GOLD COAST JAN 7 - ROCKER GETS THE JOB DONE

By Graham Potter | Sunday, January 8, 2012

Gold Coast, January 7, 2012.
Track - Good 3. Rail - True.
NMW Handicap (Colts, Geldings & Entires - Special Conditions) - 1200m.
1 Rocker; 2 The Ringmaster; 3 Nothing Like Luca; 4 Gunner Knox.
Time: 1-09.55. Last 600m: 34.74.

Rocker prevailed in a pressurized finish here to head off the game challenge of The Ringmaster to take his strike rate to an impressive four wins from only six starts. Of further note is the fact that the son of Fastnet Rock has finished runner-up on the two occasions he missed out on the win and has never been more than a short-neck off the result.

While there is plenty to like in those statistics, there is also a worry.

Rocker was dominant in his debut win and was even more impressive when landing his second win by a towering five length margin in Class 1 company, but in recent times he has been forced into a real battleground situation which could have more to do with a character trait than anything to do with his ability … which is where the worry comes in.

Still an entire, jockey Glen Colless calls him ‘a naughty, little boy,’ who likes to wait for his playmates when he hits the front … which can be a costly exercise in this game.

Having said that, the upside of the horse is quite apparent. Nobody, from his connections to punters, doubt Rocker’s raw ability and, while his opposition might take some hope from his current character flaw, they will also doubtless rue the day when Rocker does finally learn what is expected of him and puts all of his focus on running to his true ability.

Rocker was well enough away and raced in midfield before tracking wide on the turn as Colless went looking for space to allow the four-year-old to run his own race.

When asked to go forward … there was no problem there … Rocker arrived in the leading line with relish looking like he had the result comfortably under control. But there was no pulling away from The Ringmaster who had also raced strongly into contention.

Instead the two runners matched strides in a close-fought battle to the line where Rocker, who started at the prohibitive odds of $1.90, did enough to edge out his rival.

Whether Rocker was playing games as his jockey suggests or not, give credit too to the runner-up. The Ringmaster was determined and unbowed in defeat. It was a highly creditable performance.

WINNER FEEDBACK:
Trainer Kelly Schweida: “It was tight, but a win is a win. Glen (Colless) thinks he is just being a bit of a boy, you know.

“He was ‘fives-on’ at the 200m mark and he got half-a-length in front and he just pulled up and waited, which he probably did in Sydney … although probably the biggest factor there was the four weeks between runs, being a stallion. He will eat and eat and eat until he drops.

“He still doesn’t look right to me. He’s doing well though.

“You don’t know how far they’ll go. You just put the bar up and see if they can get over it. If they can you go up a bit more. If they can’t you come back. So we’ll just see how he goes.”

Jockey Glen Colless: “Yeah he is very much still like a little naughty boy, just not putting it all together.

“Like in the run he is perfect. He comes out like he is going to win by three. He gets probably half-a-length on them and then idles and waits for them.

“They took the cross-over nose band off today. He didn’t race with it. He raced with it on in Sydney (when just touched off by So So Sure) and it didn’t make any difference.

“He loomed in Sydney and he got a head on them in Sydney and he stopped and waited for them again, so it is a little habit he is in now.

“Hopefully, he’ll go for a little rest now and come back and will have forgotten all about it. Maybe we’ll put a hood on him and maybe that will switch him on a bit more.

“He’s just naughty. He’s just a real colt and you have got to make him do everything.

“He’s got the ability …there’s no doubting that. It just getting him to stay switched on when he goes past them.

“He always gives you a good feel, so I can’t say there is too much wrong with him other than that bad habit.”

PRICE FLUCTUATIONS:
Winner (Rocker): 1.80 out to 2.00 in to 1.90.
The winner was the favourite.

STEWARDS REPORT EXTRACT:
Rocker (G. Colless) faltered at the start and shifted in making contact with Slugsbrothernugget (D. Griffin). Headhunter (App M. Wood) jumped in at the start taking Gunner Knox (B. Stewart) in onto The Ringmaster (P. Hammersley).

P. Hammerlsey the rider of The Ringmaster was reprimanded for permitting his mount to shift in near the 800m when not sufficiently clear of My Elixa (S. Galloway), which had to be steadied.

Headhunter raced wide until a point near the 700m.

Lonesome Day (App T. Bell) and Gunner Knox both raced wide throughout the event.

App B. Looker sustained a harmless fall from The Cranberries when that horse shifted out abruptly after passing the winning post.

A post race veterinary examination of Arma (J. Ford) revealed the gelding to be lame in the off-fore leg. Trainer J. Shelton will be advised that he must produce a veterinary certificate of fitness prior to Arma racing again.

Duke William lost an off-hind plate in running.

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