'KING' CALLOW'S CROWN UNDER THREAT

By Graham Potter | Wednesday, July 26, 2023

There could be a palace revolution of sorts going on in the Gold Coast Jockey’s Premiership in which a young apprentice is threatening to dethrone the king … ‘King’ Callow that is, with the veteran rider being placed under severe pressure in the defense of his crown by Bailey Wheeler, a confident and accomplished rider beyond his years who remains firmly focused on his goal of sealing what would be a prestigious, personal victory.

Going into the meeting two Saturdays ago, Wheeler led Callow by one, but that advantage turned into a one-win deficit when Callow picked up two winners on that day without a Wheeler reply.

Then, last Saturday, Wheeler returned the compliment riding two winners with Callow being shut out meaning Wheeler was back in front in the title chase … 31 winners to Callow’s 30 winners … with just this coming Saturday’s meeting left to go into the record books before the curtain comes down on the 2022-23 season.

Both of these total … 31 to 30 … sit some way off Callow’s total of 53 wins which he achieved when taking out last season’s premiership, but that shortfall can be explained by the fact that both Callow and Wheeler have not been involved for the full season at the Gold Coast.

Callow had time out when spending a lengthy three month suspension on the sidelines, while Wheeler only relocated to the Gold Coast at the end of January, after previously taking a self-imposed exile from riding, so for Callow to have been able to regain momentum and for Wheeler to hit the ground running in quite outstanding fashion, to get where they are in the premiership race, is a credit to both riders.

It will be their show on Saturday, but you will forgive Robbie Fradd if he has a quiet moment of reflection when he watches this final showdown between the master and the apprentice on Saturday.

Fradd had set his sights on winning the Gold Coast Jockey’s Premiership this season … and was a hot favourite to do so … before life intervened and forced Fradd into retirement following a serious health scare.

In spite of not having ridden since December 21, Fradd still holds down third place on the Gold Coast premiership ladder with 23 wins, just nine wins short of Wheeler’s premiership leading total.

But then again, that will just be added to racing’s very long list of stories of ‘what might have been.’

Noel Callow