Ken Casellas | Photo: PACEPIX
Rocknroll Spirit overcame the disadvantage of racing without front shoes when he revealed an excellent fighting spirit to set the pace and win the Become A BOTRA Member Pace at Gloucester Park on Friday night.
The WA-bred four-year-old, trained and driven by Chris Voak, was an easing $5.20 chance from the No. 2 barrier when he was beaten out by the $3.90 chance Tubbs Farquhar and Il Bandito ($11).
But Voak was able to resist these challenges and Rocknroll Spirit was a clear leader after 250m before setting the pace and winning by a length from $7.50 chance Baltic Ace, who trailed the pacemaker all the way. Tubbs Farquhar, who was eased back to last in the field of twelve after his unsuccessful bid for the early lead, zoomed home from tenth at the bell to finish third.
Rocknroll Spirit cast his off fore shoe during the preliminary, and then had his other front shoe removed for the gelding to race bare in front.
“He certainly felt his feet,” said Voak. “He knew he had no shoes on, and his was a gutsy effort. Nearing the 300m I knew through the bridle that he was a bit short in front, and I also was in trouble when I couldn’t get the pull-downs down.
“But he did something he hadn’t done before. He ran away from them and won comfy in the end.”
Voak has trained Rocknroll Spirit for his past seven starts for two wins, one second and two fourths, and the gelding now has raced 33 times for six wins, eight placings and $42,873 in stakes.
Rocknroll Spirit is the third foal out of the Bettors Delight mare Miss Worthy Whitby, who had 14 starts for three wins, three placings and $40,154. She won at Bathurst and Albion Park as a two-year-old in 2010, and then won, first-up in WA in a heat of the Diamond Classic.
Rocknroll Spirit’s elder full-brother Its Rock And Roll has been highly successful, earning $543,842 from 30 wins and 46 placings from 117 starts. His 31 starts in WA for trainer-reinsman Colin Brown resulted in seven wins and 15 seconds.
As a two-year-old Its Rock And Roll won the Group 1 Sales Classic and the Group 2 Champagne Classic as well as finishing third behind Franco Edward in the Golden Slipper. As a three-year-old he finished second in the Group 2 Pearl Classic, and at his final appearance in Australia he won the Group 3 Im Themightyquinn final in January 2020 before travelling to the United States a month later where he won another 23 races.