Lone Rock is on a collision course with champion mare Black Caviar after days of heavy Sydney rain washed out plans to run her in Group One Galaxy at Randwick.
Trainer Robert Smerdon said next Saturday’s Group One Sportingbet Classic (1200m) and the Group One Goodwood (1200m) on May 12 were now Lone Rock’s major autumn goals despite the presence of unbeaten champion Black Caviar.
Smerdon said he wasn’t expecting Lone Rock to deny Black Caviar an Australian record of 20 wins in a row but believes she can run well on one of her favourite tracks.
“We were going for The Galaxy but it was just too wet,” Smerdon said.
“You don’t go there (to Adelaide) thinking you can beat Black Caviar but horse racing is horse racing and anything can happen.
“There’s an old adage in racing that you never miss a race because of one horse and who knows she might not even run.”
Ironically the Galaxy was run on a dead (5) track after the Randwick track recovered better than expected with the race won by Temple Of Boom who finished sixth in the Bobbie Lewis Quality won by Lone Rock last spring.
Three starts ago Lone Rock got a taste of what Black Caviar can dish up when she finished fifth, 4-1/2 lengths behind her in the Group One Lightning Stakes (1000m) at Flemington on February 18.
Lone Rock raced flat when she finished second last in the Group One Newmarket Handicap (1200m) at Flemington on March 10 but bounced back last start when fourth to Foxwedge who edged out Hay List in the Group One William Reid Stakes (1200m) at Moonee Valley on March 23.
“Her last run was much better,” Smerdon said.
“She just got held up and which cost her beating Buffering for third.”
Smerdon said Mark Zahra was the likely rider for Lone Rock in the Sportingbet Classic.
Lone Rock’s best win was last year’s Goodwood while at her only other start at Morphettville she finished second to Toorak Toff as a two-year-old in the Magic Millions.
“She’s going well and she has good form at the track and distance so if you take Black Caviar out you’d have to think she would be a big chance of winning it,” Smerdon said.
