Rock On
Race Images Palmerston North
The smile was back on Gary Vile's face at Trentham where his emerging staying star Rock On was successful in the Listed New Zealand St Leger.
Nobody could begrudge the Awapuni trainer his victory in Saturday's Lincoln Farm-sponsored feature after events at Ellerslie two days earlier.
He produced Jacksstar to finish third in the Gr.1 Auckland Cup, but joy turned to despair shortly after when the five-year-old returned to scale with a tendon injury.
Vile took that on the chin and he bounced back at Trentham with Rock On.
"We decided not to go to the Auckland Cup with him this year, it was just a bit too soon, and this was a good field today and he showed his worth," he said.
"He'll go to the Hawke's Bay Cup and then a break. It's exactly the same path as we went last year with Jacksstar."
He finished fourth at Hastings off the back of his St Leger triumph.
Rock On settled back on the fence before rider Jonathan Riddell angled the son of Road To Rock off the rail, but had to switch back inside for a clear run in the straight and they finished strongly to down All In Vogue.
At the other end of the distance scale, hot sprinter Signify dashed home to add the Listed Phill Cataldo Bloodstock Lightning Handicap title to the Gr.1 Telegraph crown he claimed on the track in January.
"It's the ideal place for him, he likes roomy tracks," trainer Alex Cowan said.
Signify settled last and he came with long strides under Chris Johnson to beat Speechcraft and Smashing. – NZ Racing Desk.
Nobody could begrudge the Awapuni trainer his victory in Saturday's Lincoln Farm-sponsored feature after events at Ellerslie two days earlier.
He produced Jacksstar to finish third in the Gr.1 Auckland Cup, but joy turned to despair shortly after when the five-year-old returned to scale with a tendon injury.
Vile took that on the chin and he bounced back at Trentham with Rock On.
"We decided not to go to the Auckland Cup with him this year, it was just a bit too soon, and this was a good field today and he showed his worth," he said.
"He'll go to the Hawke's Bay Cup and then a break. It's exactly the same path as we went last year with Jacksstar."
He finished fourth at Hastings off the back of his St Leger triumph.
Rock On settled back on the fence before rider Jonathan Riddell angled the son of Road To Rock off the rail, but had to switch back inside for a clear run in the straight and they finished strongly to down All In Vogue.
At the other end of the distance scale, hot sprinter Signify dashed home to add the Listed Phill Cataldo Bloodstock Lightning Handicap title to the Gr.1 Telegraph crown he claimed on the track in January.
"It's the ideal place for him, he likes roomy tracks," trainer Alex Cowan said.
Signify settled last and he came with long strides under Chris Johnson to beat Speechcraft and Smashing. – NZ Racing Desk.