BAILEY “POCKETS” A CLASSIC RESULT FIRST-UP AT HOME

ROD Bailey was straight to the point!

“If I had trialled him, he would have started around a $2 favorite,” the popular Wyong trainer said today in respect to his first-up triumph with Classic Pocket at his home track yesterday.

“He was going that well getting ready for his return.”

Bailey’s decision to skip trialling the lightly-raced Hong Kong-owned four-year-old paid off handsomely as Classic Pocket went to the post as an $8.50 chance, providing his trainer with a terrific result on the eve of Christmas.

Classic Pocket was having only his second start – and first since debuting at home in July – when he outsped his rivals in the Super Maiden Handicap (1100m) for four-year-olds and upwards.

With Grant Buckley aboard, the gelding burst out of the stalls to lead, was taken on mid-race, but kicked clear on straightening and was never seriously threatened.

He comfortably defeated leading Newcastle trainer Kris Lees’ Oakfield Universe ($2.90) and Sydney visitor El Qasabi, the $2.60 favorite.

 As is RacingNSW stewards’ standard procedure with a horse who hasn’t raced or trialled within six months, Classic Pocket underwent a pre-race veterinary examination.

It mattered not.

“Wyong is a great place to train,” Bailey said. “We have grass track jumpouts and I was able to get him ready to win first-up without showing him up in public in an official trial.”

Whilst Bailey has only six horses in training, he is the senior member of a hard-working family as son Callum currently is pre-training 30 young horses.

And he had an interesting story to relate in regard to his association with Classic Pocket’s owner Stephen Li, whose business is Classic Uniforms.

“I trained this gelding’s dam Classic Vinegar, but never got to race her,” Bailey explained.

“Stephen rang one day with some bad news.

“He said Classic Vinegar was being transferred to Sydney as John Moore, who was training in Hong Kong at the time, had asked him to support his brother Gary, who was setting up shop training at Rosehill Gardens.

“I was pretty upset at the time as I knew she had ability. She won four of her only seven starts.”

What goes around comes around, and perhaps Li, having taken Classic Vinegar away, felt a sense of guilt and gave Bailey her son Classic Pocket (by Denman) to train.

“This bloke needed time to mature, and that’s why he was having only his second start yesterday,” Bailey said.

“I’ve also got his elder brother, who ran second in an 800m Newcastle trial for me before being sent to Hong Kong.

“He ran third in a 1650m race at Happy Valley 13 months ago when trained by Mark Newnham, and the owner decided to send him back to me.”

. HOOFNOTE: Sadly, Classic Vinegar is no longer alive.

She had serious feet problems, and was humanely euthanased in August.

Bailey led a treble for local trainers at yesterday’s Christmas At The Races meeting.

After scoring with Classic Pocket, Kim Waugh and Kristen Buchanan followed with further winners.

Waugh’s promising three-year-old filly Brightburn ($1.55 favorite) was successful at her second start, in the Midway 3YO Maiden Plate (1100m), and Kristen Buchanan scored with Justice Warrior ($6.50) in the Class 1 Handicap (1350m).

Keagan Latham rode Brightburn, and Newcastle apprentice Shannen Llewellyn continued her good form by partnering Justice Warrior.

Buchanan’s smart three-year-old Tambeloa ($5.50) was third in the Group 3 Grand Prix Stakes (1800m) at Eagle Farm yesterday en route to the The Eagle Way (2100m) at the same track on Saturday week (January 3).

Whilst leading Newcastle trainer Kris Lees had to play “second fiddle” to Bailey with Oakfield Universe, he made it two in a row with the promising stayer Brave Call, at Royal Randwick.

Patiently ridden by Tommy Berry until he got going and followed eventual runner-up King Pedro ($4.20), Brave Call ($4.20) proved the superior stayer in the Benchmark 78 Handicap at the UK import’s first attempt at 2400m.

Hawkesbury trainer Fabio Martino completed a successful week and went close to clinching his first double, at Dubbo yesterday.

After scoring at Orange last Monday with Doutelle ($6.50), Martino took the Class 1 Handicap (1100m) with $7.50 chance Zambezi River (apprentice Ryan Bradley) before stablemate Lady Zodiac ($13) was a close second in the Benchmark 58 Handicap (1000m).

Martino’s newcomer All Star ($21), an initial $1.2m purchase as an Inglis Australian Easter yearling last year before being onsold online to Spartus Bloodstock for $60,000 in May this year, finished third at Wyong yesterday at his first start for his new trainer.

STORY JOHN CURTIS, DECEMBER 21, 2025 - PICS BRADLEY PHOTOS