Outsider Ruby Rocks overcame plenty of pre-race drama to register her biggest career victory when she led all the way to upset at odds of $61 in Saturday’s Listed Lincoln Farms Marton Cup (2200m).
Trainer Roger Allen and the eight-year-old mare had to endure a horror journey to the Trentham track from their Opaki base after a serious motor vehicle accident left them sitting in traffic as the Remutaka Hill section of State Highway Two was closed for several hours.
Allen only arrived on course with the mare fifteen minutes before start time, however the frantic dash paid dividends in the end as apprentice Toni Davies produced the ride of her life to guide Ruby Rocks home in a terrific four-way finish to the contest.
Having her first run since September, Ruby Rocks and Davies took up the pacemaking duties from barrier rise and carried the field along at moderate tempo before kicking strongly rounding the home bend.
The daughter of Burgundy revelled in the Slow 7 track conditions as she skipped clear at the 300m before gamely holding out the challenges of Nom De Plume, Testify Me and race favourite Sassy Lass by a neck with just a long head covering the other three.
Allen breathed a huge sigh of relief as he recounted just what it had taken to get his charge to the start line.
“Unbelievable as were sitting on a hill for three hours, but the horses were just so quiet, they just stood there,” Allen said.
“I didn’t think we were going to get here but they opened it (the road) up and we had three quarters of an hour before the race, so we just got the horses out when we arrived, put the saddle on her and went straight to the birdcage.
“She has been working well and if they leave her alone she can be hard to catch.
“This is a big thrill and she has nine wins now with most of those being Cup races.”
Davies was also sporting a beaming smile as she described the biggest win of her career to date.
“It’s pretty amazing as she is such a cool horse and I can’t thank Roger enough for putting me on,” she said.
“She was pulling her way to the front and when she got there she just kept on trucking.
“It is nice to get one (a stakes win) out of the way and hopefully I can work towards some more.”
Bred by Allen and his wife Ann, who manages the Bindy One syndicate who race her, Ruby Rocks has now won nine of her 47 starts and over $202,000 in prizemoney.
