Red Rocker

The Brian Meehan-trained Red Rocker ran a really nice race on his debut in the Alex Scott Maiden for three-year-olds over seven furlongs at Newmarket’s Craven meeting last Wednesday.

For the first day of the meeting the stalls were on the stands side, so Red Rocker was drawn close to the near side rail in stall nine. He took a slight bump on emerging from the stalls, however, and as a result he was last of the 10 runners into his stride. Kieren Fallon immediately switched him off the rail to race towards the centre of the course, on a day on which it was probably an advantage to race close to the stands rail. Also, the pace was only steady, the first, third and fourth horses were all in the first four throughout, so being in the rear was not an advantage either.

He was still last after three furlongs and was obviously green, but he started to make good progress out widest of all coming to the final quarter of a mile, and he continued to run on strongly all the way to the line without his rider once resorting to his whip. Even so, he was beaten just half a length by the well-regarded Music Master.

This was an impressive debut from Red Rocker, he was a 25/1 shot and he should improve a good deal for the run, Brian Meehan’s horses invariably do, and Red Rocker’s early greenness and track position were not helpful. Meehan won this Alex Scott Maiden with a debutant in Cogito last year, and he went on to win a listed race on his next run before being placed in a Group 2 contest in France, so it could be significant that he ran Red Rocker in this on his first run. The son of Redback should be suited by stepping up to a mile, and he could prove to be pretty useful.

17th April 2013

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