By Adam Hamilton
ENIGMATIC star Heaven Rocks proved the somewhat unlikely tonic for the All Stars’ rotten week.
Setbacks to stable headliners Lazarus, Vincent and Ultimate Machete and an inglorious flop by Have Faith In Me in the Group 1 WA Cup was the story of a rare week of pain for the Purdon/Rasmussen team.
But Heaven Rocks, so often the horse causing them angst, gave Purdon and Rasmussen one of their more rewarding wins in the $100,000 Group 1 Ballarat Cup (2710m) last night.
Queries about how he would handle being back in the barrier draw and starting from the pole were quickly answered when Heaven Rocks not only scored-up well, but led easily.
Those who know him best realised that was pretty much the end of the race, especially without his buzz stablemate Vincent in the race to test him.
Natalie Rasmussen still had her hands full at times, especially when Heaven Rocks paced a 28.5sec first quarter of the last mile, but instead of fighting him, she went with him to a large extent. She let him roll.
And roll he did. Heaven Rocks paced his last mile in a breathtaking 1min52.9sec at the end of the 2710m, which gave nothing else a chance.
He left Inter Dominion, Miracle Mile and dual Victoria Cup winner Lennytheshark as well as last-start SA Cup winner Shadow Sax flat-footed on the home bend.
Lennytheshark lifted as he always does and got within a half-neck on the line, but Rasmussen confirmed it was in part due to Heaven Rocks star-gazing.
“He wanted to look around at times and especially in the last 100m or so,” she said.
“But it was a good positive thing for him tonight to step out and do everything right and still hang on. It was good for his confidence.”
Heaven Rocks now heads to Saturday week’s Hunter Cup where he firmed from $5 to $4.50 second elect behind Lazarus ($1.80) with the Aussie TAB.
Chris Alford was chuffed with Lennytheshark’s late closing second at his first run since the Perth Inter Dominion final seven weeks ago.
“He was flat on the bend and going to be beaten six metres, but he rallied and hit the line really strongly,” he said.
“That run will bring him on a lot given how it is since he’s run and the fitness he lost after Perth.”
Heaven Rocks’ 1min55.9sec was still well outside Smolda’s 1min54.8sec track record run in last year’s Ballarat Cup.
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