The winning run for red hot Danehill sire Fastnet Rock continued on Wednesday night when his daughting Rock Robster scored a stylish win in the listed Tasmanian Oaks (2100m) at Launceston.
A winner at her previous outing against the older horses at Pakenham, Rock Robster was ridden off the strong speed and when called upon by proven big race rider Michael Walker she finished too well to win.
The filly is trained at Euroa by David Hayes and long time stable foreman Gary Fennessy was thrilled with the stakes success.
“We thought all along this way her caper – staying,” Fennessy said. “We had to rush her a little bit to get to this point.”
“She’s a nice staying filly and she should go on.”
“She’s been a filly who’s always shown good ability,” he added. “She was a little late in coming, so we’ve been patient – she’s only had half a dozen starts or so.”
“She will really start to pay her way now with the increase in distance. She’s well bred and this will really bump her up (in value) breeding wise.”
Rock Robster ($8.30) finished too well in the run to the line to beat Khandallah ($4.20) by a widening three quarters of a length.
Roughie Visual Effects ($47.90) was a further two lengths back in third place.
Winning rider Michael Walker said everything turned out to plan during the race and he was impressed with the strong finish of his charge.
“She appreciated dropping 10 kilos from last start in the highweight,” he said. “I knew riding a horse for Mr Hayes, she would be fit and she could have gone another lap.”
“I was asked to not be positive on her – to ride her in off the speed and they ran along so quick I was able to get in easily,” Walker added.
“She lost her footing a bit around the corner but when I got into her she really picked up well and got to the line strongly.”
Bred and sold by Nathan Tinkler’s Patinack Farm, Rock Robster was purchased by leading bloodstock agent Mark Pilkington for $100,000 at the 2010 Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale.
Now a valuable broodmare of the future, Rock Robster has earned almost $70,000 from just a handful of starts and she looks a bright staying prospect of the future.
Rock Robster is the 26th individual stakes winner for red hot Coolmore Stud based sire Fastnet Rock.
She is one of three winners produced by the winning and well related Woodman mare Chinese Whispers.
A winner at 2050 metres, Chinese Whispers is a half sister to the Zimbabwean stakes winner Sunrise Silence and the stakes placed duo Royal Integrity and Discrection.
Discretion, a five winner winner and four time stakes placegetter, is best known these days as the dam of three stakes performers including Royal Discretion and Roulettes.
Winner: Rock Robster
Breeding: Fastnet Rock-Chinese Whispers (Woodman)
Race: TTC Tasmanian Oaks LR (2100m)
Sold for: $100,000
Sale: 2010 Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale
Vendor: Patinack Farm
Buyer: Mark Pilkington Bloodstock
Earnings: $69,550
Owner(s): DA Hayes, Hall Thoroughbred Syndicate (Mgrs: KM & Mrs A Hall), IA George, MV Biasin & DS Thomas
Trainer: David Hayes (Euroa)
