Kiwi Rocks Sydney

Kiwi three-year-old El Roca (Fastnet Rock) announced his arrival in Sydney with a dominant performance first up in the Listed $125,000 Eskimo Prince Stakes (1200m) at Rosehill on Saturday.

El Roca triumphant in the Listed Eskimo Prince Stakes at Rosehill.

He joined a starring trio of kiwi bred and sold runners at Randwick, with NZ horses winning the first two races on the programme with Forever Loved (NZ) (High Chaparral) and Ecuador (NZ) (High Chaparral) both victorious for Gai Waterhouse who has Group 1 targets in store for both this autumn.

Trained in Cambridge by Trent Busuttin and Natalie Young, three-year-old El Roca flew to Sydney on Wednesday and obviously settled in quickly to his new surroundings. The colt had previously campaigned in Melbourne during the spring which included a second in the Group 3 Caulfield Guineas Prelude before an unlucky fifth in the Group 1 Caulfield Guineas.

Having just his fifth raceday start, El Roca settled in third spot for Hugh Bowman behind an even pace. The son of Fastnet Rock travelled well throughout the running and Bowman appeared to have plenty of horse under him as the field entered the straight.

When Bowman asked El Roca for an effort he responded by charging to the lead, leaving the small but highly talented field of Australian three-year-olds in his wake as he won by two lengths from the well-performed Peter Moody trained runner Dissident (Sebring) and Gai Waterhouse’s Group 1 winner Romantic Touch (Northern Meteor) in third.

“We were very happy with the horse,” stated Busuttin. “He trialled up well beforehand and we were fairly confident. At the start of a new campaign it is always nice to see them do the job and he has come through the race good so it is all systems go for the rest of the campaign.

“The horses he beat were quality horses, one is a Group 1 winner and one ran second in a Group 1 to arguably the best horse in Australia at the moment in Zoustar. It was nice to see him beat them but with the goals we have in mind he had to do that but it was still very pleasing to see.

“The Randwick Guineas and Doncaster Handicap are the two main aims with him with his next start being in the Hobartville Stakes over 1400m in a fortnight. We were a bit unsure about the mile but Hugh Bowman got off and felt he was an out and out miler so it is nice to hear.

“We thought he was always going to take a bit of time, Karaka probably came at the wrong time for him as he was going through a growing phase which would have put a lot of people off but he has filled out his frame a lot earlier than expected. We are pretty lucky to have got hold of him.”

Bred by Mr P Newsom, El Roca is out of Rubimill (Rubiton), a full-sister to Group 3 winner Millrich (Rubiton) who is the dam of Group 3 winner and sire Danerich (Danehill). El Roca is the third winner for his dam and is by champion sire Fastnet Rock.

El Roca was passed in at the 2012 Karaka Premier Sale, but was purchased by Busuttin after the Sales from Westbury Stud. Busuttin also purchased the half-brother to El Roca by Not a Single Doubt at the 2014 Karaka Premier Sale for $120,000 from Bradbury Park.

Saturday’s victory brings El Roca’s stakes earnings to A$159,943 from only five career starts for his owners Mr D A Kneebone, Mr B D Taylor, Mr G W Fielding, Mr K J O'brien, Mr L W Stewart, Mr L F Amodeo, Mr M J Bradley, Mr M C Fenwick, Mr R J Patterson, Mr T C Jones, Mr O Saxton & G P I Racing.