Fastnet Flurry of Winners

Champion sire Fastnet Rock posted a rare trifecta in the 1400 metre maiden at Warwick Farm on Wednesday with victory going to the Dynamic Syndications colour bearer Rockin’ Ruga (3g Fastnet Rock x Sevruga, by Encosta de Lago). Trained by Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott, Rockin’ Ruga was fourth on debut when slowly away on January 5, but made no such mistakes this time around. He led from the jump and kept going to the line to win by a short neck over his paternal siblings Condor and Californiafirebird. “Dynamic Syndications are great supporters of the stable so it’s nice to get a good result for them,” said Adrian Bott. “He knuckled down strong late to get the win and he’ll continue to improve. We’ll just look to take him through his grades.” A $125,000 Inglis Easter purchase from the Amarina Farm draft for Dynamic Syndications / Dean Watt Bloodstock (FBAA) / Gai Waterhouse Racing, Rockin’ Ruga was foaled and raised at Coolmore and is the third winner from three foals to race from Sevruga, an Encosta de Lago half-sister to Group winners Langoustine and One World. Sevruga is a daughter of celebrated producer Prawn Cocktail (USA), a half-sister to champion sire Royal Academy from the family of legendary sire Storm Cat. She produced a filly by Vancouver last spring and is now back in foal to the Golden Slipper winner. A Gerry Harvey homebred, Twilight Song (f Fastnet Rock x River Serenade, by Hurricane Sky) made a pleasing debut at Caulfield keeping the perfect record for her dam River Serenade, who has had nine foals to race and all are winners. Trained by the Hayes Dabernig partnership, Fastnet Rock filly Twilight Song was easy in the market but had no trouble scoring a three-quarter length win in the 1100 metre maiden. She sat three deep for Jake Duffy travelling in third place coming to the turn, but was very strong to the line in an encouraging display. “She’ll take a lot of benefit from that,” said Duffy. “It was a good learning experience for her. I’d rather not have been three deep, but they said to ride her where she was comfortable and she would finish it off, which she did.” Twilight Song is a half-sister to Group II winners First Command and Oneworld being the ninth winner for River Serenade, a winning full sister to Group I winner River Dove, the dam of Group II winner Headwater. She was one of four winners on Wednesday by champion sire Fastnet Rock, who is enjoying a hot run at present with 31 winners in the past 30 days!