NSW: Roy and his Prince

ROY Roots junior has emerged as one of the state’s most prominent trainers.

The 2019/20 season has been a highly successful one for the Central Coast horseman, who has racked up a career-best 94 winners during the extended period.

Based at Central Mangrove, which is in the hinterland, west of Gosford, Roots has become hugely popular with a band of prominent owners and is currently working a big team of 30 horses.

There is little doubt that his stable star is The Black Prince, a son of champion sire Bettors Delight, that has an imposing record of 17 wins and 20 placings and stakes of more than $250,000.

All of his recent racing has been at Tabcorp Park Menangle, which is where he heads tomorrow night to take on a smart open class field in the Group 3 Sitecom Commercial Cleaning Pace.
“He is shaping up to some nice horses this week including the Craig Cross trained pair Cash N Flow and Replaced Eye,” said Roots.

Cash N Flow has dominated the open-class races at Menangle this year, winning 12 on the bounce between March and September while Replaced Eye has won seven at headquarters this term.

“Although my bloke has drawn wide, my plan is for him is to push off the arm and see what happens early,” said Roots.

“We know we have a fit horse and I want him to have a solid hit-out before we head to Queensland for the Blacks A Fake on Saturday week.”
“Neither race will be easy, that’s for sure.

“Craig (Cross) is also heading north with a strong team and a few of the Queenslanders also go well.”

Roots is closer to home tonight at Newcastle, where he will be represented by five runners.

“I am pretty keen on a couple of ours tonight,” he said.

“Shadow Pass (Race 2) is a newcomer to my stable and should have won first-up last week.

“We now know more about him and have changed the way we train him, which seems to be working, so I do expect a forward showing tonight.

“Stunnin Magic is a mare with a ton of ability and from barrier one (Race 6) she will be hard to hold out.

“She is owned by Robert Stevenson from Trundle, who is a great supporter of my stable.”