END TO END WIN FOR ROCKDALE IN ROUGH HABIT PLATE

By Graham Potter | Monday, May 25, 2009

Rough Habit Plate (Group 3 - 3yo’s - Set weights) - 2020m. Time: 2-10.16.
Track - Heavy 9. Rail - out 4m.

The conditions might have been in his favour, but there was far more than that to Rockdale’s end to end victory in the Rough Habit Plate at Doomben.

Perfectly rated by Damien Browne, the gelding returned to the level of performance which he was known to be capable of to score a solid success. He frustrated his opponents down the whole length of the home straight as he drew on his reserves of ability to keep all challenges at bay and land the third win of his career. Significantly, this was Rockdale’s first run beyond 1615m and the result gave a clear indication in which direction his future lies.

A special word about Damien Browne. Browne has been riding like an absolute star since his return to the saddle from a lengthy injury-enforced layoff. It was good to see him win on the big stage. Doubtless the exposure he enjoyed here will lead to more opportunities.

WINNER FEEDBACK:
Trainer John Morrisey: “He’s coming along nicely, just needs to be sent on his way. I think we had the right bloke (Damian Browne) on him today.

“He really was in work all year (last year). He had two hard runs before he went down south and the runs there were not that bad. They were just too hard a couple of runs before he went to Melbourne. He got beaten nine lengths in the (Caulfield) Guineas, but the third horse got beaten by six lengths and he was running alongside horses like Duporth and that. He’s got to be able to run a bit of ground to be a nice horse, you know. The only way to ride him is from the front.

“He’s not necessarily a wet tracker, but he’s is a leader. He needs to lead. I thought he would go good today. But, still, he has a long way to go. It’s just good to see him win. We are hoping to go to the Derby, but whether he get a mile and a half and that type of thing ... there’s a lot of improvement in him. We’re hoping.

Jockey Damian Browne: “I think when the rain came it really brought him into the race, because he won the TJ last year on a heavy track so it brought him right into the race. It was our plan to lead. John (Morrisey) says he always runs his best races from the front. John was pretty confident that if he could lead he would be hard to beat - and he was able to lead today . He came back to me down the back, which really helped, and then he kicked again at the three. When he quickened for me I thought he was going to be hard to beat. The way he relaxed I reckon he might get a mile-and-a-half.

“I’ve won a couple of Group 1’s before so it was just a matter of getting back up there again. That’s what you need, you know, a little bit of a kick along. Luck’s a big thing in this game. You have got to be in the right place at the right time. Hopefully I can kick on again from here. The weight and the injuries sort of held me back a little bit, but onwards and upwards from here.”

With that comment Browne brushed aside the hardship he has faced in recent years as adversity threatened his career. When pressed, Browne clarified that issue.

Damien Browne: “I was out for eighteen months with a broken leg. I came back. I was back for three weeks and then I broke the leg again. I was out for a year. I have been back since January, so things are going well. I am still restricted to four rides a day. Probably three of the last four years I’ve been out because of the same leg (the left leg). It’s not the stewards restricting me, but it’s the doctors and the lawyers at the moment. I’ve still got the rods in my leg, so when they come out hopefully they will let me ride a bit more.”

Rockdale’s record now reads three wins from thirteen starts. He has now won over distances ranging from 1400m to 2020m.

PRICE FLUCTUATIONS:
Winner (Rockdale): 21.00 steady.
Favourite (Orca): 3.40 out to 4.00. Finished ninth.

STEWARDS REPORT EXTRACT:
R. Thompson (Orca) said that the horse travelled reasonably well in the ground, but just on straightening he was disappointed for a run between Izonit and Za Magic. As a consequence of this the horse tended to drop the bit and took some time to be rebalanced and after this incident did not finish the race off as well as he thought it should.