he sees fit, just as he did at Roma on Saturday.

“I am 63 now, so I thought I would kick back and see if I can get a few of these horses over the line,” he said.

“I just travel around a bit. I'll start one horse here and then take them everywhere.

“I'll pick up a bit of work on the shoes when I go to these places as I know most of the people in the industry.

“So, if I'm going up to Emerald, I can pick up some work with Glenda Bell there or head to Bluff and see Bill Trimble.

“I always find a bit of work to pay for the fuel, if the horses aren’t paying their way, but the way they are going now, they are.

“At the moment we're having a bit of fun. I've got four in work and they're all pretty well knocking on the door to go.”

Torvecchio is a daughter of broodmare Tori’s Gift.

Torvecchio’s older half-brother Tori's Dee has won four straight races in Victoria in recent weeks.

Despite being a relative newcomer to training, Davis has been around the game all his life and owned plenty of horses with the late David Lawlor, whom he regards as one of his greatest mentors in the sport.

Lawlor trained out of Eagle Farm in Brisbane before he lost his brave battle with cancer and passed away in early 2015.

“David was my cousin, but he wasn't just my cousin, he was one of my best mates,” Davis reflected.

“He helped me a lot as a little fellow when I started riding horses before I went to George Coleman in Townsville.

“I've picked a lot of knowledge off a lot of good trainers over the years.

“David was probably my mentor, I'd ring up and ask him stuff, he'd always tell me about trying this or that with a horse.”