Winner: Rocket Man (Viscount-Macrosa)
Race: SingTC Garden City Trophy G3 (1200m)
Sold for: $60,000
Sale: 2007 Magic Millions National Yearling Sale
Vendor: Tyreel Thoroughbred Stud
Buyer: World Wide Bloodstock
Earnings: $1,817,440
Owner(s): Fred Crabbia
Trainer: Patrick Shaw (Kranji)
Champion Singapore sprinter Rocket Man showed he was on track for a Hong Kong campaign following a barnstorming win in tonight’s $200,000 Group Three Garden City Trophy (1200m) at Kranji.
Pouncing on the lead right from the getaway, Rocket Man controlled the race and raced clear in the straight to win by four and a quarter lengths.
The outstanding five-year-old made it 11 wins from 14 runs when he won in great style – sending a warning to his potential Hong Kong International Sprint rivals – stopping the clock in 1-8.82.
Barend Vorster rode Rocket Man for the second time tonight and was delighted with the performance – particularly how he handled a number of shadows – which he has had a tendency to jump in other races.
“Overall I was very proud of him tonight,” Vorster said. “Every 100m or so there seemed to be a shadow.”
“He was very wary of those shadows and then there was a big ray of sunshine coming through the grandstands.”
“He was having a good look at everything but I kept him concentrating. Really he was on his best behaviour and got the job done in great fashion.”
“It’s nice to be associated with a champion like him,” Vorster said. “He was nice and strong throughout the race and I have to thank Fred for entrusting me with the ride on him.”
Vorster will be watching Rocket Man in Hong Kong from the sidelines with Felix Coetzee set to be reunited with the star for his next two runs. He’s currently on the sidelines through injury.
Trainer Patrick Shaw, who skipped the recent Sprinters Stakes in Japan to concentrate on a Hong Kong trip, said the win was “pretty painless”.
“He was up 6kg on his weight from last time and ideally that is where I would like to try and keep it,” Shaw said.
“I think the turnaround in his weight has been the fact I have been a little easier on him than I was before his first run.”
“I had him wound right up for his last run. He had three trials as I had to have him very fit as he was giving away a lot of weight to the others.”
“But it was different weights this time and I could afford to be a bit easier on him.”
“He only needed the one trial as he also had the race under him as well.”
“He looks to have pulled up in good order, but naturally we’ll have him checked over before he leaves for Hong Kong which is likely to be on the 13th of next month,” Shaw summed up.
Trainer Brian Dean provided the minor placegetters in the race including the runner-up, Gold Coast Yearling Sale graduate Fantastic Owners.
“They’ve both run super against a real freak of a racehorse,” said Dean.
“They ran their fastest ever 1200m, and this will be the perfect hit-out for the EW Barker Trophy (1400m on November 7). They should both be very competitive.”
“I’m not sure how much prizemoney they’ll earn but it certainly is not bad money given we knew Rocket Man was unbeatable.”
Rocket Man is a great advertisement for the Australian thoroughbred breeding industry – by an Australian raced sire, from an Australian raced dam, bred in Australia by an Australian and sold in Australia.
“What a champion he is,” Magic Millions International Director David Chester said. “In two years Rocket Man has established himself as one of the finest sprinters in the world.”
“He was sold by Tyreel Stud for $60,000 at the 2007 National Yearling Sale at the Gold Coast and purchased for connections by our South African agent Andy Williams.”
For the past two seasons Rocket Man has been crowned the champion Australian bred in Singapore by Aushorse. He’s earned his South African based owner Fred Crabbia over A$1.8 million.
Rocket Man is one of two international stars produced by his dam, the stakes winning mare Macrosa.
Her other star performer is Our Giant – a two time winner at Group One level for former trainer Charles Laird.
