Racing: Options open for brilliant colt

It will be later this week when a decision is made whether brilliant debut 2-year-old Rocanto continues to race in New Zealand.

Rocanto had been so impressive winning two barrier trials he was backed into $2 in his Te Rapa debut on Saturday and scored stylishly.

The colt is managed for the Hong Kong owner by Cambridge bloodstock agents Bryce and Ginger Tankard.

"Bryce and Ginger are in Hong Kong with the owner at the moment for the international meeting up there tonight," said trainer Stephen Marsh, sharing celebrations with his Singapore-based father, Bruce, who turned 65 yesterday.

"All three were able to watch the race in Hong Kong on Saturday and they were very excited. Bryce and Ginger and I will meet when they get back later in the week and a decision will be made on whether Rocanto runs in the Eclipse Stakes at Ellerslie on January 1."

Marsh is delighted with the way his impressive youngster has come through his first real test.

"He's terrific this morning. It's good to have the pressure off because everyone expected him to win.

"I hope he continues to race here because there is good money in New Zealand for the second half of the 2-year-old season and the first half of the 3-year-old term."

Marsh's talented mare Ruud Awakening will race next in the Newmarket at Ellerslie on Boxing Day.

Her form this preparation has been a touch below the brilliance she showed previously, but Marsh believes that could turn around.

"I accept she has to front up this next start, but I think her first-up run might have taken a bit more out of her than we thought. We'll see.

"The Telegraph is her main aim." ?Remarkable feat by Waikato Stud when six of the 10 Te Rapa winners were sired from the Matamata nursery.

Arrow In The Sand, Tomorrowland and Sports Illustrated are by Fast 'N' Famous, and Genius, Surpass and Jimmy Hoffa were sired by Savabeel.

Must be Gary Chittick's shout, given he owns Genius and $100,000 Cal Isuzu Stakes winner Sports Illustrated. It was a stunning win by Sports Illustrated to step up from carrying 56kg in a R75 race at Ellerslie at her previous start to winning with 57kg at weight-for-age on Saturday. Few horses can make such a steep jump.

She is a magnificent type and looks to have a real future.

?The Judicial Control Authority dismissed the protest by the connections of third-placed Palace Rock against the first two home, Choice and Attention Seeker, in Saturday's $70,000 Eulogy Stakes at Manawatu.

But you can't help feeling if the first three had run in lanes up the home straight, Palace Rock would have won.

Rider Chris Johnson did not appear to do an awful lot on Palace Rock once first checked. Both Choice and Attention Seeker shifted ground significantly and Palace Rock had her momentum bled.

Choice's rider Vanessa Johnston was suspended for four racedays for the interference.