ROCKER BAND PRODUCES ALL THE RIGHT MOVES AT NELSON
Warm favourite Rocker Band had to be quick on her feet to avoid disaster in the $11,743 Golden Edge Nelson Cup Prelude on the first day of the Nelson summer meeting on Friday, January 8, 2016.
The Rocknroll Hanover mare stepped at her first stand start, working to the front for driver Sam Ottley and appeared to have complete control of the C3 and faster pace.
Rocker Band, furthered her smart career on the first day of the Nelson summer meeting.
However, a displaced marker pole on the track with 500m to run made her mix her stride for a couple of hops, giving supporters slight cause for concern.
It was only a slight blip on Rocker Band’s radar.
Safely past the obstacle, she was untroubled to hold Graduate Under Fire by a length and a half to rack up her sixth win from 16 starts.
Overport Lodge trainer Mark Jones decided against backing her up over 3000m in the Cup itself on Sunday.
She only went to Nelson primarily to race over 2400m on the first day after her scheduled race, the Golden Girls Series Heat, was deleted due to lack of acceptors.
The daughter of NZ Cup winning mare Mainland Banner will target the Group Two $40,000 Garrards Premier Mares Championship at Addington on February 12 and latterly the Group One $100,000 PGG Wrightson NZ Breeders Stakes on April 1 at Addington over the next few months.
“”I will find a race for her before the Mares Championship but I’m actually unsure where,” Mark said.
“She’s back bigger and better this season,” he said.
Following the Breeders Stakes, the Greg Brodie-owned mare may head to Australia in search of other suitable mares races.
Rocker Band is now unbeaten in two starts this term, having paced a smart 1:53.3 (mile) at Winton first-up on December.
The 4YO will continue her racing career for Mr Brodie then is to be returned to former owner Mark Jones for breeding at the end of her race career.
By Jeff Scott