He’s Our Rokkii returned to the races with a tough victory in the 2016 Carbine Club Stakes at Royal Randwick this afternoon.
He’s Our Rokkii scored the biggest win of his racing career to date in the 2016 Carbine Club Stakes at Royal Randwick this weekend. Photo by: Steve Hart
He’s Our Rokkii was beaten as an odds-on favourite in the Premier Signs Handicap (1600m) at Sandown on March 16 and he was caught wide in the early stages of the race, while Odyssey Moon took up the running in the early stages of the race.
The two Victoria-trained horses clear out to fight out the finish, but He’s Our Rokkii proved too strong late and he took out the Carbine Club Stakes to claim a maiden win at stakes level.
Jockey Dwayne Dunn said that he has always had a big opinion of He’s Our Rokkii and he was thrilled to see him record a maiden win at Group level in the Carbine Club Stakes, but he is confident that he will be an even better horse as a four-year-old.
“The horse got himself a bit wound up coming here today and he never really turned the corners that well,” Dunn said.
“I had nice cover until I got to the half mile and got left out exposed, but he is a really nice horse and David and I had a little plan just to keep flying him under the radar.
“He is going to get to the top level and we are trying to give him a bit of confidence on the way through.”
David Hayes has been happy with the way that He’s Our Rokkii has performed in each of his race starts this preparation and he believes that the Roc De Cambes gelding would have been competitive in a race like the Australian Guineas.
Hayes confirmed that He’s Our Rokkii will press on to the Group 3 Frank Packer Plate (2000m) at Royal Randwick on April 16 and he is hopeful that the three-year-old can develop into a Doncaster Mile horse in the next 12 months.
“I really feel that he would have been placed in the Guineas in Melbourne if we had ran him, but we have decided to go the softer route,” Hayes said.
“We will go to the Frank Packer Plate over 2000 and we are treating him with a real four-year-old view.
“He will have a lovely weight next year and he will be a real powerful miler.”
Queen Of The Wands and Data Point both made up plenty of ground late after being settled at the tail of the field to round out the first four.
