Toowoomba’s Ben Cooke appointed as Chairman of Racing Stewards for Capricornia

A Toowoomba based racing identity is moving to Rockhampton to take on a major role for the Capricornia district. Full details here.

Coome Racing take out first and second place in Race One at Callaghan Park on December 18

Toowoomba based Ben Cooke who honed his stewarding skills in Rockhampton will return home in the very near future as the newly appointed Chairman of Racing Stewards for Capricornia.

This was announced on Thursday, December 9, from Brisbane by Peter Chadwick the Queensland Racing Integrity Commission’s chief steward.

Cooke, 25, married with a young family, has been based in Toowoomba for the past five years where he officiates at race meetings throughout the Eastern and Country Downs Racing Association districts.

Ben comes from well-known Rockhampton lineage and is a grandson of the late Col Cooke a long-time respected butcher and harness racing owner who raced some good pacers.

Not surprisingly Cooke said he was looking forward to returning home to Rockhampton where he commenced working out of Callaghan Park offices under Luke Collins as a cadet in 2015.

“Rockhampton is where my career in racing began so returning there to take up a senior steward’s position is a great opportunity,” he said.

“I am looking forward to working with the current team of stewards and the local industry participants.”

Chadwick said Cooke had been rising through the stewarding ranks gaining experience in some of Queensland’s most remote race meeting locations.

Cooke has also been in charge of race meetings conducted by the Toowoomba Turf Club of a Saturday night which places him in good stead chairing similar Rockhampton TAB race meetings.

His appointment follows the departure last month to Brisbane of counterpart Josh Adams after a tenure of just over two years.

The QRIC based Rockhampton full time stewards operate from offices owned by the Rockhampton Jockey Club at Callaghan Park, racecourse.

They comprise a team of three and Cooke will join senior steward Chris Allison and cadet Nathan Suli.

Cooke follows in the footsteps of a long line of chief stewards in Rockhampton since Brian Nadler retired after seven years in 1993.

He was followed by Michael Carrigg (1993-95); Darryl Griffiths (96-97); Grey Rudolph (July 97-April 2000); David Hensler (April 2000-Sept 2021) and Patrick Cooper (Sep 2001-June 2003).

Interestingly, Michael Carrigg (deceased) held the chief’s role in Rockhampton previously during 1985-86 before becoming the chairman of stewards in Malaysia.

The late John Wallis served in Rocky from 2003 to January 2006 before Paul Gillard, now Cairns based, occupied the position until September 2008.

Young chief steward Chris Jaspirra then operated at Callaghan Park for just 10 months before Luke Collins, now a solicitor, proved he was a stayer lasting just over 10 years.

During 2019, Collins was followed by former Singapore panel steward Neville Laskey who stayed for just two months before joining the Adelaide panel.

Still to this day, old timers talk about the late Frank Hendy, the longest running Rocky chief steward (1954-69) who they say tolerated no nonsense during an era far removed from racing as we know it today.

Originally published as Toowoomba’s Ben Cooke appointed as Chairman of Racing Stewards for Capricornia