Solidify raring to go ahead of JJ Atkins

Solidify will contest the Group 1 JJ Atkins (1600m) at Eagle Farm on Saturday. Photo: Trish Dunell

Graeme Rogerson is confident of a bold showing from Solidify at Eagle Farm on Saturday and he’s also looking forward to the longer-term benefits from the Queensland venture.

The Tuhikaramea conditioner co-trains the son of Redwood with wife Debbie and also shares in the ownership group of the Group 1 JJ Atkins (1600m) contender.

Solidify won two of his three New Zealand starts, including the Listed Waikato Equine Veterinary Centre Stakes (1200m) at Te Rapa before he departed for Brisbane.

The two-year-old was unplaced in the Group 2 BRC Sires’ Produce Stakes (1400m) after a buffeting in the straight and Rogerson believes a change of luck can see the colt give his Australian counterparts a run for their money in the hands of Ryan Elliot.

“I can’t believe he has drifted in the market ($18). I thought his first run was enormous,” he said.

“He had no luck and got flattened, but he picked himself up again to get to the line. Ryan thought he was going really well turning for home and said if he got the run he would have been right in it.

“He’s been eating everything since and galloped well on Tuesday morning. He’s doing a treat.

“This trip will make the horse and it will be interesting on Saturday. I think he is something really special.”

Rogerson is following a similar path with Solidify that he trod last season with Sharp ‘N’ Smart, also by Redwood, who finished fourth in the JJ Atkins on his way to future multiple Group One victories.

“The trip to Queensland made Sharp “N” Smart and he looks outstanding,” he said.

“He’s won $3 million and the only thing that stopped him having a better record was the wet tracks.”

Sharp ‘N’ Smart will have one outing at home during the Hawke’s Bay spring carnival before he returns to Australia.

“I’ll run him in a trial and probably one day at Hastings before he goes,” Rogerson said.

“I’ve nominated him for the Caulfield Cup (Group 1, 2400m), the Cox Plate (Group 1, 2040m) and the Melbourne Cup (Group 1, 3200m).

“I’m waiting to see what weight he gets and that will be interesting. At this stage, my thinking is the Caulfield and Melbourne Cups and he’ll do New Zealand proud.”

Rogerson is also thrilled with the progress being made by Mascarpone, who hasn’t raced for 16 months.

The Shooting To Win gelding won the Group 1 Otaki Maori WFA Classic (1600m), but subsequently suffered a suspensory injury during an exhibition gallop at Ellerslie.

“He’s been back in work for six or seven weeks and he looks fantastic,” Rogerson said.

“He’s on the treadmill and swimming and he’s a day-to-day proposition for sure, but he has been all his life.

“I ran him right-handed at Ellerslie and that’s when he did the damage.”

The winner of eight of his 26 starts, Mascarpone was successful in the 2021 Group 2 Foxbridge Plate (1200m) and Rogerson sees the Te Rapa feature as an ideal starting point for the chestnut’s spring campaign.

“All going well, he’ll run in the Foxbridge and then maybe the Tarzino Trophy (Group 1, 1400m) and the Arrowfield Stud Plate (Group 1, 1600m),” he said.

2023 Group 1 JJ Atkins Field

No. Silks Horse Trainer Jockey Barrier Weight
1 Silks
Cifrado
Rex Lipp
Damien Thornton
7
57kg
2 Silks
Chrysaor
Chris Waller
Nash Rawiller
15
57kg
3 Silks
Snapback
Peter & Paul Snowden
Mark Zahra
10
57kg
4 Silks
Make A Call
Peter & Paul Snowden
Sam Clipperton
13
57kg
5 Silks
Congregation
Chris Waller
Kerrin McEvoy
5
57kg
6 Silks
Tannhauser
Chris Waller
James McDonald
6
57kg
7 Silks
Felix The Scat
Peter & Will Hulbert
Mark Du Plessis
14
57kg
8 Silks
Chevron
Kristen Buchanan
Craig Williams
16
57kg
9 Silks
Californian
Gerald Ryan & Sterling Alexiou
Ryan Maloney
1
57kg
10 Silks
Solidify
Graeme & Deborah Rogerson
Ryan Elliot
4
57kg
11 Silks
Purveyor
Bevan Laming
Michael Cahill
8
57kg
12 Silks
King Colorado
Ciaron Maher & David Eustace
Jason Collett
3
57kg
13 Silks
Trifling
Helen Page
Ben Thompson
2
55kg
14 Silks
Azula
Gai Waterhouse & Adrian Bott
Tim Clark
11
55kg
15 Silks
Miss Joelene
Kelly Schweida
James Orman
12
55kg
16 Silks
Within Reason
Desleigh Forster
Linda Meech
17
55kg
17 Silks
Miracle Of Love
Paul Messara
Michael Dee
9
55kg

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