All eyes will be on the royally bred 2-year-old Fastdane Rocky as the high-priced yearling sale graduate makes his raceday debut in the Fell Engineering 1000 at Ruakaka tomorrow.
The handsome son of Fastnet Rock and multiple group one winner Katie Lee set tongues wagging when he was knocked downto the bid of Tuhikaramea trainer Debbie Rogerson for $800,000 during the premier session of the 2014 New Zealand Bloodstock Yearling Sale at Karaka.
Now prepared by Rogerson and husband Graeme for a syndicate of owners that includes Sir Patrick and Lady Justine Hogan, the colt made his first public appearance at the Te Aroha trials last month and showed his private reputation to be well justified with an effortless seven-length victory over 650m in the first heat of the day.
"He looks to have inherited a lot of his parents' ability and he showed at the trials what we had seen in his work leading up to that day," said Rogerson.
"He is a very nice colt, with a great temperament so we weren't surprised that he did most things right that day.
"He's thrived since the run and he's ready to make his debut now."
The colt has an added incentive to make a winning debut as his connections have increased the prizemoney for the race to ensure a victory would provide the opportunity to make the field for New Zealand's richest race, the Listed NZB Karaka Million, at Ellerslie on January 25.
"He's paid up for the Karaka Million so we want to give him that opportunity to make the field if he can win on Tuesday," said Rogerson yesterday.
"We're also mindful of his potential stud value if he can become a successful juvenile, so we do have plans to look at some of the major 2-year-old races coming up later in the summer."
Rogerson also said Zabeel Classic winner Soriano would have her next start in the Harcourts Thorndon Mile at Trentham on January 24.
"She has come through the race in good order so we will pay the late nomination for the Thorndon and safely through that she will go to the Herbie Dyke Stakes at Te Rapa," she said.
