Category Archives: Rock of Gibraltar

Fifth Stakes win for Rock’s Golden son

Posted on by

Rock Of Gibraltar’s (Danehill – Offshore Boom, by Be My Guest) brilliant son Golden Archer (Rock Of Gibraltar – Viennetta, by Pins) posted the fifth Stakes win of his 13-start career in the Listed The Heath 1100 (1100m) at Caulfield.

Carrying the sponsor’s name, TheShark.com.au Stakes, the $120,000 race attracted a field of eight runners after the withdrawal of pre-post favourite African Pulse (Johannesburg – Bunyah, by Distant View) and the last-start Stakes winner Freereturn (Rubiton – Early Bird, by Karaman).

Golden Archer found the early lead under jockey Luke Nolen, who set the speed to suit himself up front, before simply slipping away from his opposition to post a dominant 1-1/4 length win with the top weight of 58kg.

The $80,000 Inglis Australian Easter Yearling Sale purchase has now won more than $550,000 for his connections from just 13 starts with the promise of plenty more to come during the remainder of his spring campaign.

Golden Archer’s trainer Peter Moody said the stallion would run in the Group 3 McEwen Stakes (1000m) at Moonee Valley in a fortnight before returning to Caulfield for the Group 2 Schillaci Stakes on Caulfield Guineas day.

Golden Archer’s dam Viennetta (Pins – Bali Sugar, by Christmas Tree) was a Group 2 winner herself in New Zealand. Viennetta foaled a filly by Stratum (Redoute’s Choice – Bourgeois, by Luskin Star) in 2011 while she is expecting a foal by top Darley stallion Exceed And Excel (Danehill – Patrona, by Lomond) this year.

76 for Rock Of Gibraltar in Germany

Posted on by

UK trainer Mick Channon’s decision to travel Ayaar (Rock Of Gibraltar – Teide Lady, by Nashwan) to Germany achieved the desired result when the colt provided Coolmore stallion Rock Of Gibraltar (Danehill – Offshore Boom, by Be My Guest) with his 76th Stakes winner in the Group 3 Belmondo Zukunfts-Rennen (1400m) at Baden-Baden.

Ayaar had won his past two races in the UK but his last victory was a non-event after the juvenile defeated only one rival. However, Channon thought enough of the two-year-old to send him abroad to the German event.

Ayaar ran on too well for his opposition, despite racing greenly, to complete his third win from seven starts for his owner Sheikh Mohammed Bin Khalifa Al Maktoum.

Ayaar’s dam Teide Lady (Nashwan – Oshiponga, by Barathea) is a half-sister to the Group 2 winner Hatta Fort (Cape Cross – Oshiponga, by Barathea).

Watch the race on the video below. Ayaar is in the yellow colours with the royal blue cap.

Three-year-olds eyeing Stradbroke Handicap after big wins

Posted on by

Next month’s Group 1 Stradbroke Handicap is likely to feature a pair of exciting three-year-olds after Mental (Lonhro – Intrigues, by Night Shift) and Pampelonne (Rock Of Gibraltar – Jestajewel, by Rory’s Jester) hammered their rivals at Doomben and Scone respectively.

Mental showed an impressive turn of foot to defeat the smart Victorian three-year-old Amah Rock in the Group 3 Fred Best Classic (1350m).

The convincing nature of Mental’s victory convinced Darley’s main trainer Peter Snowden to put Brisbane’s premier sprint on the gelding’s agenda moments after he became the 33rd individual Stakes winner for last season’s champion sire Lonhro (Octagonal – Shadea, by Straight Strike)..

“It’s two weeks from now until the Guineas and then another week until the Stradbroke and I think the back-up will be perfect for him,” Snowden said.

“I’ve really looked after this little horse and cuddled him a bit and he showed us what we needed to see today.

“He’s always excited me with what he can do on the training track. Even when I work him by himself he does special things and he is an exciting horse.”

Pampelonne booked his ticket to Queensland when the Tim Martin-trained galloper led throughout to claim the $500,000 Inglis 3YO Guineas (1400m). Martin said he could back up the three-year-old in next Saturday’s Group 1 Doomben 10,000 (1350m) in a bid to force his way into the Stradbroke field.

“I just want to get him in there (the Stradbroke),” Martin said. “I don’t know how I’m going to do it but I’ll just get him up there and work out a way.

“I’d love to go straight into it in a perfect world but we’ll just wait and see. If he travels to Brisbane well I’m actually looking at the 10,000 and then two weeks into the Stradbroke.”

The Inglis 3YO Guineas does not carry Stakes status but Sincero won the race last year before the gelding won the Stradbroke Handicap.

 

New Rock Of Gibraltar Stakes Winner

Posted on by

Russian Rock (5 h Rock Of Gibraltar – Mala Mala, by Brief Truce) won his first black type race when winning the Listed Jebel Ali Sprint (1000m) on dirt at Jebel Ali on Friday.

Russian Rock defeated Fityaan (Haafhd) and was completing an unprecedented treble in the course’s three Listed races for owner Fathi Esaed Mohd Egziama, trainer Musabah Al Muhairi and champion jockey Wayne Smith.

