From the moment he paid $290,000 for the daughter of Fastnet Rock out of Zabeel mare Akris at Karaka, Peter Williams had Planet Rock pegged as an Oaks filly for owners Ashburton's Sarah Green and her Holland-based pal Ger Beemsterboer.
Planet Rock's brave third as Karaka Million favourite last season at Ellerslie was on sheer class, rather than a natural aptitude for speed.
She had barely crossed the line in the frenetic dash before Williams set his sights on a VRC Oaks follow-up.
Two decades back, the Williams prepared the smart Richfield Lass as a juvenile, who went on to win the VRC Oaks the same year as Richfield Lady, when raced from Bart Cummings' stable.
The big-race specialists, however, lost the battle with the filly's hormonal issues and set her on a collision course with North Island superstar Anabandana at Riccarton instead.
"She's been in season right through the spring, hardly been off; that's why we dropped the Oaks campaign," said Peter Williams yesterday.
"It was Stephen McKee who came up with the solution; a herbal thing he put us on to that goes in her feed.
"It did help her manners; it settled her down a lot more."
Williams wasn't as worried about Saturday's rain spoiling a career highlight as many of his rivals.
Cambridge trainer Don Sellwood reluctantly late scratched hot favourite Anabandana because of the raceday downgrade from dead to heavy.
Planet Rock was a shock $1.30 failure in her previous start on a heavy Trentham, but Williams didn't share the stipes' reservations at Riccarton.
"The stipes asked me the question before the race about whether I thought she'd cope, but this was a different track than Wellington," said Williams.
"She's a low-floating filly but it was puggy at Wellington and they were going in like pistons. This was a loose track - you either handle it or not."
Rider Hayden Tinsley, who jumped aboard after Michael Coleman opted for fourth-placed Artistic, said Planet Rock was always travelling like a winner.
He only asked her for enough to fight off the brave challenge of pacemaking outsider Abeautifulred.
"You wouldn't even know she had a run," said Williams yesterday.
"She ate up no worries at all and is out in the paddock this morning bright as a button."
A disappointed Sellwood said he would wait until Anabandana arrives home today - she had an overnight breather in Bulls last night - before confirming a Plan B assignment.
He did, however, say the options included the group one Levin Classic (1600m) at Otaki on November 25, or the group three Eulogy Stakes (1600m) at Awapuni on December 10.
Kings Rose won the Eulogy last year after winning the 1000 Guineas.
Sellwood said he had no regrets about his decision to scratch the favourite on Saturday. "Once they started downgrading the track all the time that was it," he said.
"Why would you run on that? I just couldn't see the point in having her whack around for fourth or fifth. She's too good to risk on that sort of ground and she's got nothing to prove."
Raymond Connors' confidence in winning the New Zealand Cup with Blood Brotha also took a dent the wetter it got at Riccarton on Saturday.
But the Wanganui trainer also had to concede the job was made easier with the weather first forcing the late scratching of main rival Zabene and completely undoing the staying prowess of Showcause.
Last year's winner was next to hopeless in the ground, just battling into sixth, 11 lengths adrift.
Showcause should get his chance to avenge the loss in the Auckland Cup in March. "Obviously the Auckland Cup is the only other two-miler so we'll get him ready for that if we can," said Connors, best known until now for preparing jumping stars Our Jonty and Hypnotize.
"But we just want to enjoy this for now - it's just great to win a race like this."
Connors also paid tribute to the ride of James McDonald, who gained some consolation for missing out on the chance to partner Anabandana in the 1000 Guineas.
"I thought James spotted him really well. He said he was flat a long way out so he had to really work for it.
"But he toughed it out and showed he's a real good stayer."
