By Ken MacKay
Recent claims that Pepper Tree Farm’s lack of presence in Western Australia in 2012 has cost their flagship stallion Rock N Roll Heaven the 2014/15 Australian National Sires 2YO Premiership would appear to have foundation.
HRA’s recently released figures on the National Top Twenty Statistics for 2014/15 show that all-conquering sire Bettor’s Delight nosed out Rock N Roll Heaven in the battle for National 2YO honours.
Both stallions amassed 44 progeny wins for the season in this division but Bettor’s Delight’s result came from 24 individual winners compared with Rock N Roll Heaven’s 21 individual winners and progeny earnings of $836,017 and $734,759 respectively.
Whilst Rock N Roll Heaven dominated the Eastern seaboard easily triumphing in the Victorian 2YO Premiership with 22 wins, he also finished equal first in the NSW 2YO Premiership with 14 wins ( sharing honours with Somebeachsomewhere ) and a very close second in the Queensland 2YO Premiership with 6 wins, just one win behind Courage Under Fire and Village Jasper who shared honours.
So how do you achieve such a feat and not be crowned Australian 2YO Sire Of The Year?
Simple …… have no presence in Western Australia where Bettor’s Delight’s progeny have had a relatively free ride clocking up 26 race wins for $220,612 in earnings.
It is clear that the Western Australian results have denied Rock N Roll Heaven a certain Premiership in his debutante season.
When quizzed on this issue, Pepper Tree Farm Marketing Manager Danny Rothwell replied, “Yes, in hindsight it would have been great to have been more active in the WA market in 2012, however in fairness we were breaking new ground with Victorian and Queensland breeders, and obviously we are extremely pleased with what Heaven achieved in the Eastern States. We are aware of our shortcomings in WA but I think we have faired better in recent years. We continue to build relationships and have received excellent feedback in relation to our ordering processes and timing of supply to WA breeders. Prominent breeders including the likes of Steve Johnson have bred to PTF stallions including Heaven, Sportswriter and Roll With Joe.
We still have work to do but I’m confident we are making ground”.
Pepper Tree Farm principal Rob Vandyke is a shrewd judge of a horse and can be attributed to introducing quality sires past and present to Australian breeders through the likes of Panorama, Somebeachsomewhere, Aces ‘N Sevens and Art Major, a tradition to be continued through the likes of Rock N Roll Heaven, Sportswriter and Roll With Joe.
Whilst an Australian National 2YO Sires Premiership would have been a “ nice thing” to have on the CV of Rock N Roll Heaven there is plenty of time ahead in this young stallion’s siring career, it being every bit as important that he continues to “advance the breed”.
Rock N Roll Heaven, offers an unsurpassed ultra contemporary pedigree quality which is equally matched by his own specific racetrack attributes. These stood him apart from the rest.
He exemplified vicious high speed ( he was the master of an opening and closing sub-26 seconds quarter in the same race ), he possessed very quick leg speed and tremendous drive from his hindquarter which effected great acceleration, and complemented these qualities with undeniable tenacity.
With such qualities it is not surprising that his Group 1 winning daughter Heavens Trend is the new Australasian 2YO Fillies One Mile recordholder at 1.51.2
Whilst in the USA, Rock N Roll Heaven sits second on the 3y/old sires list and his progeny continue to break records.
One gets the feeling Rock N Roll Heaven’s outstanding performance in the Eastern seaboard States will filter across the Nullabor in season’s imminent as this stallion endeavours to assume Bettor’s Delight’s current mantelpiece.
Ken MacKay – Premier Pedigrees
September 2015.
Approved By Dean Baring www.harnessbred.com
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