Connections are now eyeing Dubai World Cup night and one of the two sprints on the card and the owner said: “It has been a remarkable season for us, especially here at Jebel Ali and we are all delighted – especially as I only have a handful of horses here in training.”

“Hopefully we will get a chance with him and Treble Jig, who runs in the Maktoum Challenge tomorrow, on Dubai World Cup night.”

Jockey Smith said, “We were very hopeful as he won the prep so well. His first run for us was in this race last year and he has improved a lot since then. It is a graet result for the whole team.”

Mainlanders eyeing Hobart Guineas

Posted on by

Mainland trainers have provided five of the 13 entries for Sunday’s Listed Hobart Guineas (2100m) at the Elwick racetrack.

Victorian trainer Anthony Freedman has opened the door for Caravaggio (Al Maher – Montana Downs, by Bluebird) to post his first stakes success in the $90,000 race after three straight wins in Victoria.

Melbourne Cup-winning trainer Mark Kavanagh has nominated the exciting staying prospect Meshmaker (Testa Rossa – She’s Double Gold, by Golden Missile) for the race after the gelding easily accounted for older opposition in Adelaide last time out.

Neil Walsh will test Zuma Roc (Rock Of Gibraltar – Medium Swing, by Celtic Swing) as a candidate Group 3 Tasmanian Derby in the Hobart Guineas.

LISTED HOBART GUINEAS (2100m) – NOMINATIONS
Horse Trainer Sire
BARYSH QUEST Gary White West Quest
CARAVAGGIO Anthony Freedman Al Maher
COLONIAL GOLD Gary White Promontory Gold
FATHER NED Stephen Lockhart God’s Own
FRENCH TANG Greg Eurell Ne Coupez Pas
HEAD SPINNER Leanne Gaffney El Maggiore
JARSS ACT Patrick Payne Delago Brom
KNOCK ON THE DOOR Michael Voss My Lad
MESHMAKER Mark Kavanagh Testa Rossa
SERPENTS VIEW Christie Burt Blevic
VISUAL EFFECTS Barry Campbell Man Of Illusion
WESTERING HOME David & Scott Brunton West Quest
ZUMA ROC Neil Walsh Rock Of Gibraltar

Aus-bred wins Singapore Gr 3

Posted on by

The Australian-bred Zac Influence (Rock Of Gibraltar РKidman) circled the field into the straight to win the $175,000 Group 3 Proinn Construct Stakes (1700m) at Kranji in Singapore on Friday night. Zac Influence made his decisive move at the 700m to circle the field to claim the top prize with a one-length win from Flying Fulton (Flying Spur) with Parfumier (Belong To Me) third another 2 ¼ lengths away.

Zac Influence is also trained by Australian Cliff Brown, who is in England to purchase horses and was represented by hisstable supervisor Tim Fitzsimmons, who said Zac Influence deserved to land a feature race

‚ÄúHe has always run in good company. He ran second to Gingerbread Man in the second leg of the Three-Year-Old Challenge,‚Äù said Fitzsimmons.¬†‚ÄúBut he probably had had enough in the (Singapore) Guineas. We gave him a break and he‚Äôs come back good.”

‚ÄúI just told Shafiq to try and not get caught deep as he was jumping from a wide gate. He was caught a bit wide around the first turn but he was able to bring him back.¬†He made an early move that paid off. He is a tough horse and I‚Äôm sure Cliff will be rapt to hear he won.”

“He’s in England buying more horses. This is a horse that Cliff actually bought himself.”

A four-year-old entire by Rock Of Gibraltar, Zac Influence was purchased by Brown from the 2009 Inglis Australian Easter Yearling Sale for $60,000. Brown also bought Zac Influence’s younger sibling (a colt by Flying Spur) at this year’s Easter Yearling Sale for $140,000.

Zac Influence

Zac Influence

Brighthill puts international star back in work

Posted on by

Brighthill Farm has abandoned Eagle Mountain’s (Rock Of Gibraltar – Masskana, by Darshaan) stud career after fertility issues forced the operation to return the high-class international galloper to the racetrack.

The Sheikh Mohammed Bin Khalifa Al Maktoum-owned stallion won the Group 1 Hong Kong Cup (2000m) to crown a career that also include Group wins in Ireland and England. Eagle Mountain was also good enough to finish second in the Group 1 Group 1 Epsom Derby (12f) and the Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Turf (12f) at Santa Anita.

Brighthill Farm studmaster Nick King told The Informant Eagle Mountain has only a handful of foals on the ground but “they are as good as any on the farm”.

King said the former Mike de Kock-trained galloper would resume his career in the care of New Zealand trainer Steve McKee.

“It’s obviously disappointing and the work we did with him in the off-season was encouraging but he regressed in the spring and wasn’t getting them in foal,” King said.

“We had a lot of outside help and advice and we even bred to him in northern hemisphere time in the autumn.

“We got to the point where we thought we might get 30 mares in foal but science and nature are two different things and you can’t beat nature.”

King said McKee would aim the eight-year-old at the Dubai World Cup meeting in March but conceded the idea was “a bit of a longshot”.

