Racing: Quiet life paying dividends

Rockabubble has been a sensational performer on the racetrack since joining the Te Kauwhata stable of Tony Cole and that was underlined at Te Aroha yesterday.

The 4-year-old mare came at a blistering speed down the outer of the lengthy Te Aroha home stretch to post a narrow but impressive victory in the $120,000 (Group One) New Zealand Bloodstock Breeders Stakes.

Rockabubble stretched out effortlessly in the hands of jockey Reese Jones and scored by a long neck over the fast closing Spin 'N Grin.

There was a further 1 1/4 lengths to the third placed Filey.

Rockabubble was transferred from the O'Sullivan stable in Matamata and placed with Cole. From five starts for Cole Rockabubble has four wins and a sixth placing.

"It was felt by the owners that a switch from such a busy training environment in Matamata to a smaller training property like mine would benefit this mare,"said Cole.

"She was having a few problems with the O'Sullivans and I have a very quiet training property on my farm where I train my horses and that has helped get the best out of this mare.

"She does spend a lot of time out in a big roomy paddock and she came to us with a solid form line with Listed performances so I knew she was a very talented mare.

"I actually blame myself for her one defeat in five starts from our stable because I was a little too kind on her after her first-up win and she got away on us.

"She's a very talented mare and it's very pleasing knocking over a Group One race as the win has really helped her value as a broodmare for the owners.

"I'll sit down and discuss with the owners over the next few days what our future racing plans will be. We can either head to Ellerslie for the Easter Handicap or throw her out into a paddock for 10 days and head to Queensland for some fillies and mares racing."

Another impressive performance at Te Aroha came from Cambridge filly Ladykin prompting her owner-breeders Lorraine and Bill Sullivan to consider a black type event.

She will face a huge jump in class next Saturday if she starts in the $40,000 (Group Three) Desert Gold Stakes at Trentham.

"Usually we don't like backing our horses up back-to-back but we wanted to win the race here at Te Aroha because there were a couple of incentive bonuses attached besides the winning stake," said trainer Lorraine Sullivan.

"If she pulls up well we're keen on taking her to Wellington for the Desert Gold Stakes as it is the last opportunity for us to get any black type form beside her name as a 3-year-old filly.

"We bred this filly and she was too small to take to the yearling sales to sell and all she has needed is time to mature into a racehorse.

"She was very unlucky in her last start at Tauranga and it's satisfying to get the win here. It's also great that Lisa Cropp has stuck with this filly as she's ridden her in her last six starts for two wins and a third placing."

Ladykin reeled in the leaders in the home stretch to defeat Rosetti Bay by 1 1/2 lengths with a long neck back to Super View (third).