Master trainer Roy Chillemi unearths another exciting youngster

By Jordan Gerrans

While the 2022 QTIS Jewel is not in Roy Chillemi’s plans, the master trainer from the Atherton Tablelands has certainly found another outstanding youngster.

Now into his 70s, Chillemi has unearthed quality gallopers such as Tyzone, Grey Missile, Love Is Blind, Palencia, among others, in recent years and he can now add Missile Thunder to the growing list.

The son of Smart Missile went to 2-0 in his young career on Tuesday afternoon at Townsville’s Cluden Park, putting over six lengths on the small field, in a qualifier for the rich QTIS Jewel on the Gold Coast next month.

Experienced trainer-jockey Carl Spry put it best when describing Missile Thunder’s potential after riding the second-place getter Altar Boy over 1200 metres.

“He gave us windburn,” Spry said.

“He is very smart.”

Under the guidance of hoop Stephen Wilson, the Chillemi gelding settled at the back of the small field and put them away in a few strides, showing an enormous turn of foot.

After the QTIS Jewel for 2YOs was won by a northern galloper last year, Missile Thunder’s qualifier performance would most certainly put him in the frame of making it two on the bounce for the bush.

But, Chillemi is not ready to make the lengthy trip from FNQ to the Gold Coast with his exciting juvenile.

“I am going to keep him up here in the north and have some fun with him here,” Chillemi said.

“If I lived in Rockhampton I would have probably done a quick run-down and back but it is hard being here.

“Louise Terzi, my stable foreman, has been off work lately so it would be difficult for me to take the horse down.”

Instead, the Chillemi barn will look towards the Northern Classic 2YO Plate at Cluden Park in the middle of 2022.

Stable hoop Wilson, who rode eventual Stradbroke Handicap champion Tyzone in his earliest campaigns, was blown away by the performance of Missile Thunder.

“It was huge. We were a bit worried at 1200 metres first-up. It’s a big ask for a two-year-old but his ability shone today and we’ve seen how good he is,” Wilson said.

“In my opinion I think he’s probably a better two-year-old than Tyzone at that stage of his career. 

“There’s a bit of improvement to come with this fella too so it’s very exciting.”

A regular at the Magic Millions March Sales on the Gold Coast, Chillemi always had high hopes for Missile Thunder, who is a son of the Mossman mare and Rockhampton’s Callaghan Park winner Halle Mcollywil.

“Missile Thunder was rated the highest of the five yearlings that I bought at the sales in this instance,” he said.

“He was just under $40,000, I thought we stole him at that price.”

While Chillemi has ruled out heading to Aquis Park next month, the respected horseman believes a South East Queensland campaign may come down the line, just as the team did with Tyzone and Grey Missile after they did their initial racing in North Queensland.

“He did win well,” Chillemi said.

“You get a good horse and you want to have some fun up here with him.

“We will look to go through his classes here and then maybe we could look to go to Brisbane later on in his career as we did with Tyzone.”

While Missile Thunder will not take up his ballot free entry position into the QTIS 2YO Jewel, the slot will not go to Altar Boy, who finished second on Tuesday.

In the lead-up to March 19 on Jewel day on the Gold Coast, qualifier races will be held across Queensland commencing in Cairns, Townsville, Mackay, Rockhampton and Brisbane on the ‘Journey to the Jewel.’

With the Cairns and Townsville qualifiers run over the last week, Rockhampton and Mackay will run their respective races in the coming days.