Awesome Rock has sired another TBWA Winner Of The Week and this time it’s his Gold Front homebred 3yo filly Miss Rockjoy.
She never went around a horse to defeat Cool Memory (Impending) and Happy As Larry (I’m All The Talk) in the Petaluma Hcp (1600m) on closing day at Ascot and could be one to follow for winter features at Belmont.
Miss Rockjoy had won a Northam maiden at the start of a spring prep in October and she made enormous progress to fill black-type placings behind Keshi Boom in the LR Burgess Queen Stakes (1400m) and G3 Champion Fillies (1600m).
Gold Front Thoroughbreds owner-trainer Sue Olive has kept her honest with a dozen outings this season and she continues to work beautifully at home. “She was quirky early on and would overdo it but she’s a relaxed filly since we fitted a tongue-tie after her last start,” stable rep Matt Herbert said. “Jarrad (Noske) told us he bustled her to go forward that day but she flipped a palate.
“She did exactly the same thing when I worked her a week later. That’s when we fitted the new gear and she was always travelling for Jason (Whiting). He had her perfectly positioned and we were confident once she got the run along the fence. She was strong through the line and the mile didn’t seem to see her out.”
Gold Front sire Awesome Rock (Fastnet Rock) was a Group 1 winner of the 2016 VRC Emirates Stakes (2000m) at Flemington and she is the second winner for Most Joyous (Viscount) who is an unraced half-sister to the dam of 2022-23 Champion WA 2YO Super Smink (Super One).
There are six Stakes winners under second-dam Most Secret (Bletchley Park) but none won further than a mile although Covertly (Metal Storm) did extend to that distance at Group 1 level in the 2005 Railway Stakes. Gold Front offered a racy Awesome Rock yearling filly out of Most Joyous at this year’s Perth Magic Millions and she was purchased by Ryan Hill Racing for $70,000.
Whiting reported Miss Rockjoy accelerated off an even clip when the gap appeared in the straight and, with continued improvement, races on the radar could include the LR Belmont Oaks (2000m) on July 6 and LR Belmont Classic (2200m) on July 20.
Awesome Rock 3yo gelding Striking Fella was TBWA Winner Of The Week on April 21 and he converted that Pinjarra Maiden into a running double at Ascot on May 8. Pearce Racing has nominated Striking Fella to complete a hat-trick over 1600m back at Pinjarra this Wednesday.
