Toowoomba team rocked and ready for KOTM

By Jordan Gerrans

The TJT Bloodstock team are confident they are in the best position yet to become the King of the Mountain at Clifford Park later this month after selecting Rockribbed for their slot.

Darling Downs builder Tim Taylor leads the TJT Bloodstock contingent who have presented with Mass Destruction and Legal Esprit over the last couple editions of the popular KOTM.

Legal Esprit finished sixth to Rothfire in 2024 while Mass Destruction managed an eighth-place finish to Yellow Brick in the inaugural event.

After a smart first-up performance at Eagle Farm earlier this month, Taylor thinks the Tony Gollan-prepared Rockribbed is ready to give the $750,000 slot race a serious shake.

Rockribbed and King Kapa are the first two horses revealed as taking up a slot for the 2025 edition of the event.

King Kapa was a dominant winner at Doomben late last month and will race under the Black Soil Bloodstock banner for Brian Siemsen and Harry McAlpine. 

As Rockribbed has long been set for a KOTM tilt by the Gollan camp, Taylor feels the TJT Bloodstock slot is shaping up for their best finish yet in the showpiece race.

“We have not had much luck to date in this race so hopefully we can draw a barrier this time,” Taylor said.

“I think we are placed well this year to be more competitive than we have been in over the last couple.”

Speaking prior to Rockribbed’s first-up run earlier this month, leading conditioner Gollan said the seven-year-old gelding was in for an impressive preparation.

He was beaten by less than a length in that first-up effort at Eagle Farm.

Rockribbed was prepared by a few different trainers in the southern states before landing with Gollan in early 2024 and the gelding has only missed the money on one occasion from nine efforts.

“He is flying,” Gollan said prior to his first-up effort.

“He does feel like he is going really good.

“Last prep was his first racing prep with us and this time around, he is all the better and we are all the better with him.”

As an owner and breeder based on the Darling Downs, Taylor was particularly impressed by the effort of Rockribbed in the city’s feature Weetwood Handicap sprint last year.

He ran third behind Hidden Wealth and Yellow Brick – and was beaten by less than a length – and Taylor believes Rockribbed having experience on the unique Clifford Park track will help come the KOTM.

“We had a couple of options thrown at us from Tony and from the three, we went with Rockribbed,” Taylor said.

“I think Rockribbed will be more suited to the track and distance, given the horse ran third in the Weetwood there in September last year.

“Over 1200 metres at Toowoomba, you need something that has been tried there and can handle that uphill track.

“He has pretty good form at Toowoomba behind Yellow Brick and Hidden Wealth as they are both pretty good horses and he was not far behind them.

“The horse has been set for this race for a fair while, his preparation is planned towards getting to this race third-up.”

Entering its third iteration in 2025, the $750,000 slot race will take centre stage on Friday, March 28, coinciding with the Toowoomba Royal Agricultural Show holiday.

As a result, the slot race will serve as the ideal lead up to the Queensland Racing Carnival’s feature sprint races, commencing with the Group 2 Victory Stakes on May 3.

Previously held in line with New Years celebrations, the race was restricted to Queensland-bred and trained horses, with only locally based hoops riding.

The reimagined race will now be open to all horses aged three and older, with trainers and jockeys from across the nation now eligible to take their place.

As a slot holder since the events inception, Taylor believes the KOTM has been an important addition to the local racing industry and wider community.

“It has been a great idea and concept so far, we have had a great day every year,” he said.

“In 2025, I think they have got the date right to move it to the Toowoomba show holiday.

“It is shaping up to be a big day and crowd this year. We have enjoyed every minute of it.”

The race will have added incentive for Sunshine State participants, with a $50,000 QTIS sales voucher on offer for horses registered under the scheme.

The KOTM card will also include the $125,000 Pat O’Shea Plate for two-year-olds, as well as the $100,000 King of the Mountain Consolation.