Impressive last-start Ellerslie winners Rock 'N' Pop (Fastnet Rock) and Knight's Tour (Reset) are on a collision course to decide early Telecom New Zealand Derby favouritism next month.
Both are likely runners in the Group II Avondale Guineas (2100m) back at Ellerslie on King's School Avondale Cup & Guineas Day, February 18.
The invaluable Derby lead-up is also on the programme for Ocean Park (Thorn Park), the TAB's early $3 Derby futures market favourite this week. Rock 'N' Pop and Knight's Tour are next best fancied at $5 for the $750,000 Group I at Ellerslie on TV3 Derby Day, March 3.
Ocean Park was impressive in winning the Group II Wellington Stakes at Trentham on January 21, but Rock 'N' Pop and Knight's Tour shape as the biggest improvers ahead of their eagerly-anticipated final Derby dress rehearsal.
Neither was at peak fitness for their respective Ellerslie wins over 1600m on the Karaka Million undercard on Sunday.
In just his second race since winning the 2000 Guineas in early November, Rock 'N' Pop looked vulnerable when outsider Mosh Pit challenged wider out in the Listed $100,000 New Zealand Bloodstock Insurance Karaka Three-Year-old Mile.
But the Jason Bridgman-trained son of Fastnet Rock (pictured) pulled out another gear for regular rider Matthew Cameron in a manner reminiscent of his 1993 New Zealand Derby-winning dam, Popsy.
Bridgman said he'll confirm Avondale Guineas plans for Rock 'N' Pop later this week, but conceded the Darci Brahma International at Te Rapa a week earlier is another option.
"At weight-for-age he does get a big pull in the weights, but we'll just have to wait and see how he does through the remainder of this week before we confirm plans for him," he said.
The shortest priced win favourite on the Sunday card at $1.80, Knight's Tour had to be well above average to prevail in the $30,000 1st Sakhee's Secrets @ Karaka 2012 Mile.
He settled midfield for rider James McDonald and over-raced in the early and mid stages of the race before unleashing an irresistible burst inside the final 150m to cruise by outsider El Volante untested.
His winning time of 1m 36.12s was .2s quicker than Rock 'N' Pop recorded in a far stronger line-up three races earlier.
Ardmore trainer Stephen McKee admitted afterward that he'd purposely given the striking Reset colt an easy time in training since his Group II win over Ocean Park in the Waiwera Water Great Northern Guineas (1600m) at Ellerslie on Boxing Day.
The Telecom New Zealand Derby has always been his main aim, with McDonald unequivocally in his corner.
After the colt out-muscled Ocean Park to win at Ellerslie on Boxing Day, McDonald labeled him "heaps better" than Cambridge-trained Victoria Derby winner Sangster who he rode in his lead-ups to the Flemington Group I victory last spring.
"Sangster is a nice horse but this horse has got something else about him – he's got a lot of upside," said McDonald.
Ellerslie Release
