Handy mare Shelbyrock’n (NZ) (Rock ‘N’ Pop) continued the winning run of pacemakers at New Plymouth on Saturday when she streeted her rivals by more than fifteen lengths in the last race on the card, the Seaton Park 1600 (1600m).
The 2023 Interprovincial (1600m) winner on the track has always been a difficult customer to head off when she can get terms to her liking out in front and rider Ellie Sole made full use of the seven-year-old mare’s front running ability as she led clearly from the minute the starting barriers opened.
All but one of the winners on the seven-race card won from in front and that played into the hands of Sole and her mount as Shelbyrock’n travelled sweetly before applying the pressure with 700m to run to quickly put her nearest challengers under duress as she dashed away by five lengths on the home bend.
Sole kept her mount up to the mark as she maintained a strong gallop to bolt in and register her sixth career victory for trainer Shane Brown and owners Lyn Anstis and Ray Small.
Sole had won earlier in the day aboard the Tawhiti Hina- trained Charm Zafarm (NZ) (Charm Spirit) with a similar effort and was confident of a good performance when she was legged aboard Shelbyrock’n in the birdcage.
“She was a lot quieter today when I got on her and once we cleared the gates so well I knew she was ready for a big effort,” said Sole.
“She just travelled so sweetly and when I let her slide she was full of running. In the straight I was too scared to look behind me as I wasn’t sure who was chasing but when I got back to the jockey’s room and saw the replay I couldn’t believe just how far in front we were.
“She just relished the track conditions after struggling at Trentham last time and when she can get her own way in front she just fights and fights.
“Rounding the home bend, she was going that well I was pretty sure she was the winner but I wasn’t taking any chances.”
Bred by Waikato Stud out of the Pins mare Joy (NZ), Shelbyrock’n has now won six of her 35 starts and more than $168,000 in prizemoney. Her granddam is the Centaine mare Gio (NZ), the dam of Group Three winner Crepe De Chine (NZ) (Pins).