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Rockhampton surface back on track

7 October 2021

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By Tony McMahon

The Rockhampton Jockey Club has received glowing reports about the success of the complete makeover the Callaghan Park grass track underwent last month.

The club’s Tuesday TAB race meeting this week was the first on the track since August 31, after which it was closed and treated in cosmetic terms to a “facelift”.

Track manager Trent Williams, who oversaw the renovative works and then applied a proven formulated and regimented works program for the last month, was thrilled by the outcome.

“Tuesday was a fabulous result; There was not one negative comment from any of the jockeys who rode on the day,” Williams said.

“The track raced beautifully and better still there was no damage whatsoever on the rejuvenated grass circuit at the end of the program after six races - couldn’t be happier.

It got even better for Williams and RJC CEO Ian Mill after leading jockey, the Brisbane based Justin Stanley rode at the barrier trials on the Callaghan Park grass on Wednesday.

“I had never met Justin (Stanley) beforehand but he sought me out after the trials to tell me first hand just how well the new look grass track handled the trials and backed-up from Tuesday’s races,” Mill said.

“Naturally, I was delighted by his news and sincerely impressed by Justin’s professionalism in doing so.”

Later on Wednesday, Stanley reiterated and enlarged on the report he had made to the CEO.

“I trialled horses on the track two weeks ago and it was good but the grass just had not grown sufficiently - the difference on Wednesday was massive and so positive,” Stanley said.

“As a result of the rain on Callaghan Park last week it made all the difference, the grass has grown and there is much more of it.

“All I can say is the track is great – fantastic actually.”

Justin had returned my telephone call mid-afternoon Wednesday immediately after completing a physiotherapy session on his injured knee which has kept him sidelined for months.

After probing him about the Callaghan Park track, I changed the subject to the Kevin Hansen-trained Heroic Valour filly Heroic Angel on whom he won a 2YO Trial (900m) on the grass earlier on Wednesday.

“She goes good – still a little green though. I think she will be very hard to beat on my first day back riding at Townsville,” Stanley said.

“I have October 23 pencilled in to resume, I hope I can win on her for Kevin and the owners Michelle Walker and family.”

Justin was referring to the $50,500 Pallarenda 2YO Filles Plate (1000m), the race he won for the same connections on the unbeaten Rockhampton filly Sweet Dolly last year.

The Walkers purchased Heroic Angel at the Gold Coast March Magic Millions Yearling Sales for $70,000 three days after her close relative Sweet Dolly won the rich Jewel 2YO there.

In her trial win on Tuesday, Heroic Angel beat the Power filly Power Load by one-and-a-quarter lengths and while the time was moderate at 57.03 seconds, there is improvement aplenty in both fillies.

Rockhampton racegoers will be given a grand opportunity to witness first-class racing on the Callaghan Park grass track on Saturday week, October 16 for the St Peters Caulfield Cup Race Day.

Incidentally, just for the record the Callaghan Park grass track was inaugurated in September 1984 by then Racing Minister Russ Hinze before 4767 racegoers, a crowd that has been unrivalled since.

The grass track was rebuilt in 1991 when destroyed by floodwaters and in the ensuing 30 years it has undergone extensions and major renovations and its fair to say resurrections.

Prior to 1984, racing was held every Saturday at Callaghan Park on a sandy loam circuit.

The change to turf was the forebearer to the eventual advent of midweek TAB race meetings at Callaghan Park which is now taken as a given.