From such vantage points as the birdcage at Flemington, to the Turangi Tavern, to a fish and chip shop in Wanganui, the ten member syndicate that race the 5YO Per Incanto mare Roch ‘N’ Horse enjoyed every moment of what will be a memory etched in their minds forever, as their bonnie mare ridiculed her tote odds to score a win for the ages in the A$1.5 million 1200m Yulong Newmarket Handicap down the famed Flemington straight on Saturday.
Trainers Mike Moroney and Pam Gerard were adamant that the last start Group 1 Telegraph Handicap runner-up deserved her chance to take on the best sprinters in the world in Australia’s iconic sprinting handicap. And didn’t she live up to that belief, pouncing on the leaders with 200m to go then displaying all her tremendous fighting qualities to become the first New Zealand bred winner of the race in over 100 years.
Part of a three-horse syndication that LA did in early 2019, it's been a memorable journey. Keke Star was a winner and the second horse, Bellucci Babe (Per Incanto) has won over Australian $330,000 and was a last start Group 3 winner at Randwick just a fortnight ago.
The LA bred Roch ‘N’ Horse is Per Incanto's 5th individual Group 1 winner, and her success has given the Williams family the unique achievement of breeding the winner of Australia's greatest sprinting handicap and of course, their greatest handicap, and no we don't mean their cricket team, the Melbourne Cup.
