ROCKER BAND TO TARGET QUEEN OF HEARTS IN DECEMBER
Harness Jewels 4YO Diamond winner Rocker Band will be given the chance to extend her race career next season.
Gold Coast owner Greg Brodie is keen for the impeccably-bred daughter of Rocknroll Hanover and 2005 New Zealand Cup winner Mainland Banner (1:55.1, 17 wins from 22 starts for $684,579) to contest further feature mares races.
Rocker Band, shown after winning the $20,000 Southern Belle Speed Series Final at Winton in March. Photo: Bruce Stewart, Southland Harness Racing.co.nz
“With a change in handicapping it may save her,” said Burnham trainer Mark Jones.
“She’s spelling now. We’ll we’ll see if we are ready for NZ Cup week racing but will target the Queen Of Hearts (Group One mares) at Auckland in December.”
“She could go to Sydney after Auckland in December, depending on how she’s going.”
Rocker Band, who bounced back from a broken nose in a freak accident as a youngster, racked up her ninth win from only 24 starts with her storming finish to win the $150,000 NRM Evolve Jewels Diamond in 1:53.3 at Cambridge on June 4.
She lifted her earnings to $164,685 for Mr Brodie.
Rocker Band also has a Group Two third to her credit in the NZ Premier Mares Championship at Addington in February.
Mainland Banner’s first four foals have all been good winners.
Her first, Peruvian Banner (a filly by Peruvian Hanover) won one from five NZ starts and has taken a 1:52.4 mile mark in North America with nine USA wins, taking her earnings to $95,898.
Return To Sender, Rocker Band’s older half-brother, who has been exported to North America after winning eight for the Robert Dunn stable.
Second foal Stunin Banner (a gelding by McArdle) has won in 1:56.2 rate (2300m) at Menangle (Aust) and although now racing below his best in amateur drivers races back in NZ has won 13 of 64 starts for $107,654.
Then came Return To Sender (Mach Three gelding), who won in a sharp 1:57.4 (2400m) as a 3YO and won eight of 52 NZ starts for $102,148.
Rocker Band is her fourth foal.
Trainer Mark Jones is hopeful Mainland Banner’s fifth foal, Glenferrie Classic, a 3YO filly by top sire Bettor’s Delight, will be the next winner.
She’s unplaced at her first three starts but ran an encouraging fourth to Well Armed at her last start at Addington on April 13.
Freshened, she won a workout at Rangiora at June 1 in 3:27.9 for the 2600m (stand), the leaders running their last 800m in 58.5s.
She composed herself and rallied to hold by a head after becoming uncomfortable in her gait with 150m to run.
Glenferrie Classic gets a chance to add to the family record at the two-day Nelson meeting this weekend.
Mainland Banner, purchased by Australian Peter Chambers under his Glenferrie Farm Ltd ownership in 2011, was exported to Australia after foaling Glenferrie Classic.
She has one live foal in Australia, a filly by Rock N Roll Heaven, which was passed in for $45,000 at the this year’s APG Yearling Sales in Sydney in February.
The family has been further enhanced with the strong form of Titan Banner, a game third from the outside gate in last week’s $150,000 Harness Jewels 4YO Emerald, being race-timed in 1:53.4.
Titan Banner, a half-brother by Art Major to Mainland Banner, defeated Christen Me in his Jewels lead-up in the Winter Cup at Addington late last month and has won 10 of 27 starts for $99,713.
By Jeff Scott