Talented stakes-winning mare Rocababy looks set for another profitable winter following her return to winning ways on her home track at New Plymouth.
The daughter of Westbury Stud’s El Roca was only opposed by three runners in Saturday’s open handicap over 1400 metres and the Anna Clement-trained four-year-old waltzed away with the thick end of the stake.
Lottaroc later credited El Roca with a trans-Tasman double when he gained a deserved victory over 1620 metres at Donald for trainer David Noonan after a pair of runner-up finishes from his previous three appearances.
Rocababy revelled in the soft underfoot conditions to make the running and she cut loose in the straight under the experienced Lisa Allpress for the fifth win of her career.
“I just left it up to Lisa and she rode her a treat, she’s one of the top jockeys in the country,” Clement said.
“I’d like to think we could run this mare in some nice races through the winter now, but we have no plans as yet, we’ll take it day by day.
“She’s really sound and everything like that, so we’ll have a look and pencil something in.
“She’s a bit stronger than she was last season and I obviously didn’t have any worries about the track.”
Allpress had gone into the contest full of confidence in Rocababy after they had previously combined to finish second.
“She just jumped so easily, got to the front, stacked them and then off we went,” she said.
“I thought she went a really good race at Wanganui last start, but she was slow away and just got into the wrong position against a bigger field and she still ran on really well for second.
“I think she could go up to a mile in this campaign. They tried last season, but she was still quite weak.
“She’s still not a very big mare, but I feel like she’s strengthened up and she can tick along on these wet tracks.”
Raced by her Taranaki breeder Graham Meredith, Rocababy is out of the Mastercraftsman mare Christine Ann whose dam Bold Faith is a sister to the French-Listed winner Warbler.
Rocababy was successful in last season’s Listed O’Leary’s Fillies’ Stakes and her New Plymouth performance suggested she is more than capable of adding to her black-type record this preparation.
