Pollard set for cool winter crown if Speycaster salutes

By the Editorial Team · Thursday, July 2, 2026

Todd Pollard, a new independent trainer in Queensland, aims for a major win in the Caloundra Cup on Saturday with his horse Speycaster, which would further establish his success during the winter racing carnival. A victory would cement Pollard as one of the top trainers in the carnival and highlight his rapid rise in the competitive Queensland racing scene.

Todd Pollard is poised to make a significant impact on Queensland’s winter racing carnival if his horse Speycaster wins the Caloundra Cup at the Sunshine Coast on Saturday. The race, held over 2400 meters, carries a $300,000 winner’s purse and could cement Pollard as the most successful Queensland trainer of the carnival in terms of black-type victories.

Pollard, originally from New Zealand, embarked on his solo training career just four months ago after stepping away from managing the stable of Annabel and Rob Archibald in Brisbane. Since then, he has made a notable entrance into the racing scene with multiple successes during the winter carnival, which concludes at Corbould Park this weekend.

His recent achievements include Midnight In Tokyo’s victory in the Hinkler Handicap on Stradbroke Handicap day and Zuleika’s win last weekend in the Tattersall’s Gold Crown, marking back-to-back listed stakes wins. Pollard’s stable has secured nine wins from 40 starts this season, achieving a strike rate of 22 percent.

Among Queensland trainers, Pollard currently shares the top spot for black-type victories this winter with the likes of Chris and Corey Munce, Rob Heathcote, and the father-daughter duo Tony and Maddy Sears.

Speycaster, a seven-year-old gelding, is Pollard’s hopeful contender in the Caloundra Cup. The horse was fourth in his most recent outing at the Listed Ipswich Cup, a 2150-meter race. Pollard expressed confidence in Speycaster’s prospects, noting the horse’s preference for longer distances and wet track conditions. “I really like his chances,” Pollard said. “We just need to get to that 2400 meters and if we can get a wet track as well, he certainly appreciates it.”

Pollard reflected on the carnival, sharing that his initial plans were to wind down as the event was wrapping up, but his recent successes have changed his outlook. “A month ago I was looking forward to the carnival being over to make it a little bit easier, but the last few weeks now I’m saying I’m going to miss it,” he said.

Saturday’s Caloundra Cup represents a pivotal moment for Pollard as he looks to cap off a remarkable start to his independent training career with a win at one of Queensland’s key winter racing events.

This article was reported by synthesizing coverage from multiple independent news outlets to present a balanced, unbiased account. Read about our editorial standards. Spotted an error? Let us know.