TREBLE FOR ROGERSON AT CANTERBURY

By Graham Potter | Saturday, May 16, 2009

Awesome Planet’s win in the Doomben Roses might have been the stable’s bouquet success of the day, but it was business as usual for the Graeme Rogerson team at Canterbury where they sent out three winners on the card.

The two-year-old More Than Cash kicked off the stable treble by scoring in the opening event.

Rodney Quinn gave the colt the run of the race in fourth position on the rail. The duo saved ground to move into second placing on the turn and then Quinn switched More Than Cash around the heels of the leader (Lucky Elmo) on straightening.

More Than Cash quickly dispatched Lucky Elmo but River Of Salvation, in spite of being carried out by a tiring Shellscrape, was quick to threaten the new leader. The Rogerson runner stayed strong throughout the run to the line though to keep his game challenger back in second placing.

This was More Than Cash’s second successive win (from only four starts). Both wins have come at Canterbury. The first victory was achieved over 1100m. The colt stepped up in distance here and got the same result over 1250m.

WINNER FEEDBACK:
Roger Elliot (spokesman for the Rogerson stable): “I just said to Rod, if those other two go hard we’ll just get the sit and have the last crack at them.”

Jockey Rod Quinn: “They rolled along a bit. He just slotted in there. He relaxed lovely. Picked up good ... got a little bit lost when he got to the front, but he was still too good.

The stable’s second victory came by way of the seasoned grey Rendzina.

Like More Than Cash before her, Rendzina settled in fourth placing, hard against the rail - a position she held without duress until the field straightened on leaving the home turn. When Peter Wells angled her out for a run one out off the front-running Imtops, the response was immediate.

Imtops tried to fight off the challenge, but Rendzina stretched out and reached the front approaching the 100m mark and she comfortably held out the belated effort of the three-year-old Readily, who took credit in claiming the runner-up slot.

The latent ability of the mare has been lurking just under the surface and all she just needed things to go her way in the running – as happened here - to be able to pick up that next win. Punters weren’t convinced and the daughter of Testa Rossa was allowed to start at double figure odds.

WINNER FEEDBACK:
Roger Elliot: “She’s raced in a lot of good races and just been unlucky. Today, it was a really good ride by Pete (Wells). It’s was good for Pete, because he’s been off for a while with a few broken bones. The horse is actually booked to go to New Zealand on Monday night, but things might change now.”

The five-year-old Penrickson completed the Rogerson treble with an end to end win in the sixth race on the card. The result also gave apprentice Peter Wells a double on the day.

Penrickson pushed forward to assume the front-running role. Penrickson’s lead extended to as much as five lengths at one stage, but that margin had been reduced to two lengths at the turn. With a bunch of runners poised to strike and the whole length of the straight left to run, Penrickson’s task now seemed to be a daunting one, but his resolve was not in question.

The five-year-old, who had previously won two out of four starts at this track, dug deep. As a line of horses queued up to knock him out of the number one spot, Penrickson simply refused to be beaten and he stayed on stoutly to the line to frustrate every effort of his rivals.

The treble was in the bank!

Rogerson