Balboa Rocks races up to mudlark pedigree
Improving Balboa Rocks has lived up to his impeccable wet-track breeding.
Balboa Rocks ($5.50) responded to a clever ride from leading jockey Jeff Lloyd to beat Hi Harry ($7.50) by 3/4 length in the Hamilton Hotel Handicap at Eagle Farm on Saturday.
The gelding is by Easy Rocking, a sire who is noted for getting wet track winners, out of Alpha Girl, a mare by an equally well-known mudlark sire in Clang.
The Eagle Farm track was rated a soft seven after nearly 90mm of rain in the past week.
Balboa Rocks was originally trained by Jason McLachlan but when he took a sabbatical, the gelding was transferred to Darryl Hansen who has had him for his past five starts.
“The wet track today was never going to worry Balboa Rocks on his breeding and I thought getting out to 1500 metres would also be a bonus,” Hansen said.
“I am keen to get him out to 2000 metres and I think he might have a good career as a middle-distance horse.”
Meanwhile, Denoninator is set to get his chance in open company after giving the John Symons-Sheila Laxon partnership their first Saturday metropolitan winner since moving to Queensland.
Symons and Laxon have had nine winners since moving north from Victoria in May.
“We have 16 boxes at Caloundra and we are loving the life style here. Hopefully, we can build our team to around 30 in the next year and be very competitive,” Symons said.