It’s been quite the weekend for the late great champion sire Fastnet Rock with a Cox Plate quinella on Saturday and then on Sunday he produced a new stakes-winner when seven year-old gelding El Rocko captured the $200,000 Listed Sale Cup (1600m).
Trained by John McArdle and ridden by Jamie Mott, El Rocko made light of the heavy conditions to power clear and win by nearly two lengths improving off his last start third in the Listed Seymour Cup.
El Rocko has been in work nearly all year after kicking off his current campaign back in February with a couple of strong wins in Benchmark 100 races during winter paving the way for a return to stakes company for a horse that gained Black Type initially as a juvenile.
El Rocko was a $250,000 Inglis Easter purchase from Willow Park Stud for Pacific Bloodstock / Redgum Racing and has the overall record of nine wins and 14 placings from 57 starts with prizemoney topping $827,000.
Two 10% shares in El Rocko were also sold through Inglis Digital in October 2023 for $2250 and $3000.
“When he kicked in the straight I thought he loves these conditions… so it was good to see him get that stakes win and he deserved it as he has been stakes placed a lot and it’s great for all the owners that have stuck with him,” said John McArdle.
More Cups are in the pipeline for El Rocko with the Peninsula, Cranbourne and Kilmore Cups mentioned as possible target races for a spritely seven year=old that loves his racing!
Bred by Bromfield Park, El Rocko is a three-quarter brother to Group I winner Foxplay and is the second stakes-winner among sic winners from eight foals to race from imported stakes-winner Butters (USA), who died in 2023.
El Rocko is the 198th stakes-winner for Fastnet Rock, who passed away at Coolmore Australia earlier this year with his well bred son Acrobat, now on the stud roster with is first runners this season.
