16 Jun Julian Rock winds back the clock
Julian Rock showed he still has a zest for racing with an impressive win at the Randwick-Kensington track on Wednesday, under Jason Collett.
Collett settled the seven-year-old at the rear of the field in the China Horse Club The Chase Handicap over 1100m. He hugged the rail rounding the home turn and then took his chance when the gap opened, ducking off the rail and coming outside the leading horse.
The imported son of Invincible Spirit was able to kick clear in the final 200m to chalk up the sixth win of his career.
“Absolutely delighted to have the ‘old warrior’ back in form,” Woodpark’s Assistant Trainer Pierre Dubois said.
“It has been such a long road with this horse, and he showed today that he still has that fighting spirit in him.
“I was a little worried during the run when things got a bit tight at the turn, although Jason made the right decision by diving on the inside. The horse just bounced away when the gap opened.
“It would be great of this horse can lead us to a Kosciuszko later in the year. It is a race that we have had in mind for him when we brought him in this prep and he is racing well enough to continue towards that goal.”
Julian Rock has been a mainstay of the Woodpark Stud Racing Stable since he arrived in Australia after having his first five runs in the Dubois’ native France.
He is by far the most experienced horse in the stable and the fact he is performing so well as a rising eight-year-old is testament to the Mittagong property that Jean Dubois and his family breed and train out.
“The stable is in a bit of a transition period at the moment,” Pierre Dubois added.
“We have quite a few yearlings in the stable as we approach the new season, many of which are by our resident stallion Aylmerton.
“He himself was a fast juvenile winning the Group 2 Todman Stakes and we have a few early types by him coming through.
“It is important to have these horses such as Julian Rock that can ‘keep the score board ticking over while we wait for next season’s two and three-year-olds to come into their own.”
The win took Julian Rock’s earning’s to just shy of $300,000.