Saturday, 7 June 2008
Promising Highview Stud sire Danroad (AUS) (Danehill) receives notable Gr.1 representation at Eagle Farm on Monday, by way of his exciting two-year-old son Rockdale (NZ) (ex Komplete Kaos by Desert Sun) in the A$500,000 T.J. Smith Classic (1600m).
Rockdale (NZ), a NZ$135,000 purchase by astute Queensland trainer John Morrisey at the 2007 Ready to Run Sale, has already had a taste of stakes success when running a close second to Saturday's race favourite Fravashi in the Gr.2 QTC Sires' Produce Stakes (1400m) at his last start on May 31.
In just three starts, Rockdale (NZ) has reached Gr.1 class and has asserted himself as a strong contender for Monday's Eagle Farm feature with honest performances at each outing.
Retired to stud in 2004, Danroad (AUS) was himself a high-class two-year-old who notched up four wins in succession as a juvenile, including the Gr. 2 Wakefield Challenge Stakes (1200m) at Trentham.
The Mike and Paul Moroney-trained Captain Fantastic (NZ) (Fantastic Light x Regal Ash by Green Desert) is the second NZ-bred representative in the compact five horse field.
Captain Fantastic (NZ), a Gr.2 winner of the WRC Wakefield Challenge Stakes (1200m) in New Zealand, has had two starts since commencing his Brisbane campaign, with the best of these an eye-catching second in the Gr.2 BTC Champagne Classic (1200m) on May 17.
The NZ-suffix was carried to success in the 2005 running of the TJ Smith courtesy of the outstanding racehorse Darci Brahma (NZ) (Danehill), who now stands at The Oaks Stud in Cambridge.
