The 2026 Simpson Desert Racing Carnival (SDRC) has concluded in Bedourie, with Forever A Diamond, Kym Healy and John Keating crowned the winners of the SDRC Brook Pastoral Leading Horse, Leading Trainer and Leading Jockey awards.
The three awards, proudly supported by Brook Pastoral, carried a combined $12,000 in bonus cash and rewarded performances across the Betoota, Birdsville and Bedourie meetings.
And fittingly, after three meetings and four days of racing, both the trainer and jockey titles went all the way to a countback.
Forever A Diamond crowned Leading Horse
Forever A Diamond completed an outstanding Carnival to claim the SDRC Brook Pastoral Leading Horse title with 18 points.
The Kym Healy-trained galloper was remarkably consistent throughout the circuit, finishing third at Betoota before winning on both days at Birdsville and then finishing second at Bedourie.
That produced 18 points under the carnival’s 6-4-2-1 scoring system and secured the $3,000 first prize for his owners.
Behind him, Super Exceptional stormed into contention by winning at Bedourie, joining Rhesus on 13 points.
With the rules providing for tied horses to share the applicable bonus, Super Exceptional and Rhesus finished equal second, sharing the $1,000 second-place prize with $500 each.
Healy wins Leading Trainer on countback
The SDRC Brook Pastoral Leading Trainer could hardly have been closer.
Kym Healy and Kevin Sims both finished the carnival with four winners, forcing the title to a countback on second placings.
Healy’s exceptional consistency across the circuit proved decisive, finishing with four wins, six seconds and three thirds, compared with Sims’ four wins, one second and two thirds.
Healy therefore collected the $3,000 Leading Trainer bonus, with Sims receiving $2,000 for second.
Sims made a remarkable late charge at Bedourie, training three winners on the final day to draw level with Healy.
Philip Cole also enjoyed an strong carnival, finishing third in the standings with three wins, four seconds and eight thirds.
Keating holds off Brennan for Leading Jockey
The jockey competition produced an equally dramatic finish.
John Keating and Angel Brennan finished tied on four winners, meaning the SDRC Brook Pastoral Leading Jockey was also decided on a countback.
Keating’s final record of four wins, four seconds and three thirds gave him the title ahead of Brennan, who finished with four wins, two seconds and three thirds.
Keating collected the $2,000 first prize, with Brennan receiving $1,000 for second.
Brennan made a spectacular late bid for the title with a treble at Bedourie, while Jade Doyle finished third overall with three winners.
