Expensive youngster Eden Roc will be on trial to run in the Group 1 $1.5m Ladbrokes Blue Diamond Stakes (1200m) at Caulfield on February 25 when he steps out for the first time at Randwick on Saturday.
Tommy Berry, above, rides first starter Eden Roc at Randwick. Photo by Race Horse Photos Australia.
The $750,000 yearling purchase has won two of his three barrier trials and has been installed as the $2.80 favourite for the $100,000 Australian Fire Hose 2yo Plate (1000m).
Co-trainer Wayne Hawkes holds high expectation for Eden Roc and is hoping he can do better than his high profile older three quarter brother Star Turn who finished fifth to Extreme Choice in the 2016 Blue Diamond Stakes.
“He’s a lovely horse,” Hawkes told Racing.com.
“He’s Star Turn’s three-quarter brother and they paid a lot of money for him. The wraps are on him and I just hope he can get the job done.”
“He’s done everything right. He’ll be in the finish somewhere about and we are very happy and privileged to be training him.”
Star Turn also kicked off his career in Sydney before heading to the Melbourne and Eden Roc is set to follow a similar path as he heads towards the Blue Diamond Stakes
“We brought Star Turn down and that was one race where he was too far back,” said Hawkes who trains in partnership with his father John and brother Michael.
“If he was up on the pace then he might have finished closer. Hopefully, we’ll follow a similar path as what we did with Star Turn.”
Star Turn then returned in the Spring as a three year old to win the Group 3 $150,000 Smithfield RSL Club San Domenico Stakes (1100m) at Rosehill before running second to Astern in the Group 2 $175,000 MTA Run To The Rose (1200m) at Rosehill two weeks later.
Then following a short freshen up Star Turn came out and beat the older horses in the Group 2 $400,000 Mitsubishi Electric Schillaci Stakes (1100m) at Caulfield on October 8 before running third behind Flying Artie and Astern in the Group 1 $500,000 Coolmore Stud Stakes (1200m) at Flemington on October 29.
Tommy Berry takes the ride on Eden Roc who has drawn nicely at barrier two in the eleven horse juvenile field.
Eden Roc has been marked at $21 at Ladbrokes.com.au in early betting for the Blue Diamond Stakes which has the Lindsay Park trained Tulip as the $11 favourite ahead of Catchy, Jukebox and Pariah all on $13.
