Racing: Cup contender blasts rivals

La Rocket has burst into Australian Cup contention with a hard-fought victory in the Group Two St George Stakes at Caulfield yesterday.

Ridden by Stephen Baster, the Rock of Gibraltar gelding defied a list of leading Cup hopefuls to give Wadham Park its first group success since it was founded six years ago.

La Rocket was a $21 outsider but caught his rivals off guard after Baster tracked the pacemaker Pacino and set up a winning lead in the home straight.

He held off the fast-finishing favourite Heart Of Dreams ($2.45) to score by a half-neck. Heart Of Dreams' stablemate Miss Maren ($5.50) also ran on well and finished 1 lengths away in third place while Melbourne Cup winners Shocking and Viewed finished sixth and ninth respectively.

Wadham Park is the brainchild of Dale Sutton and and former Toll Transport chairman Peter Rowsthorn.

The operation spans Victoria and Queensland and incorporates Woodside Park Stud as the breeding arm of the business while Wadham Park, based near Kyneton in central Victoria, boasts a A$20 million investment in training facilities on 81 hectares.

Sutton said it been a "hard slog" on the way to success and the stable lost a year after equine influenza stranded a lot of its horses in Queensland in 2007 and early 2008.

Sutton, 45, is manager at Wadham Park where La Rocket is the star of a 40-horse team.

Sutton said he doubted La Rocket was up to an Australian Cup but he would now press on to the big race at Flemington on March 6.

Heart Of Dreams looked to have La Rocket's measure at the 200 metres then he threw out a challenge but La Rocket fought all the way to the line.

TRAINER Danny O'Brien says Star Witness is a colt with a huge future as a 3-year-old after he came with a powerful late finishing burst to win the A$1 million Blue Diamond Stakes at Caulfield.

A A$150,000 purchase at the Gold Coast Magic Millions Yearling Sale, Star Witness is a big powerful son of former high-class galloper Starcraft who won five Group One races in four countries.

Ridden by Nick Hall who landed his third Group One success, Star Witness ($10) looked as though he was too far back to win on straightening but unleashed an impressive burst to score by a half-neck from Shaaheq ($11) with Beneteau ($3.20 fav) the same margin away third.

"I knew what sort of furlong (200m) he could run at the finish and fortunately he did it," O'Brien said.

"I'm hoping he's not your average 2-year-old that can win the Blue Diamond. He's got a lot more scope than that and hopefully we've got a really exciting colt to race on next season."

O'Brien said he would not pursue a start for Star Witness in the A$3.5 million Golden Slipper Stakes (1200m) at Rosehill on April 3 as he wasn't entered for the race.

If he runs again this preparation it will be in the Group Two Sires' Produce Stakes (1400m) at Flemington on March 6.

EXCITING Starspangledbanner scored his second Group One win in three starts when he prevailed in a thrilling finish to the Oakleigh Plate at Caulfield.

The Choisir 3-year-old, prepared by Leon Corstens, won the Group One Caulfield Guineas (1600m) on October 10 before being spelled and was fourth to Nicconi as favourite when resuming in the Lightning Stakes (1000m) at Flemington on January 30.

Starspangledbanner will now get the chance to emulate his sire by winning at Royal Ascot in England. Choisir won the Group Two King's Stand Stakes (1000m) and Group One Golden Jubilee (1200m) at Ascot in 2003.

"It was fantastic, super," stable spokesman Troy Corstens said after Starspangledbanner took his record to six wins and two placings from 11 starts for prizemoney in excess of A$1.29 million.

"I wasn't disappointed in him in the Lightning. He's just done so well this preparation."

Danny Nikolic, who won his second Oakleigh Plate after scoring on Sports in 2000, gave Starspangledbanner the run of the race in third place to the turn and he finished determinedly to just win from dead-heaters Here De Angels and Arinos.

"He did a terrific job," Nikolic said. "He's still not there fitness-wise.

"His heart and his will got him home, it was a terrific effort."

- AAP