Fastnet Filly Wins in Style

Talented filly And Rock (2f Fastnet Rock x Bee and Bee, by Grand Lodge) opened her account with a powerful win for the John McArdle stable at Sandown on Wednesday, improving on a last start second to post her first win in the fillies event over 1300 metres. “She’s always shown us quite a bit and we’ve had an opinion of her for a while,“ said Rob Slade. “She’s out of a Grand Lodge mare, so we think she’ll get a mile at least and we’ll just pick our way along now to the spring.” And Rock had two runs earlier in the year when finishing midfield in stakes races and has obviously improved with the benefit of a good spell and looks set for a great campaign. “She has a good future and the further she goes the better,” said winning rider Chris Symons. A $100,000 purchase for Slade Bloodstock from the draft of Woodside Park at the 2010 Inglis Premier Yearling Sale, And Rock is the fifth winner from Bee and Bee, a half-sister by Grand Lodge to stakes-placed Trencher from the family of Group III winner Le Dejeneur. And Rock is one of more than 90 Australian winners this season for Fastnet Rock, who stands at Coolmore at a fee of $132,000.