By Glenn Davis
North Queensland cane and melon farmer Joe Rapisarda’s long association with trainer Steven O’Dea continues at Ipswich on Wednesday when the stable saddles up lightly raced three-year-old Burdekin Boy.
The 85-year-old Rapisarda was one of the driving forces behind the former Townsville-based O’Dea moving to Brisbane in 2009 to further his training career.
He has been a long time stable supporter ever since, breeding and racing numerous thoroughbreds for trainers around the country including for O’Dea, who is now in partnership with Matthew Hoysted at Eagle Farm.
Rapisarda has bred and owned hundreds of horses since moving to Australia from Italy as a 13-year-old.
Burdekin Boy – a Boris Thornton mount – is one of his latest and lines up for only his second start in a Maiden Plate over 1350 metres in which stable mate Traviata also is an acceptor.