Ken Casellas | Photo: PACEPIX
Star reinsman Aiden de Campo began like a flash at Gloucester Park on Friday night when he landed the first three winners on the ten-event program.
Theoretically, if a punter had outlaid $10 in an all-up wager on De Campo’s winners, Showpony ($7.20), Frisky Styx ($19.80) and Rockandrollartist ($6.40), he or she would have collected $9123.84.
“Having such good gate speed definitely helps,” said De Campo after Rockandrollartist flew out from the No. 8 barrier to burst to the front after 70 metres in the 2130m RAC Members Save 5% Every Day At Retravision Pace.
Rockandrollartist was joined in the breeze by $8 chance Ima Fivestar General after 500m before the $2.70 favourite Ragazzo Mach surged forward after 700m to quickly replace Ima Fivestar General in the breeze.
But Rockandrollartist was never seriously challenged, and after final quarters of 29.1sec. and 28.5sec. he won by four lengths from $91 outsider Joey James, who had enjoyed an ideal passage behind the pacemaker all the way.
Street Hawk ($5) began from the No. 9 barrier and was trapped wide early before dropping back to last in the field of eleven. He finished powerfully, out wide, from the rear to be an excellent third.
Rockandrollartist, bred and owned by Adrian Shanks, entered De Campo’s Capel stables last March, and he impressed in winning four in a row in April and May before being sent for a spell and resuming racing in September.
“Rockandrollartist was really good when he first came to my stable,” said De Campo. “On resuming, he didn’t really hit his straps. He wasn’t horrible but was not going anywhere near his best. However, his past three runs have been a lot better.”
Rockandrollartist, a five-year-old by American sire Rock N Roll Heaven, has had 62 starts for