Racing: Rockabubble could atone in Thorndon

If you are looking for a Thorndon Mile roughie, trainer Tony Cole could have the answer within the next few days.

By then Cole will know if Rockabubble, a certainty beaten in the Sheriff Handicap at Avondale on Saturday, will run at Trentham.

"We should know by Tuesday if she's come through Avondale okay," said Cole. "If she does I think she's a big hope at Trentham. I don't believe the race will be anywhere near as strong as the mile at Ellerslie on New Year's Day."

Cole's New Zealand Thoroughbred Breeders Stakes winner has never backed up so soon for him before.

But Cole has an inkling last season's group one winner may be a different horse this time in.

"On Saturday she was more relaxed on race day than she's ever been. Usually she gets so worked up she needs full-time care and visually she looked bright and fresh yesterday, in stark contrast to her usual demeanour the day after a race.

"I only ran her at Avondale because she's been 10kg overweight for the last three weeks and she needed another race before the Thorndon," said Cole.

"But she's much more relaxed than she's been before. She went to sleep at the races on Saturday."

Everything was low stress for Cole until the jump when Rockabubble slipped on her nose, bumped a barrier attendant on the head and dropped back to the tail of the field.

While the winner Sophalopha, who was also slow away, got all the right gaps for Lynsey Hofmann, Rockabubble and Reese Jones stormed home for a luckless fifth.

"She's come through that run the best she's ever come through a race for me, said Cole. "After three runs this time in she's nearing peak now. She just needs really hard ground.

"If there's any rain around she's hopeless."

Yesterday, TAB bookies had Rockabubble as a $25 fixed-odds hope for the Thorndon, with King of Ashford a $5 favourite after an impressive Anniversary Handicap win on Saturday.