El Roca Australian Bound

The highly talented three-year-old El Roca (Fastnet Rock) took out the Listed $50,000 Westbury Stud Challenge Stakes over 1200m at Ruakaka on the weekend, earning himself a ticket to Melbourne to compete against the best three-year-olds Australia has to offer.

El Roca winning the Listed $50,000 Westbury Stud Challenge Stakes at Ruakaka.

Trained by Trent Busuttin and Natalie Young at Cambridge, the three-year-old colt came into the weekend’s feature race having showing a wealth of ability when winning on debut at Taupo in August.

The son of Fastnet Rock was ridden by leading jockey Mark du Plessis who settled the Karaka Premier graduate in third spot in what looked to be an even field. As the field entered the straight, du Plessis allowed his mount to stride up to the leaders and the race was in his keeping a long way from the winning post. The striking colt strode out to score a decisive two-length victory over fellow Karaka graduate Gobi Ranger (Tale of the Cat).

The impressive style of Saturday’s victory has earned the colt a tilt at Australia’s best three-year-olds contests.

“Obviously he won pretty smart, he put them away quickly and I would say those are the best three-year-olds in New Zealand at the moment so it was a good, emphatic win,” commented Busuttin.

“We have always had an opinion of the horse but they have got to do it race day so it was good to see him do it.

“I have just booked him to go to Melbourne on Sunday so we will have  a crack at the Caulfield Guineas Prelude on 28 September, if he measures up he can carry on to the Caulfield Guineas, if doesn’t measure up he will turn around and come home and carry on a path to the Two Thousand Guineas.

“You wouldn’t find a better looking horse. He is still a colt, he is extremely good looking and appears he has the ability to match his looks.

“He was passed in at Karaka, I didn’t have clients at the time but luckily enough, a couple of months later he was still in Russell Warwick’s paddock at Westbury Stud so I managed to get a syndicate together by then and we got hold of him.”

Just his second time to the races, Saturday’s win takes El Roca’s earnings to $35,625 for his owners Glenn Fielding, Kevin O'Brien, Dave Kneebone, Larry Stewart, Martin Bradley, Matthew Fenwick, Richard Patterson, Dave Taylor, Waihi Livestock Ltd & Boom Boom Bloodstock.

Bred by Mr P Newsom, El Roca was offered by Westbury Stud at the 2012 Karaka Premier Sale when passed in. He is the third winner from as many runners for his dam Rubimill (Rubiton), a full-sister to Group 3 winner Millrich, the dam of Group 3 winner and Australian sire Danerich (Danehill).