They come to Rocklea for money and fun!
Race 1 Thagoona lady trainer Ann Perrin with a small, but select team was successful with the wonderfully-bred Life Sign gelding Life Of Franco with young Dan “Red” Russell in the sulky coming off the lone 20m mark for his first Queensland win after racing consistent in NSW previously. The cool patient drive from the back mark was the winning move and the tough fitness of the well-bred gelding was a telling factor to give stable punters a nice return for not too much drama.

Race 2 Gary Vernon’s nicely driven and trained mare Panamagic by Panorama had the punters cheering her home with a sizeable punt place on her to win. The Pallara Pin-Up Boy has a long and victorious history at Rocklea and his winning drives and executed plunges are legendary with the locals and regulars of the Bookmakers Ring. Brad Jones, a man of the Bookie Ring, describes Gary, as one of the best money drivers to ever drive around the tight, step and go circuit.

Race 3 History seems to be the Rocklea theme in its last month and it was great to see the win of Ourscottishprince by trainer/driver John May from Toowoomba for mother Doreen May, the First Lady Of Trotting and Queen of the Downs, one of the loveliest and kind people of the industry, plus the wife of the (late) experience horseman Bill May, not many trot goers will ever forget those blue and red colors around the country show and racetracks. Rocklea will miss those of us who bring these qualities!

Race 4 Former Mackay, now Waterford trainer Brian Manzelmann bought his family to be nearby Rocklea a few years ago to keep the winners flowing and to bring the kids into the mini trotting ranks and gain more experience in life in the near city country –side. Brian and stable driver Steven Doherty made sure Sunshine Sam was a good thing to win this race, with a professional approach to racing and driving a winner, as has been to way for many years in this stable. Brian will miss Rocklea, but he has the team and ability to win many good races elsewhere with a wealth of help from the family. Steve Doherty is another kid of the future and his talent, he will only get better with time and better horses to drive

Race 5 Wulkuraka’s Chris McGuire, trained and driven Amazing Oliver by Armbro Oliver was a good winner for the boys who are great supporters of the Rocklea and Marburg races and trials and it is great to see them win in the last month of racing here. Chris and Tom do a very good job with all their horses and they deserve all the wins they get.

Rocklea July 4 Winding Down
July 4 was a day of fireworks at Rocklea with an exciting 6 race card program and plenty patrons soaking up the last rays of sunshine in the picturesque city track of dreams.

Fittingly the first race was taken out narrowly from Best Decision (Scott Neaves) by one of Rocklea’s favorite sons Ricky Gordon from Haigslea with Mister Attitude for Rocklea President Steve Jory and himself.
The name of Gordon is a great family name in the industry and there is no better trainer/driver than youthful Rick, with his aggressive driving style and cunning front running ability that complements his well-prepared team of horses.
Noel Doyle, a man of the older era, but is a very wily trainer with that certain edge with horses from other stables, showed he is good with the Stature bred Stature Junior winning the second race with Chantal Turpin in the driver’s seat for an impressive hard fought finish.

Willwin Auctions purchase Last Ditch took out the third race for the Jennifer Buitenhuis-Corke and driver Scott Neaves winning combo that has been a uplifting revelation for the patrons and punters at Rocklea looking for a consistent stable to follow on the punt.

This lady has hit the ground running in the winning stakes and mostly from purchases from Lou Cini’s Marburg Horse and Gear sale on a quarterly basis with astute selections from the list and getting great advice from Alan.
Race 4 was an interesting betting race with the winner Bull Tossa by P B Bullville shading the second place getter Sunshine Sam by a length giving trainer Teddy Rolfe and driver Lola Weidemann the gold chocolates. Owners Kaye and Jack Waltisbuhl and good friend Terry Macdermott were over the moon and even though it was only Rocklea, the exciting win meant more than a big city winner to them. Bull Tossa is out Ellie Adios by the great broodmare producer Vanston Hanover.

Piper Findlay gave the Purga Pensioner Brigade a reason to cheer with a tough fast finishing win after an inspired tactical drive by Gordon McCrae (A man of history and 50 years of harness racing experience and a man of the grass roots people). Trainer Denis Smith had the 8yo Holmes Hanover gelding in fine fettle and the will to win was still embedded in his desire for racing and to put in at the right end of the race. Owner Kathryn McLachlan and Elizabeth Smith were thrilled by the Rocklea win and feel the old horse and trainer are just starting to hit their prime and with the injection of a bit of Gordon McCrae magic, the Purga stable will be in the winning stall in the near future at Rocklea or at another track nearby.

The lucky last was a gift for Smoot Art and his trainer Bruce Wyborn plus driver David Litzow who are part of the history of the Rocklea track, where they race most of their horses on a Saturday, as they are workers during week days.
Qbred horse Smoot Art by Perfect Art has worked his way up from the maiden grade to his latest win and has given the owners and trainer great enjoyment and a way of having the horse and he paying his way.

Metropolitan Harness Racing Club is on its short road to completion in July with Saturday July 25 the last race day at the Rocklea Showgrounds.
It is a shame to see a mighty grass-roots club close after many glory decades in the industry, introducing many punters and trotting people to the course with high expectations of a win and the locals made it their regular watering hole and tote/bookie betting.

The Rocklea Club or The Rock, as it is affectionately known, will be missed by a large crowd of people, who not only found it charming and old school, but also people friendly and safe for all the family for a day out when looking for a place nearby that was cheap and clean for all to enjoy.

Racing won’t be the same with step and go horses, and the thrill of close up racing and cheering action with the small and professional punter standing side by side urging on the favored runner.

They say the Bookie is dead breed, well this is one place that will never see a bookmaker again and what a shame that is, in this fancy mechanical computer world, there was nothing like, beating a bookie!
Go along for a last look and see what you will be missing out on and maybe rue not going more often, just like the song says, you don’t know what you’ve got until it’s gone!

Horan calls on Fraser to respect ‘Caretaker Convention’

Mike Horan MP

13 March 2009

LNP Shadow Minister for Racing Mike Horan has called on Treasurer and Racing Minister Andrew Fraser to prevent the Rocklea Trots from being closed during the ‘election caretaker’ period.

Mr Horan said Harness Racing Queensland had directed that the Rocklea Club (Metropolitan Harness Racing Club) cease operations on June 30.

"This is a major and unpopular decision and I call on the Minister to use his residual powers under the Racing Act to give direction to the Control Board to withdraw this decision and await the election result," Mr Horan said.

Mr Horan said the LNP had a policy to provide a statutory independent board and would provide $500,000 a year boost for the harness racing industry.

"In addition, the LNP supports the development of grass roots regional racing. Rocklea is an integral part of that development and there is also real potential for Marburg and Toowoomba.