As a brother to Super Seth, Rocket Scientist carried the weight of expectations of connections, and he passed his first test with a debut win over 1406m at Benalla on Tuesday.
Ridden by Damien Thornton for Anthony and Sam Freedman, the 3yo gelded son of Dundeel looked to have the job ahead with just one of the eleven starters behind him rounding the home turn.
When switched out to find clear air, Rocket Scientist lengthened impressively to defeat the honest Capitalist gelding Capistan by one and a half lengths, with the Overshare gelding Segment a further one and a quarter lengths back in third.
"They said to be no closer than midfield, but when he started like that, ‘oh geez’, but he came back under me and relaxed,” Thornton said.
“They did not go quick, which I was a little worried about, but he was too good in the end. He got the short back and sides at the 500m, but once he gathered himself and balanced up, he was good.
“He feels like he will stay, which will help him because he is not the sharpest of horses, but if he stays, he will be OK.”
Bred by Arrowfield Pastoral and Planette Thoroughbred, Rocket Scientist was an $850,000 purchase for Dean Hawthorne Bloodstock from the Arrowfield Stud draft at the 2021 Inglis Australian Easter Yearling Sale.
The son of Dundeel carries the colours of Jonathon Munz’s Pinecliff Racing, who races him in partnership with a few heavy hitters, including Ozzie Kheir, Brae Sokolski, and Rupert Legh.
A brother to Group 1 MRC Caulfield Guineas winner Super Seth, and a half-brother to Group II ATC Theo Marks Stakes winner and Group 1 Doomben ten Thousand runner-up, Wild Planet (Animal Kingdom), Rocket Scientist is the fourth winner from six to race for the Redoute’s Choice mare Salutations.
A daughter of the Group II Yallambee Classic winner Toast of The Coast (Rory’s Jester), Salutations has a sister to Rocket scientist and Super Seth in the Arrowfield Stud consignment at the Easter Yearling Sale. (Lot 333).
After missing in 2021, Salutations revisited Dundeel last spring.
