James Cummings’ Rock And Swing too good in Wednesday handicap
Pedigree has made up for inexperience as Rock And Swing earned a place on trainer James Cummings’ autumn carnival team with a heart-stopping win at Warwick Farm.
One of the last horses into stride, Rock And Swing settled behind his six rivals in Wednesday’s TAB More Than Just Winning Hcp (1200m) Wednesday before taking an inside run and a narrow gap to make a winning debut.
The two-year-old’s win gave his trainer a second juvenile success inside a week and was met with high praise from Cummings.
But unlike last Saturday’s Skyline Stakes winner Good Standing who will have his next start in the Golden Slipper, Rock And Swing will be keep to races that are expected to provide an insight into his potential as a three-year-old.
“It’s two-and-a-half weeks to the Baillieu Handicap but the temptation could be to go to the Pago Pago Stakes,” Cummings said.
“But my recommendation would be to concentrate on races like the Baillieu and the Fernhill (Handicap) this preparation.
“And then he could be a terribly exciting horse from a mile up to 2000 metres in the spring.”
Cummings said it wasn’t a shock Rock And Swing, a $600,000 yearling from the New Zealand sale whose dam is a sister to famed stallion High Chaparral, had bungled the start.
“A lot of horses on debut, they see the starter on his ladder for the first time from barrier one and it makes it very difficult for them to keep their mind on the job,” he said.
“So I’m not surprised he missed the start, but I was very thrilled with his finish.”
Unwanted as a $4.60 to $6 drifter, Rock And Swing snatched the race away from Sparkle ($20) to win by a short half-head.
It took a moment of bravery from horse and jockey Hugh Bowman to make it happen.
“He needed a bit of self-confidence to get through the hole. There was room but there wasn’t a lot of it,” Bowman said.
Godolphin trainer John O’Shea has similar mid-level autumn plans for Old North, winner of the Cafe Culture (1400m) fro three-year-olds.
“We have always envisaged him being a Carbine Club Stakes horse,” O’Shea said as the strapping gelding launched a wide run to win after a six-week break.