Ken Casellas | Photo: PACEPIX
Nine-year-old warrior Rock Me Over continues to thrive on the racetrack and maintains his reputation as the State’s most enduring money-making bargain pacer.
The little WA-bred pacer is a credit to his Serpentine trainer Matt Scott, and he was a $19.40 chance when Aiden De Campo drove him to an exciting victory in the 2130m Home And Away Pace at Gloucester Park on Friday night.
Scott races Rock Me Over in partnership with long-term stable clients Tony Maguire and his son Ian. They outlaid $6000 to purchase Rock Me Over in February 2019, and since then the gelding has had 179 starts for them, earning $310,340 from 16 wins, 33 seconds and 25 third placings.
This has taken Rock Me Over’s career record to a remarkable 225 starts for 27 wins, 71 placings and stakes of $435,891.
Rock Me Over has never basked in the admiration of harness racing fans who adored his elder half-brother Handsandwheels, the 2017 WA Derby winner who retired with a wonderful record of 102 starts for 29 wins, 33 placings and $707,393.
It is also to the credit of Scott and Rock Me Over that the gelding has recovered fully from the damage to a hind suspensory ligament he sustained in April 2023 and threatened to end his career.
“Rock Me Over has been knocking on the door, and tonight’s race worked out perfectly for him,” said De Campo. “He is a funny horse who looks after himself a bit around the (home) corner. I thought he was a chance of getting up once we straightened up.”
Rock Me Over raced in seventh place before De Campo sent him forward with a three-wide burst approaching the bell. Blaze Coops, the $1.65 favourite, set the pace but overraced and was passed by the breeze horse Stormyskyes ($23) who took the lead with 450m to travel. Rock Me Over ran home determinedly to get up and snatch victory by a head from Stormyskyes. The winner rated 1.56.