El Roca Will Need To Be At His Best In George Ryder Stakes

Trainer Trent Busuttin admits that El Roca will need to be at his best very to win the 2014 George Ryder Stakes (1500m) at Rosehill Gardens this weekend and is just hoping to see a good performance from the talented colt in what will be his final race start before the Group 1 Doncaster Mile (1600m).

El Roca was narrowly denied a maiden win at Group 1 level by Dissident in the Royal Randwick Guineas.

El Roca was narrowly denied a maiden win at Group 1 level by Dissident in the Royal Randwick Guineas. Photo by: Steve Hart

The George Ryder Stakes is set to include some of the most talented milers in Australia, after the likes of Boban, Red Tracer and Streama were included in the nominations for the Group 1 event, and Busuttin told TVN that he does not think El Roca is favored by the weight-for-age scale of the race; with the son of Fastnet Rock to carry only three kilograms less than the more experienced gallopers in the field.

“At weight-for-age, three-year-olds aren’t well off this time of year and I would be happy to see him go a good race and that will have him on target for the Doncaster,” Busuttin told TVN this morning.

“They get over here and they thrive in the warm weather and his coat is just starting to look how it should be.”

El Roca started his 2014 Sydney Autumn Racing Carnival campaign with a strong win in the Listed Eskimo Prince Stakes (1200m) at Rosehill Gardens on February 15 and has been subsequently denied wins by the narrowest of margins in both the Group 3 Liverpool City Cup (1300m) at Warwick Farm on March 8 and the Group 1 Royal Randwick Guineas (1600m) on March 15.

Busuttin said that El Roca had pulled up well following his second place finish in the Rosehill Guineas and was impressed with the way that the three-year-old worked this morning.

“He has been a couple of heads away from a couple of big results and it was pretty hard to cop the other day,” Busuttin said.

“He has come through it good, but he would want to be at his best for Saturday.

“He has worked nice.

“He has just gone 1200 and rolled up the last 400 and looks to have been doing it easy.

“He is a big, strong colt and he is loving it.

“They get over here and they thrive in the warm weather and his coat is just starting to look how it should be.”

El Roca ($7.50) is currently on the third line of 2014 George Ryder Stakes betting markets behind Red Tracer ($3.50) and Boban ($3.70).

About The Author

Thomas Hackett

Thomas is a passionate and opinionated racing journalist and punter who has been obsessed with horse racing since he backed Saintly to win the 1996 Melbourne Cup. An international racing enthusiast, he has his finger on the pulse of racing news not just from Australia but all around the world.