Rock Artist is developing into a candidate for the $450,000 WA Pacing Cup on December 12, according to trainer Chris Voak who drove the WA-bred five-year-old to an eye-catching victory in the $27,000 TABtouch Scan My Bet Pace over 2130m at Gloucester Park on Friday night.
Rock Artist, having his second start after a beneficial winter spell, was a $27.50 outsider from the No. 4 barrier when he enjoyed an ideal trip in the one-out, one-back position while the polemarker and $1.45 favourite Otis was setting a swift pace with sections of 29.7sec., 28.7sec., 28.3sec. and 28.1sec.
Keeping pace with Otis in the breeze was the $3.60 second fancy Lusaka, who got to the front 250m from home but was unable to defy the fast-finishing Rock Artist, who got up in the final couple of strides, rating a smart 1.54.8. Otis faded to finish third.
This ended a losing sequence of ten, stretching back to Rock Artist’s win over Im The Black Flash in a 2503m stand in September last year.
“He had a gruesome campaign after the BOTRA Cup (when second to Carana in August last year) when he went on to compete in several feature events for four-year-olds, including the Golden Nugget (when eighth behind Mister Smartee) last December,” said Voak.
“I probably shouldn’t have gone around in those four-year-old races because he was a tired horse. So, we gave him a good 14-week break before getting him back in work, and he has matured and is a lot better horse this preparation.
“There was a time in the (home) straight tonight that he needed to dig in and get past them, and he dug in and won comfortably. I’m confident he will match it with the opposition in the summer carnival, and he won’t be out of place in the Pacing Cup.”
Rock Artist, a gelding by Yankee Rockstar, now has earned $145,586 from 11 wins, 11 seconds and four thirds from 42 starts.
