Brilliant Return for Riff Rocket

Mark Smith - Saturday February 17

It has been thirty years since a Victoria Derby winner returned to win the Group III CS Hayes Stakes (1400m)at Flemington, but Riff Rocket achieved the feat like a horse with further Group 1 wins in sight.

Class act (image Grant Courtney)

Ridden by Craig Williams for Chris Waller, the 3-year-old son of American Pharoah (USA) came with a barnstorming finish to defeat the Group 1 winning Kingman colt King Colorado by three-quarters of a length with the Justify gelding Verdad the same distance back in third.

Stable representative Charlie Duckworth said Riff Rocket will likely not stretch out to the Derby distance this preparation.

“I know he won a Derby, but we genuinely believe he didn’t stay out the distance that well, Duckworth said.

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“We haven’t changed anything drastically. We’ve just gone through the normal processes we would with any horse, and he’s come back mentally matured and is a lot sharper.

“I was told he is the first horse in 30 years to win a Derby and come back and win this race. Full credit to the horse; he’s a real trier.

“Whatever he’s been doing in his trials, all the right form judges were on him, and I think we’ll enjoy the win.

Further Group 1 goals for the son of American Pharoah (image Grant Courtney)

“It was a lot less stressful than the Derby.”

“The plan was to stay here for the Australian Guineas in a fortnight, and we thought that realistically that is where we thought he’d be prime (over) a mile and beyond, but to show how sharp he was today is fantastic, so I’d image the plan won’t change too much, but hopefully he can get a picket fence together.”

Craig Williams said the winner was brilliant.

“It has been a lucky race for me, and today I was lucky to have Chris Waller and Riff Rocket,” he said.

“He was dominant here and has kept his Flemington record intact.

“To me, he is still raw. He still seems to wobble and float around even though he loves Flemington. I’m not too sure about the history of it, but he’s coming along.

“The way he has started his preparation, we were as kind as possible to him, and to see him get the win, I’m sure that Chris had him nice and ready today with the big weight that it wouldn’t hurt him too much.”

Riff Racket advances his record to five wins and two seconds from eight starts with earnings of $1,511,675.

The start of a big half hour for Debbie Kepitis (image Grant Courtney)

A homebred for Debbie Kepitis’s Woppitt Bloodstock, Riff Rocket was foaled and raised at Coolmore and is the only winner from two to race for the Smart Missile mare Missile Coda, the winner of five of her 13 starts and runner-up to Savannah Amour in the Listed Hinkler Stakes at Doomben.

A $400,000 Magic Millions yearling, Missile Coda is out of the talented Lonhro mare Rain Melody, a three-quarter sister to I Believe (dam of multiple Group II winner and Group 1-placed Rain Affair and Listed winner Ranges), and a half-sister to Listed winner Walk Alone.

Missile Coda has a 2-year-old Nicconi filly named Codetta in the Michael Freedman stable. She was covered by Home Affairs last spring.

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Race Result - C S Hayes Stakes Gr3 1400m

Flemington Track: Good(3) Time: 1:22.32
1
Riff Rocket
- 3g American Pharoah (USA) x Missile Coda (AUS) (Smart Missile (AUS))
Tnr: C J Waller Rdr: Craig Williams 59.5
2
0.8
King Colorado
- 3c Kingman (GB) x More Aspen (USA) (More Than Ready (USA))
Tnr: C Maher Rdr: M Zahra 59.5
3
1.5
Verdad
- 3g Justify (USA) x Whistle Baby (AUS) (Magnus (AUS))
Tnr: R Griffiths & M De Kock Rdr: Jye McNeil 56
Justify
4
1.6
Otago
- 3g Ocean Park (NZ) x Steel Stilettos (AUS) (Hussonet (USA))
Tnr: M Price & M Kent Jnr Rdr: B Melham 57
5
2.6
Hey Fat Cat
- 3g Rubick (AUS) x Keep De Rose (NZ) (Keeper (AUS))
Tnr: R E Laing Rdr: C Newitt 56
6
2.7
Cap Ferrat
- 3c Snitzel (AUS) x C'est Beau La Vie (AUS) (Bernardini (USA))
Tnr: C J Waller Rdr: M J Dee 56
7
4.2
Et Tu Brute
- 3g Dundeel (NZ) x Caesar's Princess (AUS) (Exceed And Excel (AUS))
Tnr: A & S Freedman Rdr: Damian Lane 56
8
5.2
Amigo
- 3g Snitzel (AUS) x You're So Good (NZ) (Savabeel (AUS))
Tnr: P G Moody & Katherine Coleman Rdr: W Egan 56
9
5.4
Run Harry Run
- 3g Written Tycoon (AUS) x Maybe Markle (AUS) (Denman (AUS))
Tnr: M D Moroney Rdr: O P Bosson 58.5
10
5.9
Tannhauser
- 3c Dundeel (NZ) x Luqyaa (AUS) (Exceed And Excel (AUS))
Tnr: C J Waller Rdr: B Shinn 57
11
7.9
Amur
- 3c Snitzel (AUS) x Leopard (AUS) (Animal Kingdom (USA))
Tnr: James Cummings Rdr: Jamie Kah 58.5
12
9.4
Flying Valley
- 3g Dark Valley (AUS) x I Need To Fly (AUS) (Blevic (AUS))
Tnr: Julius Sandhu Rdr: J Mott 56
13
13.9
Ambassadorial
- 3g Fiorente (IRE) x Showcase (AUS) (Big Brown (USA))
Tnr: G Waterhouse & A Bott Rdr: Jordan Childs 57
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