Rocky Amateurs - Home of The Archer

Rocky Amateurs - Home of The Archer Join us on Sunday May 3rd to celebrate the fifth running of The Archer. The richest race outside of Metropolitan Queensland.

The countdown is on for Rocky Amateurs and The Archer 2026.

The Archer returns to Callaghan Park on Sunday, 2 May 2027, perfectly timed with the opening weekend of Beef Australia 2...
26/05/2026

The Archer returns to Callaghan Park on Sunday, 2 May 2027, perfectly timed with the opening weekend of Beef Australia 2027 in Rockhampton.

Save the date – this is one race day you won’t want to miss!

The Archer 2026 GalleryAlthough the day didn't go exactly to plan, Rocky still showed up in spectacular style.A massive ...
25/05/2026

The Archer 2026 Gallery

Although the day didn't go exactly to plan, Rocky still showed up in spectacular style.

A massive thank you to everyone who joined us, our incredible sponsors, and our dedicated 104-year-old Central Queensland Amateur Racing Club committee for pivoting and making the most of the day. You proved that it’s the people who make event day truly special!

Swipe through to see some of our favourite off-track moments.

15/05/2026

📢QUEENSLAND RACING CARNIVAL REMINDER 📢

Nominations for the following carnival Group features close tomorrow at 11am AEST:

🏆Doomben 10,000;
🏆Doomben Cup;
🏆Kingsford Smith Cup;
🏆Queensland Derby;
🏆BRC Sires;
🏆Queensland Oaks;
🏆Stradbroke Hcp; and
🏆JJ Atkins.

15/05/2026

The latest news from all around Queensland Racing. Thoroughbred, Harness and Greyhound news, interviews and profiles from around the state.

Archer Wrap By Tony McMahonBursting with justifiable pride fuelled by emotion, Rocky Amateurs chairman Bill Reid told th...
08/05/2026

Archer Wrap
By Tony McMahon
Bursting with justifiable pride fuelled by emotion, Rocky Amateurs chairman Bill Reid told the faithful gathered before him at Callaghan Park on Tuesday just before 5pm “we’ll be back next year”.
(It reminded me of the famous quote of General Douglas MacArthur in 1942 when saying after leaving the Phillipines “I (we) shall return” and he and the American troops did triumphantly two years later).
Minutes earlier Reid and the hundreds gathered there had just witnessed Tony and Maddysen Sears Gold Coast trained star Yellow Brick win the $1M Archer(1300M) against the greatest field ever assembled at the historic racecourse.
However, Reid’s words were not just conceived from that alone but more so from the turbulent gut wrenching events of the previous 53 hours of firstly disarray, disappointments and then recreation of Rocky’s richest ever race-day after if was a last minute cancellation on Sunday.
Those events are well documented but not so Sunday’s successful rebirth of The Archer from what had been reshaped from a ruin.
Some non- believers even had the Rocky Amateurs “The Home Of The Archer” dead and buried.
Fools!”
And a ruin - that very thought would have been an insult to even consider of the Rocky Amateurs team who have a country heritage proudly built on resilience and a “get in and make it happen” attitude.
On Sunday they did and it worked.
The 2026 version of The Archer will not only be indelibly recorded in the annals of the Rocky Amateurs (Central Queensland Amateur Race Club) but it will be an entrenched and cherished memory for those who witnessed it’s running.
As a prolific writer, I could record reams about it but for now I shall be brief.
Officially, Yellow Brick (Tommy Berry, $3.40fav.)won by 1.1 lengths from Shaun Dwyer Sunshine Coast trained Anemacore (NZ) (Michael Rodd, $19.00).
Tony Gollan’s Boomtown Boss (Angela Jones, $10.00)was a very close third.
Sadly, Angela Jones broke her collar bone in a track mishap in Brisbane on Thursday and will miss the Winter Racing Carnival and face a lengthy time out of the saddle.
Less than three lengths covered the first seven horses home in The Archer.
Before signing off I must mention the magnificent effort of the Sparrow family owned and Kelvin managed Cherry Rose trained by Jamie McConachy in finishing 1.98 lengths sixth.
The bonny mare with weights, the barrier draw and class stacked against her defiantly led her “big brothers” right up to the 100 metres.
Even then “Cherry” fought on and typified “courage under fire”.
I hope to pen more about The Archer Day next week.
HOOFNOTE: Magic Millions sold Yellow Brick as the Gold Coast National Yearling Sale in 2021 for $20,000. After The Archer it’s winnings stand at $3,995,900.

Maddysen Sears the co-trainer of Yellow Brick proudly displays The Archer trophy. Winning jockey Tommy Berry and trainer Tony Sears in the background. Picture: Caught in the Act Photography

YELLOW BRICK WINS THE 2026 SHERRIN RENTALS THE ARCHER What a performance. Yellow Brick has taken out the Sherrin Rentals...
06/05/2026

YELLOW BRICK WINS THE 2026 SHERRIN RENTALS THE ARCHER

What a performance. Yellow Brick has taken out the Sherrin Rentals $1 million The Archer at Callaghan Park, stopping the clock at 1:13.69 and setting a new Rockhampton 1300m track record.

Congratulations to Yellow Brick’s slot holder Wilrace Pty Ltd, the winning connections, trainers Tony & Maddysen Sears, jockey Tommy Berry, and the full team behind this outstanding win.

After Sunday’s postponement due to track conditions, we are incredibly grateful to everyone who helped make the rescheduled race day possible – our slot holders, owners, trainers, jockeys, strappers, officials, sponsors, volunteers and racing participants who travelled from near and far, as well as our local racing community.

A special thank you also to our patrons: those who joined us on Tuesday, and those who supported the event on Sunday but were unable to make it back a second time. Your support means so much to the Rocky Amateurs.

Congratulations again to Yellow Brick – a deserved winner of The Archer and now a track record holder.

For more results from the day visit https://www.racingaustralia.horse/FreeFields/Results.aspx?Key=2026May05,QLD,Rockhampton

The Archer 2026 Calcutta
06/05/2026

The Archer 2026 Calcutta

04/05/2026

Track inspection report
By Tony McMahon

The Callaghan Park track has been rated a “Good 4” for today’s rescheduled rich Rocky Amateurs Archer race meeting in Rockhampton.
QRIC stewards Rockhampton based chief Shane Larkins reported the good news after completion of a lengthy early track inspection commencing at 6.30am this morning.
“We walked the track and had three horses gallop on it (grass course proper) as well and their riders reported no issues and we found it really good. The track had 4.5mls of irrigation put on the unaffected areas of it away from Sunday’s problem areas and there were no issues there”, Larkins said.
The first race is scheduled to commence at 12.20pm with the $1M Sherrin Rentals The Archer (1300m) timed for 3.50pm.
The Rocky Amateurs Club were not responsible for the Callaghan Park (managed by the Rockhampton Jockey Club) track issues on Sunday and have posted a “Free Gate” for patrons attending today.

The Archer Race Day returns tomorrow, with free gate entry for all patrons.Following Sunday’s postponed meeting, due to ...
04/05/2026

The Archer Race Day returns tomorrow, with free gate entry for all patrons.

Following Sunday’s postponed meeting, due to track conditions on the racing surface managed by Rockhampton Jockey Club, the CQ Amateur Racing Club is pleased to welcome racegoers back for a huge day of racing.

While the circumstances were outside the club’s control, our focus is on delivering a great day for patrons, participants and the Central Queensland racing community.

The program features the $1 million The Archer and an outstanding field of horses.

Tuesday 5 May 2026, Callaghan Park

Address

Rockhampton, QLD
4701

Telephone

+61417077104

Website

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