Locals stick together for first ever The Archer

By Jordan Gerrans

As a mainstay in the Central Queensland community, John Kele was always going to go local with his slot selection for the inaugural The Archer.

The Rockhampton property developer is born and bred in the regional Queensland city and has run businesses around the area throughout his working life, as has his family.

Kele is the latest slot holder to confirm his runner for the first-ever edition of the race, selecting local galloper Master Jamie, who is trained at Callaghan Park by experienced horseman Graeme Green.

With several slot holders opting for Sydney, Melbourne or Brisbane-based horses for their positions, Kele instead decided to follow his Rocky roots.

“I was just noticing that all the horses that were being confirmed for the race were all southern horses,” Kele said.

“I thought we needed a local horse to represent us and Master Jamie has been running around Rocky with a fair bit of weight on his back.

“And, if we can get a bit of weight off his back in the Archer and he does not have to travel to the race like other horses and he knows the track well.

“Master Jamie is by far Rocky’s best horse at the moment. We thought it was the way to go.”

Earlier this year, Green flagged that he was open to offers to set Master Jamie for the inaugural $440,000 The Archer over 1300 metres at Rockhampton in May.

"I'd definitely consider having a go at The Archer but we haven't had any approaches from slot holders yet," Green said at the time.

"But, they'd need to hurry as it all needs to fall into his planning for the winter."

Master Jamie is a 15-time career winner – three of which have come at metropolitan level – as well as contesting the Group 1 Stradbroke Handicap last year.

While Kele has been involved in racing for some time, he doesn't know Green overly well and when he did reach out to him following those comments around putting Master Jamie in his slot – the pair quickly struck a deal.

As well as owning around 15 gallopers, Kele has also been a sponsor of the Rocky Amateurs for the last five years.

“He is a local guy that does a heap for the community with sponsorship and the like,” Rocky Amateurs Committee Member Jonathon Offord said.

Regularly carrying over 60kgs when racing on his home track, Master Jamie will be much better suited under the Weight For Age conditions in The Archer.

Having lived in CQ his entire life, Kele believes there is significant buzz and excitement around the first edition of the race.

“It is going to bring people in Rockhampton and put racing on the map more than ever before up here,” he said.

“It will only get bigger and better in the coming years.

“I was really excited when I was offered a slot and jumped at the opportunity.”

On his own team of gallopers, Kele has shares in around 15, mostly with Tom Button, with Jemeldi the pick of the bunch at the moment.

Jemeldi ran a gallant third in the Group 2 Skyline Stakes earlier this year and is set to return in the upcoming TAB Queensland Racing Carnival.

“He will be racing by the end of this month,” Kele said.

“He has come back nicely from his spell, so we are really looking forward to that.”

With the inaugural The Archer just under a fortnight away, eight slots have been confirmed: Apache Chase, Tyzone, Gem Song, Emerald Kingdom, Holyfield, Streets of Avalon, Dawn Passage and Master Jamie.