An emphatic front-running win at New Plymouth on Saturday hinted at a lucrative winter campaign over the next few months for Rocababy (NZ) (El Roca).
Most of the highlights of the Hawera mare’s career have come on her favoured rain-affected footing, including a victory over subsequent Group One winner Romancing The Moon (NZ) (El Roca) in the Listed O’Learys Fillies’ Stakes (1200m) at Wanganui as a three-year-old.
Rocababy faced only three opponents in Saturday’s The Rock (1400m), and jockey Lisa Allpress took the race by the scruff of the neck. She went straight to the lead as soon as the gates opened, then dictated terms in front before quickening and scooting away just before the home turn.
Home-track mare Sumi (NZ) (Atlante) chased bravely down the New Plymouth straight, but Rocababy showed no sign of slowing down and crossed the finish line a length and three-quarters in front.
“She just jumped so easily, got to the front, stacked them and then off we went,” Allpress said. “I thought she went a really good race at Wanganui last start, but she was slow away and just got into the wrong position against a bigger field. She still ran on really well for second. She’s done it very easily today.
“I think she could go up to a mile in this campaign. They tried last season, but she was still quite weak. She’s still not a very big mare, but I feel like she’s strengthened up and she can tick along on these wet tracks.”
The four-year-old daughter of El Roca has now had 18 starts for five wins, four seconds and $144,795 in stakes for her Taranaki owner-breeder Graham Meredith.
Rocababy is trained at Hawera by Anna Clement.
“The 1400m was a question mark today, but she’s seen that out well,” Clement said. “Lisa is one of the top jockeys in the country, and she rode her a treat. We’re really happy.
“I’d like to think we could run this mare in some nice races through the winter now, but we have no plans as yet. We’ll take it day by day. She’s really sound and everything like that, so we’ll have a look at the book tomorrow and pencil something in.”
