Kaitlyn Mercieca ready to take the reins

By Jordan Gerrans

Top reinsman Jack Chapple drove pacer Rocky Leigh to a stylish victory at Albion Park last week, but he will hand the assignment to a familiar face in the gelding’s next event on Friday.

Chapple’s partner Kaitlyn Mercieca owns the veteran standardbred after she purchased him to help her work through her trials towards becoming a driver herself.

After a long process of working through her trials, the 19-year-old is set to make her race day debut on Friday afternoon at Albion Park behind the 10-year-old, who she says she spends every day with.

The 20-year-old Chapple has been a revelation in the driving ranks since he moved north from New South Wales in the middle of 2024.

Chapple is preparing Rocky Leigh at the moment, with Mercieca likely to take over the training duties once her training ticket is approved.

After a nice win last Tuesday over 2138 metres, the team of Chapple and Mercieca believe the veteran is a big chance to go back-to-back on Friday.

“I drove him a couple of years ago when he was down south and I always liked the horse,” Chapple said.

“He's a nice little handy horse and he's been trying.

“He has a good barrier draw; he should go close again with some luck in running. She has looked after him well and got him going well. He went really well last week.

“He is a horse to play around with and drive at the races.”

Teenager Mercieca is an experienced horsewoman despite her youth.

She has competed in endurance racing, while also riding trackwork for gallops trainers over the last few years.

In the harness game, she has also worked for the team of Grant and Trista Dixon, while also spending time around the stable of Shane Graham and Kelli Dawson.

She currently works at Kolora Lodge in Queensland while pursuing her harness racing interests.

“I wanted to get my trials done and start racing and it took me a couple of years, but I finally got there,” she said.

“It is hard when you don’t have a background in harness racing.

“I was very pleased with the win the other day, he went amazing for Jack.”

Rocky Leigh had been prepared by a number of stables during his long career before Mercieca purchased him in September.

“I am very excited to get to drive Rocky Leigh,” she said.

“I spend every day with him and have driven him in trials. 

"I own him and do everything with him. I am excited to be able to drive him at the races finally. He is flying at the moment.”

Rocky Leigh returned from a spell earlier this month at Albion Park to nab his first victory since June at Redcliffe.

Rocky Leigh has drawn barrier two for Friday’s event over 1660 metres, with the stable thinking he is every chance to make it two on the bounce.

“She's always been keen on the sport ever since I've known her,” Chapple said of his partner.

“I think it's something she's wanted to do for a while and always been keen to get out there and have a go.

“She's been around a lot of horses and she gets on really well with them. She understands them well and is really good in that aspect. She has been around them all her life.

“When I started out, I had a couple of horses that I learnt to drive with and that's the main thing we're trying to do with Rocky Leigh.

“You give her experience and she can just play around with him and learn a few things on the way.”

The debutant reinswoman will kick off with Rocky Leigh on Friday and she is optimistic of picking up outside drives from other stables as she builds her career in the sulky.

Mercieca moved to the Sunshine State shortly after Chapple, with the couple having worked closely together in NSW.

Chapple is still in the infancy of his training career, with five winners to his name, while he has ticked past a ton of driving victories for the first time in his career this season.