Roch 'n' Horse lived up to her giant killer reputation when lowering the boom on the world's highest-rated sprinter Nature Strip in the $3,000,000 Group 1 Darley Champions Sprint (1200m) at Flemington on Saturday.
Ridden by Jamie Mott for Michael Moroney, the 6yo daughter of Per Incanto (USA) defeated Nature Strip (Nicconi) by a short-neck with the High Chaparral (IRE) speedball Baller a head back in third.
Less than a length covered the first seven across the line. It was a hard watch for supporters of the previously unbeaten Giga Kick, who ran in to traffic problems when having plenty left to offer.
Roch 'n' Horse was winning for the first time since capturing the Group 1 Newmarket Handicap as a $101 shot over the same course and distance back in March.
With her second Group 1, Roch 'n' Horse advances her record to five wins, six seconds, and two thirds from 18 starts with earnings of $2,863,320.
“A great performance by all my staff and my vets because she’s not the easiest at times, but she’s a very good mare, and we knew it was no fluke, the Newmarket, and we were happy to take them on today,” Moroney said.
“We scratched out of the Manikato. I was with her when the lightning came, and she really got a bit frazzled with the lightning above her, she didn’t eat.
“So I got her there (the next day), and they didn’t upgrade the track so we pulled her out. That was the best decision.
“I just thought that she got exposed a bit early. She’s one that got a really good turn-of-foot but hasn’t got a long, long one. Today, she gutsed it out as she did in the Newmarket.
“She was fresh today, she’s better on the fresh side. You learn more about them as you go along and I certainly learnt more about her today.
“This has been a great track to me. I’ve won a couple of Derbies, an Oaks, the Melbourne Cup, a couple of Newmarkets down the straight. We’ve won most of the Group 1s here and it has been a great track for me.
“I think it is the best track in the world.”
“Everyone knows Jamie’s such a great horseman, such a great rider. He’s got a great set of hands on him and she can get tugging a little bit so it really suited her.
“I feel a bit sorry for Patrick Moloney, who’s sitting watching it. He would’ve normally been on her but for the suspension on Emissary in the Melbourne Cup.”
Roch 'n' Horse is bred and raced by Little Avondale Stud after failing to make her modest $40,000 reserve at the 2018 NZB Karaka Yearling Sale.
She is the best of three foals from as many to race out of the unraced Cecconi mare Rochfort a half-sister to Group III winner Weismuller and dual Listed winner Travolta
Rochfort is also a half-sister to Harlow Gold (Tavistock) who was second in the Group 1 VRC Oaks and third in the Group 1 Vinery Stud Stakes.
