El Roca’s daughter Flash Mary has opened her Australian account in fine style for trainer Cindy Alderson following a strong of placings.
The capable daughter of the Westbury Stud resident was successful in the A$100,000 Pinker Pinker Cup over 2025 metres on her home track at Cranbourne on Friday evening.
El Roca also produced a winning double at Hastings where the Group-bound Canheroc put away his rivals over 2200 metres on Saturday while Navigator dazzled on his return over 1400 metres.
Flash Mary began her career at Te Awamutu from Debbie Sweeney’s stable and posted three wins and a trio of black type placings before she relocated to Alderson’s team.
She was purchased out of breeder Hedwood Thoroughbreds’ draft at New Zealand Bloodstock’s South Island Sale on Gavelhouse Plus for $9250.
She was selected by Robt Dawe for Aucklander Bryan Black, who races the mare with his son Logan, Aaron MacGillivay and Stu McGiffert.
“Thanks to Brian Black and his wife Dee who flew over from New Zealand to see this mare race,” Alderson said.
“Her figures suggested 2000 metres would be right up her alley and this was the race I hoped to win with her.”
Flash Mary settled three pairs back on the outer under rider Daniel Moor and, after picking up ground before the turn, produced a sustained finish to execute the Cranbourne plan to perfection.
“It was pretty straight forward in the end. The plan was to go forward, but it was a suicidal pace early so we went back a bit and she switched off really well,” Moor said.
“We got the drag into it and she was strong through the line.”
Flash Mary is a daughter of the Australian-bred Promontory Gold mare Claudy Eire and she is a half-sister to the Listed Kensington Stakes winner Satin Robes, dam of the Listed Nudgee Handicap winner Saturn Rock.
Meanwhile, trainer Chris Wood will lift his sights with Canheroc after he was successful for the third time on Saturday.
“He’s still learning and wanted to lay in and I honestly think he’s a cups’ horse so we’ll probably look at the Waikato Cup (G3, 2400m),” he said.
From a wide gate, Canheroc settled one off the fence behind midfield before improving across the top and the gelding rounded off well in the run home.
“We got a beautiful run and he lobbed along. He still does a few things wrong, but he is a nice stayer,” winning rider Opie Bosson said.
In the colours of breeders the Schumacher family, Canheroc is out of the Colombia mare Goldie Cantride who won twice up to 1600 metres.
Rating 65 sprint winner Navigate overcame an interrupted lead-up to post his second win from five appearances in his first outing for five months.
“He missed a couple of trials with a couple of setbacks so I took him to Taupo for a gallop and he was as fit as I could get him,” trainer Cody Cole said.
Navigate was sold by Westbury Stud at Karaka for $110,000 to Cole with breeders Marriott Thoroughbreds remaining in the ownership.
He is out of the late Stravinsky mare Joiya who did a fine job at stud as she also left the Listed Ryder Stakes winner Niki Piki Milo and the Group 1 performers Bella Gioia and Bella Mente.