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Packing Rockstar takes out Japan Trophy at Tauranga
Coolmore Stud-based Fastnet Rock (Danehill) sired his 171st stakes winner on Saturday, when the Lauren Brennan-trained Packing Rockstar (5 g ex Anabandana by Anabaa) produced an impressive front-running run to win the RC Japan Trophy (Gr 2, 1600m) at Tauranga.
Packing Rockstar had produced an eye-catching performance to score over 1400 metres at Ellerslie at his last start, just three runs after finishing fourth in the Sistema Railway (Gr 1, 1200m) behind Avantage (Fastnet Rock) on New Year’s Day.
Despite having to fight hard to secure the pacemaking role in the early stages of the contest, Leith Innes had Packing Rockstar travelling easily once in front and was full of running approaching the home bend.
Once given his head, Packing Rockstar gave a kick before doggedly staving off his rivals to hold out the late-closing Siracusa (Sebring) by a neck with Gino Severini (Fastnet Rock) another nose away in third.
Brennan was thrilled with the win although she doesn’t have any firm plans for the horse due to his preference for good tracks.
“He was super today and got conditions to suit,” she said.
“He has only ever gone one average race and that was on a soft track at Matamata, so he definitely needs good going.
“With the tracks starting to soften we’ll just play things by ear and give him a few easy days before we decide about his next start.
“We could look at the Easter Stakes at Ellerslie, but it would need to be a good track for us to go there.”
Packing Rockstar was purchased by Ricky Yiu for $260,000 at the 2017 Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale from the Coolmore Stud draft and he had one start in Hong Kong before being transferred to Brennan in New Zealand.
The gelding is out of dual New Zealand Group 1 winner Anabandana (Anabaa), who has produced two other foals to race and they have both been winners.
Anabandana herself is a half-sister to dual stakes winner Gybe (Fastnet Rock).
Further back this is the same pedigree as Group 3 winner Hessonite (Freud) and Listed-winning duo Roanoke (Danehill) and European Rose (Nureyev), while 2010 New Zealand 1,000 Guineas (Gr 1, 1600m) winner King’s Rose (Redoute’s Choice) - who is the dam of Group 3 winner Satono Arthur (Deep Impact) - also features on the page.
In 2019 Anabandana produced a filly by I Am Invincible (Invincible Spirit) and she has most recently been covered by So You Think (High Chaparral).
Fastnet Rock is enjoying a lucrative season, with Packing Rockstar being his 15th stakes winner in Australasia this term and they are headed by Group 1-winning trio Avantage, Personal and New Zealand Derby (Gr 1, 2400m) winner Rocket Spade.