Noel Callow seizes second chance from Annabel Archibald with big win on Depth Of Character in Queensland Guineas

News.com.au

03-05-2025

After thinking he'd never ride for Annabel Archibald ever again, in-form jockey Noel Callow earned the call-up on for the top Sydney trainer and in a sliding-doors moment, he duly saluted on Depth Of Character in the Group 2 $350,000 Queensland Guineas (1600m) at Eagle Farm on Saturday.
With champion jockey James McDonald serving a suspension and Ryan Maloney unavailable, Callow pounced on the chance to win the Guineas on Depth Of Character ($7.50) ahead of the Nathan Doyle-trained filly Churchill's Choice ($8) and the late-surging roughie Beau Dazzler ($34).
Callow, who rode a treble at Eagle Farm last weekend, reflected on that ride for Sydney-based Archibald (nee Neasham) about a year ago.
'It's the second ride (on Saturday) I have ever had for Annabel,' Callow said.
'The first one was a pick-up one one day in a maiden at Sunshine Coast and I absolutely gave it a (no good) ride.
'I picked it up because Brodie Loy couldn't make the weight and I was the only bloke in the jockeys' room who could make the weight.
'I couldn't get out (in the race) and I was desperately unlucky and I thought 'I'll never ride for her again' because I'm not on that merry-go-round.
'I never have been and I just got lucky. I got the same again today. J-Mac was booked to ride the horse. Ryan Maloney's manager took another ride for him because he'd won on him the start before.
'So then J-Mac gets suspended in Hong Kong, (Andrew) Mallyon's got a ride, (Damien) Thornton's got a ride.
'From the top eight, bang, here he is and boom. I showed that I can do it.'
Gelding Depth Of Character firmed from $15 into the $8 equal favourite to win the $1m Group 1 Queensland Derby (2400m) on May 31 at Eagle Farm while the Tony and Maddy Sears-trained Beau Dazzler went from $11 to $9.
Churchill's Choice dipped from $6 to $4.50 in the Queensland Oaks betting for the $700,000 Group 1 contest over 2200m at Eagle Farm on June 7.
Archibald, who got married late last month to co-trainer Rob, said she thought the bookies got it wrong on Depth Of Character.
'I thought he might have been a little shorter in the market,' she said.
'With his Sydney form and two starts back he was behind Evaporate and Swiftfalcon (in the Group 3 Carbine Club Stakes at Randwick early last month).
'He was still pretty good in the (Randwick) Guineas as well but not as good as the Broadsidings of the world.
'It was a lovely ride by Noel. He did his research and knew he could get a bit fired up.
'I was a bit worried he was travelling too well but once he peeled him out at the top of the straight it was just a matter of holding him together and pressing the button at the right time.
'We'll see where we go to now. There's no real mile races. It is whether you go up or down (in distance). I'm not sure you go up.'
Maddy Sears said Beau Dazzler would next head to the $250,000 Group 3 Rough Habit Plate (2000m) in two weeks' time at Doomben.
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Floozie on silk road to bigger and better races
Trainer Tony Gollan 's exciting mare Floozie will back-up in next Saturday's $160,000 Listed Silk Stocking on the Gold Coast after her dominant victory at Eagle Farm on Saturday.
Gollan now has eyes on the 1400m Silk Stocking (fillies and mares) for his rising star Floozie next Saturday on the Glitter Strip on Hollindale Stakes Day.
'I quite like her,' he said about the daughter of Group 1 Blue Diamond winner Catchy.
'Her ratings are not as such yet where it's uncomfortable for her, she's still going through her grades, but the plan was always to try and get her to stakes level races during the winter.
'As soon as we started working with her, she gave me such a good feel.
'Once I put the blinkers on her, which was her race gear, she's a different beast.'
Gollan said Floozie's two-length victory in a Benchmark 70 race over 1200m at Eagle Farm two weeks ago 'opened my eyes up that she could be a carnival horse'.
'We just have to get her rating up so we can get into the (bigger) races and hopefully it's the Silk Stocking next week,' he said.
Jockey Angela Jones was patient in the straight before unleashing on red-hot favourite Floozie, who firmed from $1.60 to $1.45 in the lead-up to the race, to finish ahead of the Chris and Corey-Munce trained Heroic Miss ($14) and Rob Heathcote's En Pointe ($15).
"She's not cheap, she's classy!"
ðŸ'‹ Floozie wins again at Eagle Farm for @tonygollan! @BrisRacingClub pic.twitter.com/Gutn3sJGQL
â€' SKY Racing (@SkyRacingAU) May 3, 2025
'She was dominant and she definitely made it her show out there today,' Jones said.
'It was nice to see. She's such a lovely big mare and it fills you with confidence when you get on her.
'It was just about getting the luck. She's a perfect push-button horse. She does whatever you ask her and when she goes she has a great turn of foot.'
Gollan said Floozie reminded him of stablemate, six-year-old mare Comrade Rosa, who will compete in Sunday's $1m The Archer slot race in Rockhampton.
'It was so sweet for Ange,' Gollan said.
'She finds a spot just off the speed and she has that really good turn of foot that she can stretch out to 1400m and there'll be no problems for her.
'She has come on significantly in a fortnight. She is a big, strong girl and we are nowhere near the bottom of her.
'She is an exciting mare and reminds me a lot of Comrade Rosa a couple of winters ago.'
Floozie was trained by Victorians Mick Price and Michael Kent Jr before being transferred to Gollan's stable.