Sunshine Coast jockey Adam Sewell injured at Callaghan Park races

A jockey was seriously injured after falling from his horse during Thursday’s TAB races at Callaghan Park.

Seriously injured jockey Adam Sewell in happier times at Callaghan Park. Picture: Tony McMahon.

Thursday’s historic 12 race Rockhampton Jockey Club TAB card at Callaghan Park racecourse was deemed an outstanding success, however, on a sad note it will be a day

popular Sunshine Coast jockey Adam Sewell will never forget.

Sewell, 28, was seriously injured when his mount Handytime clipped the heels of another runner at the 900m point of the fifth race, the Maiden (1200m) and crashed giving him a heavy fall.

Handytime, trained locally by Julieann Lancaster, was uninjured in the accident.

Ironically, Handytime was a late pick-up ride for Sewell after his original jockey Colin Lennon had taken ill and had to be hospitalised.

As a result of the fall, on-course paramedics treated Adam before he was taken to the Rockhampton Base Hospital where he was admitted, and his injuries assessed.

These include a compound fracture of the left collar bone, a broken sternum and fractures to the left ribs.

Fellow Rockhampton jockey Ash Butler remained bedside with Adam Sewell overnight Thursday and throughout Friday, April 19.

“Adam is being transferred to the Hillcrest Hospital at 3pm today and is booked for an operation at 6pm tonight and he is in good spirits,” Ash Butler said at midday.

Sewell, with 324 winners to his name, is one of Queensland’s hardest working jockeys and is a regular FIFO rider servicing Rockhampton, Mackay, Townsville and Cairns TAB meetings.

On the Callaghan Park track, which although rated a Soft 5 raced remarkably well, Bowen based trainer Tom Button who honed his early training skills in Rockhampton attained a career highlight.

Seriously injured jockey Adam Sewell in happier times at Callaghan Park. Picture: Tony McMahon.

Button won the $168,000 Capricornia Yearling Sales 2YO Classic (1200m) with locally owned Denham filly Silver Glitter which swamped the field coming from well back.

Despite excellent form lines coming into the Classic, Silver Glitter (Samantha Collett) started at the very generous odds of $10.

In a barnstorming finish Silver Glitter won by just 0.32 lengths from Toowoomba’s Rocky Rich (Les Tilley, $5.50) with Rocky owned and Roma trained debutant Acedrod (Warwick Satherley, $41) close-up third.

While full honours clearly rested with the winner, the run of Acerod which was trapped wide throughout, was exceptional.

That mattered little to the ownership group of Silver Glitter, headed by Rockhampton’s CocoBrew boss Robin Adams and local businessman John Kele who along with other partners were “cock a hoop.”

“This is the most exciting win I have ever experienced. It is just an amazing feeling and I really feel this one (win),” Adams said trying to express the euphoria he was experiencing.

Button too was overjoyed, modestly downplaying it being his third in Rockhampton’s signature race for two-year-old horses.

“It is definitely my favourite race. We bought these horses 12 months ago and my whole 12 months is being here (with them) on his Raceday,” Button said.

Button purchased Silver Glitter for $37K at the 2023 Capricornia Yearling Sale in Rockhampton and only graduates from there are eligible for the annual CYS 2YO Classic.

Silver Glitter’s record now stands at four starts for two wins and two placings for $143,399 in prize money.

His previous wins had been with Miss Lot Won (2020) and Vallet Rattler (2021) while Miss Lot Won also won the one-only CYS 3YO Guineas in 2020 at Callaghan Park.

Visiting Sunshine Coast trainer Stuart Kendrick’s Under The Cap (Cody Collis, $6) won Thursday’s co-feature race the $118,000 CYS 3 and 4YO Classic (1300m).

Under The Cap sold for $14,000 to Archer Park at the 2021 CYS and has now won $136,800.

Attention now focuses on the Rocky Amateurs The Archer Race Day at Callaghan Park on Sunday, April 28 where just over $1M in prizemoney, bonuses and trophies are on offer.

A track inspection at approximately 6am Saturday will determine the fate of the Yeppoon Turf Club’s meeting that day. If the track is deemed unsuitable it is likely that a phantom meeting will go ahead at Keppel Park.

Originally published as Sunshine Coast jockey Adam Sewell injured at Callaghan Park races