Aussie raider Rock N Roll Doo’s New Zealand Cup tilt is true again on monitor after a glowing trial win.
The Victoria Cup winner set tongues wagging when he smashed the clock in a smaller-than-usual conventional Cup “Trial” at Addington on Wednesday.
Simply as importantly, the Mick Stanley-trained star stepped away safely from the standing begin, one thing he made a large number of at his NZ debut within the Ashburton Flying Stakes 9 days earlier.
“It was every little thing we hoped for, the beginning and the way good he felt,” Stanley mentioned.
“To be trustworthy, it’s what I anticipated, too. I knew he was underdone, and intentionally so, at Ashburton, and I blame myself as a lot as something for him messing up the beginning there.”
Rock N Roll Doo stepped nicely and led the three-horse Cup Trial from rising Kiwi star Outdated City Highway, whereas Krug galloped away.
Stanley was eager for a stable hitout and let Rock N Roll Doo run together with a scorching 1min53.8sec final mile and 54sec flat closing 800m.
Rock N Roll Doo held-off Outdated City Highway to win by a half-head.
Stanley warned the hitout would solely deliver the four-year-old on much more for subsequent Tuesday’s $NZ600,000 Group 1 function.
“He mainly did no work for every week after the Victoria Cup (October 8) so I knew he was nicely underdone for Ashburton, however he nonetheless did sufficient there to say he’s pretty much as good as any of the locals and that was actually encouraging,” he mentioned.
“I’ve acquired a number of work into him over the previous week and seen the development in him so the sturdy trial didn’t shock me.
“He felt nice, however there’s extra to return. He’ll be proper the place I need him come race time.
“So far as the beginning goes, I believe I had him too relaxed at Ashburton. I had him transferring extra this time and I’ve acquired my head round all of it now for the large one.”
Rock N Roll Doo will begin from the again line (barrier 13) within the Cup.
“It’s not splendid, but it surely’s extra about getting away safely as a result of it’s a marathon (3200m) not a dash,” Stanley mentioned.
Rock N Roll Doo is considered one of two Aussies attempting to grow to be simply the second Aussie-trained pacer since My Lightning Blue means again in 1987 to win the NZ Cup. The opposite was Arden Rooney in 2015.
Australia’s different runner, Majestic Cruiser, will begin from barrier two.
The Jason Grimson-trained star was flown from Sydney to Auckland on Sunday then had one other flight from Auckland to Christchurch in the present day (Wednesday).
Grimson stays assured regardless of Majestic Cruiser’s two runs from a spell being solely honest by his requirements and the actual fact he’s by no means raced from a standing begin.
“Don’t fear, he’ll be prepared come raceday. I’ll have him proper,” he mentioned.
“He’s a smart, seasoned outdated horse. He stepped nicely in a (standing begin) trial a few weeks again.”
NZ’s two greatest pacers Self Assured (barrier one) and Copy That (eight) – winners of the previous two NZ Cups – look the toughest for the Aussies to beat.
· Adam Hamilton is a paid contributor writing on harness racing for Information Corp.
Initially revealed as Rock N Roll Doo trying to upset the locals in New Zealand Cup
