Rock 'n' Pop Explosive in Gr.1 2000 Guineas

The one million dollar Karaka yearling Rock 'n' Rop showed that he is a horse with immense potential when racing away with the $400,000 Group 1 Sothys 39th New Zealand 2000 Guineas (1600m) at Riccarton on Saturday.

Prepared by Te Akau trainer Jason Bridgman, the lightly raced Rock 'n' Pop (Fastnet Rock x Popsy) held off a brave challenge from last season's Champion Two-Year-Old Anabandana (Anabaa) to win the Group 1 feature by half-a-length in an armchair ride from jockey Jamie Bullard.

Coming into the straight, Bullard had a hold on Rock 'n' Pop who was looking for room and when the gap came, the turn of foot the son of Fastnet Rock produced was electric. Taking the lead in the matter of a few strides, Bullard remained quiet in the saddle as the three-year-old cruised to the line.

"He had the perfect run from gate one and we'd learned enough from his previous three runs to know that he had to be held up," said Bridgman.

"The way he relaxes now, there's no reason why we can't consider a Derby. He deserves to be freshened as he laid it all down today and he's shown a phenomenal turn of foot."

A $1 million yearling, Rock 'n' Pop pictured as a yearling in New Zealand Bloodstock's Karaka sales ring.

Raced by the Te Akau Rock 'n' Pop Syndicate, the colt was purchased from Tom & Shelley Murtagh's Esker Lodge at New Zealand Bloodstock's 2010 Karaka Premier Sale for $1 million. He has now won two of his four starts and over $250,000 in stakes.

A blue-blood colt, Rock 'n' Pop was bred by Barnaby & Co Ltd and is a three-quarter-brother to the stakes winning mare Lilakyn (Danehill) who ran the closest of seconds in the Group 2 Brisbane Cup.

His dam, the Group 1 New Zealand Derby winning mare Popsy (Sir Tristram), has been a leading mare in New Zealand Bloodstock's Karaka sales ring with nine yearlings sold for an average price of over $500,000. Her Redoute's Choice colt, later named Maciano, was the top priced yearling in 2008 when knocked down to trainer John Sargent for $1,450,000.

Rock 'n' Pop continues Te Akau's impressive record in the Group 1 2000 Guineas. The operation has won the Guineas four times since 2003, with King's Chapel (King of Kings), Darci Brahma (Danehill) and Tell a Tale (Tale of the Cat).

Staying on well for third in Saturday's feature was the John Sargent trained Dollario (NZ) (Captain Rio x Dungaree Doll) who led the field into the straight and held off a number of challenges from the back of the field. Dollario was a bargain $16,000 purchase from the Karaka Festival Sale by Sargent.

Rock 'n' Pop continues Fastnet Rock's stellar run this season with his daughter Mosheen racing away with the VRC Oaks by nine lengths, and superstar Atlantic Jewel winning the Australian 1000 Guineas and destroying her rivals in the Group 2 Wakeful Stakes.

Fastnet Rock has four entries in New Zealand Bloodstock's Ready to Run Sale next week including the filly from Esker Lodge out of the Group 3 placed Centaine mare Shimo Star at Lot 310 and the colt from the Fusaichi Pegasus mare Secret Silence to be offered by Lyndhurst Farm at Lot 301.

For news and sale information from New Zealand Bloodstock visit www.nzb.co.nz. For catalogues contact reception@nzb.co.nz.

www.nzb.co.nz. For catalogues contact reception@nzb.co.nz.