Rock Of Gibraltar debutants stand up

Posted on by

A pair of promising debutants sired by Coolmore Stud’s Irish-based sire Rock Of Gibraltar (Danehill – Offshore Boom, by Be My Guest) provided the bulk of a winning treble for the stallion on Wednesday.

The Tim Martin-trained Pampelonne (Rock Of Gibraltar – Jestajewel, by Rory’s Jester) settled just off the pace before sprinting impressively to claim the Free Entry Today Maiden Handicap (1100m) at Warwick Farm. Martin paid $140,000 for the gelding at the 2010 Inglis Australian Easter Yearling Sale.

“I’ve always said he’s my best horse,” Martin said. “He’s the real deal.

“He wasn’t screwed down for a first-up kill so he’s going to take plenty of benefit from that.

“If he runs well at Rosehill on Saturday week we’ll take him down to Melbourne for a three-year-old race over the carnival.”

South Australian trainer Tony McEvoy took the wraps off the three-year-old filly Nassau (Rock Of Gibraltar – Islands High, by High Yield) at the Morphettville Parks meeting. Nassau coasted to a 1-3/4 length win in the Windsor Estate Wines Maiden Plate (1000m).

The former West Australian colt Pago Rock (Rock Of Gibraltar – Dancing Pago, by Thunder Gulch) completed Rock Of Gibraltar’s midweek treble with his win in the Le Pine Funerals Handicap (1600m).

Pago Rock had to pull out plenty in the straight to score by a short head. The win maintained Pago Rock’s unbeaten record from three starts as part of the Peter Moody outfit.

Pinwheel heads Sir Rupert Clarke weights

Posted on by

Consistent Lonhro (Octagonal – Shadea, by Straight Strike) gelding Pinwheel (Lonhro – Quilt, by Danehill) heads the weights for Saturday’s Group 1 Sir Rupert Clarke Stakes (1400m) at Caulfield.

The Group 2 Warwick Stakes (1400m) winner will carry 58kg if his trainer Peter Snowden decides to run the six-year-old in the $350,000 feature, half a kilo more than the Queensland gelding Woorim (Show A Heart – Wabble, by Canadian Silver).

Another son of Show A Heart (Brave Warrior – Miss Sandman, by Regal Advice), the Rick Hore-Lacy-trained Toorak Toff (Show A Heart – Orrong, by Grand Lodge), will carry 56.5kg for his attempt at a second Group 1 win.

The 2011 renewal of the Sir Rupert Clarke Stakes has attracted 28 nominations with six Group 1 winners among the entries.

Randwick trainer Anthony Cummings has provided the most interesting nomination after entering the Group 1 Golden Rose runner-up Smart Missile (Fastnet Rock – Comical Smile, by Comic Strip) for the race.

Smart Missile is one of a trio of three-year-olds entered for the Sir Rupert Clarke Stakes along with Patinack Farm’s Kneeling (Encosta De Lago – Sunday Service, by Sunday Silence) and Golden Archer (Rock Of Gibraltar – Viennetta, by Pins).

Click here for the weights for Saturday’s Group 1 Sir Rupert Clarke Stakes at Caulfield.

Old boys help Coolmore to six

Posted on by

Trans-Tasman doubles to veterans Fusaichi Pegasus (Mr Prospector – Angel Fever, by Danzig) and Rock Of Gibraltar (Danehill – Offshore Boom, by Be My Guest) has provided the bulk of Coolmore Stud’s six-win Friday.

Rock Of Gibraltar’s double began when Coup Rocky Road (Rock Of Gibraltar – Little Tempest, by Thunder Gulch) won the Tas Answering Services Maiden (1200m) at Timaru before Lil Bit Musky (Rock Of Gibraltar – Musk Lime, by Private Account) claimed the Viatek Handicap (1100m) on the Geelong Synthetic track.

Monte Ichiban (Fusaichi Pegasus – Purling, by Tolomeo) began Fusaichi Pegasus’s double with his win in the Sky Race Callers Cup (1750m) on the Canberra Acton circuit before Classy Fashion (Fusaichi Pegasus – Elegant Fashion, by Danewin) won the Port FM Maiden (1200m) at Timaru.

Both of Fusaichi Pegasus’s winners came from impressive stock. Monte Ichiban is a three-quarter brother to Royal Purler (Hector Protector – Purling, by Tolomeo), the winner of the Group 1′Flught Stakes (1600m) in 2002 while Classy Fashion’s dam, Elegant Fashion (Danewin – Wily Trick, by Clever Trick) won the Group 1 Hong Kong Derby (2000m) in 2003.

Fastnet Rock (Danehill – Piccadilly Circus, by Royal Academy) got in on the act when Rock And Roll (Fastnet Rock – Wooden Melody, by Woodman) won the Globe Australia Handicap (1600m) at Wyong. Encosta De Lago (Fairy King – Shoal Creek, by Star Way) contributed to Coolmore’s sextet of wins when Sweetest Melody (Encosta De Lago – Ornamental Rose, by Catrail) won the Listed Mona Lisa Stakes (1350m) at Wyong.