Underrated mare Shelbyrock’n (NZ) (Rock ‘N’ Pop) carried the colours of her home province to an upset victory in the main event at New Plymouth on Saturday, the ITM New Plymouth Interprovincial (1600m).
The Shane Brown-prepared mare has come of age during her current campaign with a consistent form line that includes a minor placing in the Listed Tauranga Classic (1400m) last month.
Punters largely ignored her claims in a race that features the field carrying the colours of their owners or trainer’s province, with Shelbyrock’n sporting the silks of the Hawke’s Bay with owners Lyn Anstis and Ray Small domiciled in Dannevirke.
Brown was keen to test the daughter of Rock ‘N’ Pop over a mile although he hadn’t counted on persistent rain making the Heavy 10 underfoot conditions for the contest more like a middle-distance event.
A positive ride by Bridget Grylls saw the mare in or near the lead throughout before the pair waged a home straight war with Soldier Boy and then the fast-finishing Hacksaw Ridge to take the major spoils by a head at the winning post.
Brown was thrilled by the victory after setting her for the race following her recent run of form.
“She has been a real slow maturing mare, quite lightly framed and is now coming to it as a six-year-old.
“We’ve mainly kept her in cotton wool, but I told her owners this could be her season and she is starting to fulfil those words.
“Their patience has been rewarded as I have always been confident she could get a mile or further once she strengthened up.
“This looked an ideal race and one thing we know is she is a trier who puts her ears back and has a real go.”
Brown is keen to keep this campaign going while the tracks stay wet and is contemplating a tilt at more black type next month.
“That was a nice field today so I think she can take another step up while the tracks are wet,” he said.
“She likes three to four weeks between runs and there is a Group Three mile at Awapuni next month so we might have a look at that.”
Brown was referring to the Gr.3 Hunterville Vet Club Metric Mile (1600m) to be run at Awapuni on 23 September.
Bred by Waikato Stud out of the Pins mare Joy, Shelbyrock’n has now won four of her 15 career starts. Her granddam is the Centaine mare Gio, the dam of Group Three winner Crepe De Chine.