Roch ‘N’ Horse claims Group 1 Champions Sprint
Roch ‘N’ Horse for Mike Moroney has given Jamie Mott his second Group 1 for the spring carnival, taking out the Champions Sprint down the famous Flemington straight.
Although the winner has never finished worse than second down the Flemington straight, the market still didn’t want to know her as she jumped a $21 outsider with online bookmakers.
Roch ‘N’ Horse sat just off the speed upon settling, but at the 300m mark it looked as though the eventual winner was going better than the odds-on favourite Nature Strip as the Moroney-trained runner got over the line winning by a head on the line.
Champions Sprint Replay
Since bringing Roch ‘N’ Horse over from New Zealand, Mike Moroney has now won two Group 1’s with her, with the other win being the Newmarket Handicap in the autumn earlier this year.
“It was a great effort, when you watch the replay she just kept coming and hanging on in there and for a while I thought they were gonna sprint away from her but she just really bulldogged to the finish.”
Moroney explained that not everything went to plan for his mare, but she stuck on really well to take out the Group 1 feature sprint race of the spring.
“There was a sense of timing for when she came over for the Newmarket, where she was perfect, and she has now gone on to this.
“As everyone knows, Jamie (Mott) is such a great horseman and horse rider. Great set of hands on him and she can get tugging a wee bit so it really suited her.”
Moroney was very complimentary of Mott’s ride, while also reflecting on the fact that Patrick Moloney didn’t get to ride this mare, as he is now suspended after his ride in the Melbourne Cup on Tuesday.
Jamie Mott is enjoying a great spring, as he has won two Group 1’s this spring after riding Callsign Mav to victory in the Sir Rupert Clarke Stakes a couple of months back.
“It’s a real buzz. I’ve got my family here and it’s what dreams are made of.”
Mott explained post-race that winning a Group 1 with his family at Flemington, is really special to him.
“Callsign Mav was a special feeling, but this just takes it to a whole other level.
“All the talk was about Nature Strip and Giga Kick, and our girl had done nothing wrong and she’s a very good mare and she was kind of overlooked a little bit.”