Lightly raced pacer Rocknroll Hammer completed a memorable 24 hours for prominent owner Domenic Martello after he took out the Prydes Easifeed Pace at Melton on Saturday night.
A recent addition to the Jess Tubbs stable, Rocknroll Hammer was given the run of the race in the one out one back trail by Greg Sugars while the well supported favourite Corravally Star settled towards the rear from its wide draw.
Rocknroll Hammer pulled out three wide with 600 metres to travel and proved too strong for the leader Captain Bellasario in the home straight scoring by three metres in a mile rate of 1:55.8.
Sugars said the race panned out well for the son of Rocknroll Dance.
“Once I lobbed where I did I thought this couldn’t have worked out any better but I was hoping to wait as long as possible and drive him for one cold sprint- but to his credit he had to run a pretty solid back straight quarter and still hit the line,” Sugars said.
Sugars said the addition of blinkers helped the horse’s cause.
“He didn’t really hit the line last time around so we thought we’d try a set of blinkers,” he said.
“It kept him nice and relaxed in the run because he can fire up a little bit at times so having them on kept him nice and quiet early and when it was business time they came down and he really responded.”
Martello, who runs a transport logistics company, was at Albury the previous night where he celebrated after watching his pacer Captain Hammerhead upset the $1.06 favorite Swayzee in the Albury Murray Cup.
“I slept in as long as the motel would allow me,” Martello quipped.
“For a long while I thought Rocknroll Hammer was just as good as Captain Hammerhead and now we’ll see what Greg and Jess can do with him and hopefully there is more to come with him,” he said.
U.S bred mare Aldebaran Crux served notice there are better wins in store with an impressive win in the Dynamic Print Group Trot.
The Chris Svanosio trained and driven mare settled mid field in the running line before staking a three wide assault on the leaders with 400 metres to travel.
With Svanosio swinging against her, Aldebaran Crux ran to the line with something in reserve scoring by five metres from Sebastians Boy and More Wanted.
Svanosio believes the daughter of Chapter Seven is ready to realise her potential in Australia.
“Duncan McPherson raced her in America and put a lot into her and it took a while for her to properly settle in Australia but she’s continued to improve and was really good tonight,” Svanosio said.
“She did a fair bit of racing in America before she came here but just had little niggles and keeping her sound is the main thing,” he said.
John Dunne
