Rocki Warrior caused an upset in the $14,999 Tuapeka Cup at Forbury Park this afternoon after an excellent front-running drive by Sam Ottley.
The huge son of Washington VC bounded to the lead from the front tapes and never looked back.
Ottley ran them early, gave the horse a breather through the middle stages and then ramped up proceedings from the 1200-metre mark.
The last three quarters were run in better than 29secs -a great effort given the miserable conditions that prevailed - making it impossible for the favourite, Eamon Maguire, to get in to the race off his back mark.
The win was a real family affair, with Ottley’s mum Denise training Rocki Warrior.
“I’m totally rapt; it’s pretty exciting,” said Denise.
“It’s the biggest win of my training career and I couldn’t be happier.”
Rocki Warrior is no slug, having won four races from just 24 starts prior to today, and he showed his readiness for this assignment with a fast-finishing second at Methven last Sunday.
“He hadn’t been right, but after Methven I felt like he was getting back to his best.
“I looked at the field once the good horse (Classie Brigade) didn’t accept and I thought he would be a pretty good chance if he stepped well.”
Ottley said Rocki Warrior didn’t race until he was a four-year-old simply because of his size.
“He’s a very big horse and we always felt that if we pushed him early he would end up with a lot of soundness issues.”
Patience is a virtue, as they say, and Ottley and Rocki Warrior’s owners, Val, Kevin and Rachel Schmack, are reaping the benefits of theirs.
Ottley was until recently based in Orari (South Canterbury), but recently moved north to be closer to daughter Sam, and her fiancée, fellow driver Stevie Golding.
“I moved up to West Melton (Christchurch) about eight weeks ago.
“Sam and Stevie bought a property and there is a self-contained unit on it.
“I don’t think Stevie knew that the mother-in-law came with the daughter,” joked Denise.
Rocki Warrior is now headed for what looks like being a profitable summer on the grass cups circuit.
“That’s definitely the plan; we will line him up on the grass over the next few months and see if we can win another one of these cups.”
Earlier in the day, exciting Invercargill trotter Dark Horse resumed with a brilliant victory off a 60-metre handicap for trainer/driver Nathan Williamson.
The daughter of Bacardi Lindy ran an excellent (adjusted) time of 3.27.5 for the 2700-metres, just 0.4secs outside the track record set by her stablemate, Poppymalda, in July.
Subsequently, Dark Horse was trimmed in to an $8 fourth favourite with bookies for the $300,000 Gr. 1 Dominion Handicap at Addington on November 17.
