Doo rocks $100,000 Group 1

With a sweeping blitz to the line Rock N Roll Doo (Rock N Roll Heaven) rewarded the long-held faith of his connections and not only captured a Group 1 at Melton on Saturday night (Sep. 10), but built on a want to chase even greater harness racing riches.

Trainer-driver Michael Stanley outlined a plan to attack the October 8 Pryde’s EasiFeed Victoria Cup before a tilt at the November 8 New Zealand Cup with his four-year-old, who mowed down two of the biggest names in Australasian pacing to claim a first Group 1.

The $100,000 VHRC Caduceus Classic didn’t disappoint with frantic first and third quarters over the sprint distance, a tempo that saw the race favourites overrun and Rock N Roll Doo the most menacing of all chasers.

“Gee I couldn’t hold him slow enough tonight, he was on,” Stanley said of the winner, who settled three back in the running line while Copy That set down a 26.7-second first quarter to lead from Tango Tara.

Honolua Bay soon advanced to the breeze and there was little respite through a 29.6 second quarter and 27.1 third quarter, during which Rock N Roll Doo made his move.

By the final turn he had the lead pair’s number and while a group of dynamic sit-sprinters gave chase none threatened to steal his crown.

“I always knew when he got into a race like this, that is just a genuine tempo the whole way, he’s fast enough to follow that strong tempo and still finish off,” Stanley said.

“In saying that I was three-wide without cover from the 700, it’s not as if I came off a cold sit at the top of the straight either. He’s very strong, but he does have a good turn of foot.”

Rock N Roll Doo scored by five metres from Max Delight who scorched home in a race best 27.1-second final quarter, with congestion initially delaying his attack as third-placed Bulletproof Boy and fourth-placed Willie Go West also hunted the line.

Of the beaten favourites, Honolua Bay faded to fifth from the breeze and finished 16 metres off the pace, breaking his eight-race unbeaten streak since joining trainer Emma Stewart.

“The tempo didn’t back off when I thought it would and he had to do it pretty tough, but I still thought he went super,” his reinsman Mark Pitt told TrotsVision.

“I probably should have waited and not gone to the breeze, but I thought when I went to the breeze the fast first quarter they’d have to come up for air at some stage, but they didn’t. That’s racing.”

Pouring on much of the early pressure was Copy That’s reinsman Nathan Jack, who told TrotsVision his hope “just blew up big”.

“Long time between runs and (he’s) second up in 10 months,” Jack said. “(Trainer) Ray (Green) wasn’t too concerned, he just thought he was a fraction underdone and maybe we were a little bit ambitious.”

As has long been the case, there’s also no lack of ambition in the camp of the race winner.

For Stanley and Rock R Roll Doo’s owners Brendan and Anne James the result was reward for their rich faith in the four-year-old by Rock N Roll Heaven.

“It’s good when you talk something up and everything comes to plan,” Stanley said. “It’s been such great support from Brendan and Anne who own him. They’re such great horse people in their own right and they’ve let me be able to be patient and train him and not rush him.

“He is nowhere near mature in the mind still. He has come a long way, but he does take a couple of races to really sharpen up his mind.”

But having been patient Stanley said the time was right to strike and chase Grand Circuit success.

“Back in the old scale he would have turned five in September. The horse’s optimum racing age is that five, six-year-old age at this Grand Circuit level,” he says. “It still says four beside his name but physically he’s ready to be here.

“We nommed for the New Zealand Cup (on November 8) because we just think with his gait that might really suit him, being able to start from the stand, be able to take his time to get into his gear instead of the fast pace of a mobile.

“We’ve got Kilmore Cup in two weeks’ time into a Victoria Cup, but we might sneak a standing start trial in between at Geelong next Monday, see how he goes there and if he goes well Brendan’s really keen to go over there and have a serious crack at it.”