By Tony McMahon
In a proactive gesture of “meat” and greet, the Rockhampton Jockey Club has presented visiting Pakenham trainer Frankie Stockdale with gifts in keeping with the theme of the Beef Capital.
Stockdale arrived at a training complex outside of Rocky last week with a team of six horses to campaign throughout the northern winter.
His 2000km plus trip with his wife and daughter and the horses took two weeks with regular rest stops along the way.
RJC CEO Ian Mill said his club wanted to extend their appreciation to Stockdale for his support which will go a long way to focusing interstate attention on the Carnival.
“Seniors of the Rockhampton racing community could not recall a precedence of a trainer bringing such a team of horses from so far away,” Mill said.
“Back about three decades it was commonplace for trainers from SEQ and Northern NSW to bring a truck load up here for the Carnivals but this is a marathon effort from Frankie and rightly so, the club is very grateful.”
The “goodies” included a $100 meat voucher from Geoff Elliott’s Adamstown Square Quality Meats, a Beef Australia cap and naturally a bottle of red wine.
Stockdale was chuffed by the gifts which were presented to him at last Friday’s Callaghan Park TAB races.
“This is a first as far as I am concerned,” he said.
“It is a really good way from the race club to be made feel welcome in Rocky. I never expected anything like this. The track at Callaghan Park is very good and everyone has been very welcoming.
“I‘m really looking forward to being based up here for the length of the carnival before heading north.
“My mate Kevin Miller who I am staying with at Bajool has been telling me how good the racing is up here and he was right. The weather is great too -not like back home now.”
Mill said it was by no fluke that the meat voucher was sourced from butcher Geoff Elliott.
“After all, Geoff is a trainer here at Callaghan Park himself and his meat is top class,” he said.
Stockdale’s only starter under his training banner on Friday was Riverside Special which staked his claim for a next start win with a flashing second in the Maiden (1200m).
Just 30 minutes later, he almost got the bacon when the Kevin Miller trained Boomtime Baby owned by Stockdale was a flashing second in the QTIS 3YO (1200m).