A somewhat disappointing lineup of just four runners contested the Listed Old Comrade Stakes (1600m) over the Ascot mile on Saturday, but the field didn't lack for quality.
The market framed the race as a two-horse rematch between the Williams runners Watch Me Rock (Awesome Rock) and Fluro Neuro (Gingerbread Man) after they provided the stable with a quinella in the Grandstand Cup.
The other runners were the resuming stayer Iowa (Galileo) who seemed the natural leader, and consistent War Chant mare Memory Parade.
Watch Me Rock piloted by William Pike started a firm favourite, but a late flurry of betting for his stablemate suggested punters were anticipating a keenly fought finish.
When the gates opened Christian Johnston-Porter sent Fluro Neuro to the front in something of a surprise move, no doubt seeking to take advantage of the leaderish track.
Iowa dropped in behind him while Watch Me Rock settled nicely in the slipstream and Memory Parade brought up the rear of the quartet.
At the 600m Fluro Neuro began to quicken and Iowa was immediately off the bit, as Pike asked Watch Me Rock for his effort. In a couple of strides the Williams pair were going head to head, with Fluro Neuro kicking determinedly on the rail all the way down the straight.
Watch Me Rock kept to his task and always looked to have the upper hand, even as Fluro Neuro bravely rose to one final effort on the line to ensure the winning margin was only half a head.
It was an exciting clash between two genuine and progressive gallopers and the result punters expected.
After the race Grant and Alana's stable representative Jasmine McAuliffe was full of praise for both her charges.
" They both ran awesome, couldn't be happier with them.
Watch Me Rock, since the blinkers went on they have really made him concentrate, and Fluro, well he's just a little trier.”
It was another Team Williams quinella in a feature and a race to race double for Pike.
The Old Comrade victory advances the four year old Watch Me Rock's record to 8 wins and 5 placings from 15 starts and $524,895 in earnings.
The son of Gold Front's impressive stallion Awesome Rock is certainly building an imposing CV.
Bidding for Watch Me Rock fell just short of his $40,00k reserve when he was offered by his breeders, Ridgeport Holdings, at the 2022 Perth Magic Millions Yearling sale. He was subsequently retained by Ridgeport to be placed in the expert hands of team Williams, and did not race at two years.
Watch Me Rock is the seventh stakes-winner for his sire Awesome Rock, a superb physical specimen and one of the best credentialled stallions to ever stand in Western Australia.
The Group One WFA Mackinnon Stakes winning son of the incomparable Fastnet Rock has had a decided impact on the local breeding scene since taking up stud duties in 2017 for highly successful breeding operation Gold Front Thoroughbreds.
Awesome Rock is proving a particularly effective sire of Classic performers, but his progeny also have plenty of speed.
Interestingly his very quick stakes-placed son Diamond Blue and talented full brother Our Rocky Bay, (recently a dual Ascot winner) are out of a precocious winning daughter of a full sister to the much missed sire Thorn Park.
This suggests a potent nick may be emerging for Awesome Rock.
Watch Me Rock's dam What Choux Want was a fast, G2 placed daughter of Thorn Park's champion son Jimmy Choux.
Imported into Australia in her three year old year she continued her racing career in Melbourne then in Western Australia, but failed to reproduce her earlier form, her best result a third placing at Ascot before going to stud.
A precocious winning juvenile who matured into a NZ Derby winner and Cox Plate runner up, cult hero “Jimmy” never reproduced his own greatness but was a good sire in NZ before - like his daughter What Choux Want - he eventually found his way to WA to take up stud duties at Rosalee Park Stud in Serpentine, where he sadly passed away last year.
Just beginning what looks to be a successful breeding career, What Choux Want's only other named foal to date is the Rommel filly Wotugot, runner up in the 2024 WATC Magic Millions 2YO Plate.
Second dam Bankside Belle (Volksraad) was another precocious juvenile and stakes-placed winner of 8 races in NZ. At stud she has produced the top class Group Two winning filly Belle Du Nord (Reliable Man).
Bankside Belle is a half sister to stakes placed staying filly Carlotta (Ekraar) and a full sister to tough galloper My Choice, a blacktype winning sprinter in Hong Kong.
Showing their faith in this family, Ridgeport Holdings paid $120k to secure Bankside Belle's 2023 colt by Hello Youmzain out of Karaka’s Book One 2025.
