Planet Rock lands Guineas
14th Nov 2011
Famed racing novelist Dick Francis could hardly have scripted a better closing chapter in the Riccarton training careers of Peter and Dawn Williams.
In their last home meeting before moving their operation north to Byerley Park, the husband and wife team saddled their high class filly Planet Rock (Fastnet Rock) to triumph in the Group One New Zealand Bloodstock NZ 1000 Guineas.
“It’s one of my greatest training moments to have won it with all our friends here, it’s brilliant,” Peter Williams said.
Planet Rock will be in the party to Auckland and she is no stranger to the North Island after finishing runner-up at her Trentham debut last season behind the current Singapore star Super Easy (NZ) (Darci Brahma).
Never afraid to travel their leading lights, the Williams’ then continued on to Ellerslie where Planet Rock won before a third placing in the Karaka Million
She returned as a three-year-old this term to run second in the Listed Canterbury Belle Stakes, won the Guineas trial at Riccarton and then returned to Trentham to place against the older horses in testing underfoot conditions.
“She’s a low-floating filly and Wellington was puggy and totally different to this loose track,” Peter Williams said.
Planet Rock drew an outside barrier on Saturday and travelled wide throughout behind the pace to the turn. She had a battle on her hands to get the better of pacemaker Abeautifulred (NZ) (Handsome Ransom), in addition to negating an unraveling bandage, but dug deep and won the war by half a-head to claim the Guineas title.
“She’s a real staying filly and what she did as a two-year-old was a bonus,” Williams said. “I’ve always thought she was an Oaks filly and the further she goes the better, being out of a Zabeel mare.”
By Fastnet Rock (Danehill), Planet Rock was purchased by Williams out of Wellfield Lodge’s Premier Sale consignment last year for NZ$290,000. In fact, the Manawatu based stud was responsible for breeding the first two runners home.
Raced by Ashburton’s Sarah Green and her Netherlands-based friend Ger Beemsterboer, Planet Rock is a daughter of Akris (NZ) (Zabeel) who is a half-sister to the multiple Australian stakes winner Gorky Park (NZ) (Montjeu), who is now at stud at Paxton Park in Cambridge.
It is also the family of Group Thee Norman Robinson Stakes winner and Group One
Planet Rock was ridden on Saturday by Palmerston North-based jockey Hayden Tinsley who also guided Daffodil (NZ) (No Excuse Needed) to victory in the Riccarton classic in 2008.
Third placing was claimed by Capital Diamond (NZ) (Lucky Unicorn) ahead of the favourite Artistic (NZ) (Darci Brahma) and Unbelieveabelle (NZ) (Handsome Ransom).
The pre-post favourite Anabandana (Anabaa) was a late withdrawal after the Riccarton track had been downgraded to a heavy 10 after persistent rain.
Back to News