By COLIN HODGES

Before having starters at the transferred Parkes meeting at Gilgandra on 15 May, former champion jumps jockey Frankie Stockdale worked his horses at Forbes Racecourse.

Accompanied by his wife Julie and daughter Franki, the Packenham (Victoria) based trainer is on a working holiday with plans to race his five horse team at Rockhampton and Cairns in Queensland.

Briefly interrupting the journey in Gilgandra, Stockdale had two starters: the 2400 metres stayer Dubai Moon, ran a strong finishing third over 1280 metres in the opening event won by Starlink and Riverside Special which came from last for an unlucky third to Arctic Rover.

The son of trainer Bill Stockdale, Frankie Stockdale as a 15 year old apprentice riding at his first meeting won at Traralgon on Call Me Luck trained by his uncle the late Allan Douch.

A brilliant young rider with over 60 winners including wins on Melbourne tracks, Stockdale by age 17 had become too heavy to continue riding on the flat and switched his attention to jumps racing where he became a star.

In a sport which requires plenty of courage from a rider, the many wins for Frankie Stockdale included the 1994 Grand National Hurdle at Flemington on Tennessee Blue for trainer Jim Houlihan, the 1996 Grand National Steeplechase on Best Endeavours for  trainer Pat Hyland, the Australian Steeplechase at Flemington on Hussars Best trained by B.J Bennett and the Yalumba Hurdle at Oakbank ( SA ) on Big Zap trained by Allan Douch.

Frank Stockdale. IMAGE twitter - racing.com

Frankie’s wife Julie Stockdale was also a prominent jockey on the Picnic circuit with a highlight being 4 winners on the day at the Hinnomunjie Picnics held near Omeo in the Victorian High Country.

Julie’s sister Kerry Farrugia became the first female to outride the apprentice allowance In country Victoria and amongst her many winners in the professional ranks during the 1980’s and 1990’s she had over 100 wins on horses trained at Sale by her father Mario Farrugia.

Training with considerable success for over 50 years, Mario Farrugia is a Gippsland Hall Of Fame trainer.

Father and son Stockdales at Pakenham, Vic in 2017. SOURCE: Facebook

With such a horse racing background it was no surprise that Brandon Stockdale, the son of Julie and Frankie Stockdale, was in the saddle from a very early age.

At age 16 Brandon Stockdale after earlier wins rode his first Melbourne winner, Oncebittentwiceshy at Sandown in April 2015.

Earning rave reviews for his great horsemanship after his saddle slipped badly at the start, Brandon in June 2015 rode his first Flemington winner, the $61 outsider Bon Rocket.

The very talented Brandon Stockdale became a leading apprentice in Victoria however a race in 2017 was extra special when he won on Unique Lovely at Moonee Valley, the first Melbourne winner trained by his father Frankie Stockdale.

Further down the track another family member might emerge on the racing scene, seven year old Franki Stockdale who is being home schooled by her parents during the trip to Queensland.

Already a capable rider, Franki has been seen on her little piebald pony trotting behind her father Frankie as he exercises his gallopers.