More Success for El Roca Gelding

Media Release - Saturday April 29

Wewillrock, one of last season’s progressive three-year-olds, bounced back to winning form on his home track on Saturday when he took out a rating 75 1200m contest at Hastings.

Talented galloper Wewillrock is well clear as he completes a comfortable victory at Hastings Photo: Race Images – Grant Matthew

The Guy Lowry-trained son of El Roca finished off that campaign with a pair of Group Three placings behind talented performers Sword of State and Bonny Lass in the Almanzor Trophy (1200m) and Cambridge Breeders’ Stakes (1200m) respectively, before heading to the winter spelling paddock with a win over 1100m.

Given a decent break by Lowry, he resumed with a tough run for fourth at Awapuni in March before finishing third behind Sumi at the same venue on April 1.

Those two runs cleaned him up nicely for his latest test and he emerged with flying colours after sitting second throughout before dashing clear at the top of the home straight and comfortably holding out a late charge by runner-up Belluci to record career victory number four.

“He is a very nice horse and we have purposely raced him quite sparingly as we think when he fully matures he can be quite a talent,” Lowry said.

“He was always going to be a little soft first up and those first two runs brought his fitness along nicely and I thought he was pretty near right today.”

Lowry will now consider options on both sides of the Tasman with the talented gelding.

Advertisement

“We think he is good enough to measure up in Australia, so we are going to play it by ear a little bit from here,” he said.

“I don’t want to take him over there when he is on the way down, so we might take a punt and go to either Brisbane or Sydney in the near future.

“I will wait to see how he pulls up from this run, as he may need one more here and then we will decide.

“If I don’t think he is ready yet, as his manners still need some sorting out, we might even wait six months, but he will go across at some stage.

“Once he learns to settle better in his races, he will be well suited to grade racing and more over there.”

Wewillrock is the grandson of well-performed racemare Wazawatsyn, who won ten races including three at stakes level. He was a $35,000 yearling purchase by Lowry under his Game Lodge banner from the Westbury Stud draft during the Book 2 sale at Karaka in 2020. – NZ Racing Desk

Advertisment
More Reading...
Wootton Bassett G1 Double on Arc Day
The shattering loss of Wootton Bassett (GB) has been highlighted at Longchamp in France on Arc Day where the champion sire added two new Group I winners to his tally in 2YO colt Puerto Rico and the former Aussie owned 3YO colt Maranoa Charlie.
Aga Khan Homebred 3YO Colt - 2025 Arc de Triomphe Winner
The Group I Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe (2400m) was run overnight at Longchamp and one of the world’s great races produced a thriller with blueblood €1.85 millionsale-topping Frankel filly Minnie Hauk going down by a head to the Aga Khan homebred Sea the Stars colt Daryz.
First Stakes Horse for Home Affairs
The Group III ATC Breeders Plate (1000m) at Randwick on Saturday attracted a strong field of talented colts from the recent official 2YO trials in Sydney and Home Affairs looks to have a quality youngster in I’m Ya Huckleberry.
Sires With Winners - Sunday October 5
Here is the full list of 47 stallions which had winners throughout Australasia today with winners and result details.
First G1 Winner for St Marks Basilica - 1.7million Filly Undefeated
The top lot at the 2025 Arqana Deauville August Yearling Sale was a blueblood St Mark’s Basilica filly from blue hen Prudenzia that sold for €1.7million to MV Magnier and she became the first Group I winner for her sire when charging home to win the Group I Prix Marcel Boussac (1600m) at Longchamp.
Media World Adds to Millionaire Yearling Stakes Success
Stakes racing on Saturday produced a number of stakes-winners purchased for seven figures as yearlings in Australia with $1.8million Inglis Easter sale-topper Autumn Glow leading the way in the Group I ATC Epsom after earlier success for $1million 2YO Incognito, while at Flemington $1.4million entire Media World took out the Listed VRC Paris Lane Stakes (1400m).
McGaw Firms For Coolmore Stud Stakes After G2 Danehill Win
Considered an outside chance in betting markets, Emma-Lee and David Browne’s I Am Immortal gelding McGaw dented the reputation of a few leading Group 1 Coolmore Stud Stakes contenders with a fighting win in the $300,000 Gr2 VRC Danehill Stakes (1100m) at Flemington on Saturday.
Poignant Winner for El Roca
A few days after the loss of legendary Hawke’s Bay studmaster and administrator Tom Lowry, his nephew Guy played a starring role on Saturday with Wewillrock’s scintillating victory in the Group One Turf Bar Sprint (1200m) at Te Rapa.
Aussie Bred Asfoora Wins Third G1 on Arc Day in France
Victorians breeders celebrated overnight with Aussie bred and owned Flying Artie mare Asfoora returning to her dazzling best on one of the world’s biggest stages to win the Group I Prix de l’Abbaye de Longchamp (1000m) with a scintillating performance on Arc Day in France.
El Roca Sprinter Chasing Aussie Stakes Win
Wewillrock will be given an opportunity to add to his stakes record when the four-year-old steps out at Randwick on Saturday.