Kilmore Cup Doo-molition job

By David Brehaut (HRV)

Exciting four-year-old Rock N Roll Doo is on target to make a trip across the Tasman after a commanding victory in the Group 2 $80,000 Jet Roof Kilmore Pacing Cup (2690m) last Friday night.

His trainer-driver Michael Stanley has confirmed that Rock N Roll Doo is better than a 50-50 chance to tackle the New Zealand Trotting Cup on Tuesday, November 8.

The gelding is ninth in the initial rankings for the $600,000 feature at Christchurch’s Addington Raceway.

First though, the Burrumbeet-based Stanley and owners Brendan and Anne James are taking time to savour their Kilmore success before preparing for the Group 1 $300,000 Victoria Cup at Tabcorp Park Melton on Saturday, October 8.

Rock N Roll Doo ($5) toyed with his rivals after finding the lead with 2000m to run, charging away by seven metres from Torrid Saint ($19), with favourite Honolua Bay ($3.50) making up late ground to finish another 1.8m back in third.

Stanley told TrotsVision that the performance had been another really good steppingstone for Rock N Roll Doo.

“He was really switched on,” he said.

“He didn’t handle the last corner that well. He got on his knee a few times and I had to hold him back, but once we straightened up away he went and really went through the line strongly.”

“It’s a good asset coming into the bigger races, to have a horse that can race really strongly over the trip or if need be come with one run.”

With regard to the possibility of a NZ Cup start, Stanley said while the Victoria Cup was the immediate priority, the fact that he was qualified from the stand kept the options open.

“There’s a lot to play out, but it could be a trip of a lifetime for not just myself, but also for Brendan,” he said.

Brendan James said winning the Kilmore Pacing Cup rated right up with his biggest moments in the sport.

“I’d never have thought (years ago) I’d have a horse good enough to be in a Kilmore Cup let alone win it,” James said.

“We’re privileged to have a horse like Rock N Roll Doo, privileged to have Mick train and drive him the way he does. Hopefully we can continue to manage him and look after him.

“They’re not robots, they’re not machines. You can’t race them in everything. We’ll just take our time with him.”

James, who races his horses under the BFJ Bloodstock Trust banner, said he had been fortunate to race some well performed horses over the years, with Jaccka Clive at the top of the tree.

He won 31 races, with his biggest success the 2012 Shepparton Cup, and ran second and third in AG Hunter Cups.

“I never thought I’d get another one as good as Jaccka Clive, but Rock N Roll Doo at this stage is going in the right direction to be better,” he said.

As well as joining some of the greats of Australian harness racing on the Kilmore Pacing Cup honour, Rock N Roll Doo earned a “golden ticket” in the Inter Dominion Pacing Championship in Victoria in November and December.

This guarantees the NZ-bred son of Rock N Roll Heaven a start in the series.