The Archer, Rockhampton’s signature horse race, to continue through to 2027

After weeks of uncertainty, Racing Queensland had finally “signed off” on the future of The Archer, Queensland’s richest regional race.

Tony Fenlon from the Rockhampton Jockey Club said the move was a “major relief.”

After five weeks of uncertainty which resulted in speculation and more recently unendorsed supposition, it can finally be revealed that Rockhampton’s signature race, the $1 million The Archer, has been saved.

This was announced on November 14 jointly by Rocky Amateurs’ chairman Bill Reid and committee member Tony Fenlon, confirming that Racing Queensland had finally “signed off” on authorising its continuance.

Furthermore, RQ - the governing body of the racing industry in this state - has relicensed the Rocky Amateurs for another three years through to 2027.

Reid and Fenlon said it was a “mighty relief” and a win for what could only be described as People Power.

“Our club, which only races once annually at Callaghan Park under tenancy arrangements and with the Rockhampton Jockey Club, has had overwhelming support from not only the CQ community and racing stakeholders but the industry Australia-wide,” they said.

Rocky Amateurs chairman Bill Reid and committee person Jonathon Offord. Photo: Tony McMahon.

“Finally, we can call it that The Archer is a certainty, no maybes but a certainty. The Archer will continue.”

It was first reported exclusively by this publication on October 10 that RQ would not relicense from 2026 tenant race clubs such as the Rocky Amateurs, which would bring about the demise of the 2025 The Archer.

At the time, Reid said he was “gutted” and the story brought about an unprecedented storm of protest given the 103-year heritage of the club and the spectacular success of The Archer since its inception in 2022.

Reid and Fenlon were staggered when RQ CEO Jason Scott met with them in Rockhampton on October 4 to advise that “tenant” race clubs would not be relicensed beyond 2025.

That decision, deemed by RQ at the time as a “change in policy’’, meant that The Archer, a slot race where investing slotholders are locked in for some years, was not viable for 2025.

The story played a pivotal role in initiating a storm of protest which included an intense social media campaign by RA committeeperson Warwick Anderson, as well as a petition supporting The Archer which had grown from a $440,000 prize money birth in 2022 to reach $1 million in 2025.

In just three years, it had lured the likes of GROUP 1 winning trainers, Sydney’s Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott, to Rockhampton, as well as the Hayes Racing Team from Melbourne to be part of Queensland richest regional race.

As well, the 2024 edition of The Archer ($775k) proved the massive prize money could stay in CQ when locally owned Namazu (Ashley Butler) won for Callaghan Park trainer Ricky Vale.

A bevy of Australia’s most high-profile jockeys have also ridden in The Archer and that is now guaranteed to continue following its RQ endorsement to race on.

Reid said news of the certainty of The Archer is so good he could “shout it from rooftops”.

Now, The Archer, Rockhampton first $1 million, race will be run amid unremitting fanfare at Rockhampton’s Callaghan Park racecourse on Sunday, May 4, 2025.

Originally published as The Archer, Rockhampton’s signature horse race, to continue through to 2027