New Norfolk Cup winner Fleetwood Rock ($41) added the Page Transport Carrick Cup (2650m) to his resume, winning the $20,000 feature in front of a large crowd at Carrick Park on Sunday afternoon.
The Wayne Yole-trained pacer was superbly rated by Hall of Fame reinsman Gareth Rattray, after stepping brilliantly in the standing start event, and having to hold off an early challenge to hold the lead in the early stages of the race.
After getting some comfortable splits in the middle stages of the race, the nine-year-old Pet Rock entire had to dig deep late in a three-way photo finish, ending the winning run of Photo First ($17), who was defeated a short-half head, with Pardoe Plugga ($15) flashing home to be only a head away in third place in a mile rate of 2:05.1s.
“He is a brilliant standing start horse, and Gareth (Rattray) suits him. He knows the trick to getting him away,” said Yole.
“Gareth rated him well, but he got some cheap quarters early, and Gareth said he was surprised they didn’t attack him.
“He is a nice bread and butter horse, and he is always around the money, and he is a quiet horse for a stallion.
“I thought he got beat, I was watching the race on TasracingTV, and I thought he just got beat, but he just kept kicking late.
“We will try and find suitable races for him,” said Yole.
It was the second Carrick Cup appearance for Fleetwood Rock, who finished third in the 2024 edition.
Trainer Juanita McKenzie and her son Jack Watson teamed up for a double on the program with Oh No Never Again ($2.45 fav) and Rakadan ($2.40 fav).
While Dylan Ford drove a double for his mother, Tammy Langley with Sheeza Soho ($2.80 fav) and Denny ($17).
Other winners on the program included Alot Like Pendles ($1.65 fav), Into The Harkness ($3.10), Another Nien ($4.20) and Mary Mourne ($2.10 fav).
The meeting was the last of four for the Carrick Park Pacing Club over the summer country racing season.
