Seven-year-old Rocking Force has rewarded the faith of his trainer Mandy Shillito with a career highlight on Oaks Day at Flemington.
Shillito always believed the underrated but consistent sprinter was capable of winning a feature race and he delivered in a stunning fashion with a gun ride from Steven King in the Listed Swisse Vitamins Stakes (1000m).
The timing could not have been better as only two days ago Shillito and her husband Glenn paid $10,000 for a one-tenth share in the gelding after the lease they were in expired on Melbourne Cup Day.
Shillito has been training for two years at St Leonards, a coastal resort on the Bellarine Peninsula near Geelong and she is building her career on the success of Rocking Force who has been in her stable since his debut in January last year.
Thursday’s win was his fifth in 17 starts while he has been placed on another nine occasions.
“We’ve had trouble getting him into these races but we knew he was up to them,” Shillito said.
Rocking Force was entered for a sprint on Melbourne Cup Day but was balloted because his rating was not high enough.
“This was a back-up race and it has turned out well,” Shillito said.
Rocking Force seemed awkwardly placed behind a wall of horses but King found a passage through and he scored by a half head from Canali and the Peter Moody-trained Master Harry.
King has been the regular rider of Rocking Force and believes the gelding still has a lot to offer.
“He hit the line really well and was quite impressive,” King said.
“There is a better class race in him.”
Shillito said Rocking Force was sound but he didn’t get the opportunity to race before he was a five-year-old because there was a lack in interest in him.
“We’ve got other horses but he’s the best horse we’ve got,” Shillito said.
She said that now he was a stakes winner, Adelaide’s Group One The Goodwood (1200m) in May next year could be a long range target.
AAP TURF
