Rock Of Rochelle – nicely bred and a looker
The consistent Weiho Marwing-trained 2yo filly Rock Of Laudium showed great courage when she went from gun to tape in the 1600m Maiden Juvenile Plate at Turffontein on Sunday to give the royally bred Hemel ‘N Aarde stallion Rock Of Rochelle his first winner.
Bred at the son of Rock Of Gibraltar’s home base in Hermanus, the filly is out of the twice-winning Western Winter mare, Bariloche and cost R70 000 on the Cape Ready To Run Sale.
Fast improving young apprentice Callan Murray rode a cracker on the Daylan Chinsammy and Lawrence Pillay owned youngster, who is from her sire’s first crop and was winning at her seventh start, after two consecutive seconds at her previous outings.
The Group winning Rock Of Rochelle raced in Ireland, UK and German and achieved three wins over 1200m.
His dam Recoleta (by Wild Again out of Alvear) is a full sister to Gr1 Suburban Handicap winner Offlee Wild – the sire of 2014 Gr1 Breeders Cup Classic winner, Bayern – conqueror of Kentucky Derby winner, California Chrome and previously unbeaten Shared Belief.
Offlee Wild ranks high on the North American General Sires log, ahead of such world leading stallions as Smart Strike, Bernardini, More Than Ready and Street Cry.
This red hot female line (also responsible for legendary US stallion Dynaformer and 2014 Gr1 Travers Stakes hero V.E. Day) is also responsible for the talented racemare La Cloche (who was sold for $2.4 million at the 2014 Fasig Tipton November Sale. The Gr3 winning La Cloche, a Ghostzapper half sister to multiple Grade 1 winner Winter Memories, is out of the brilliant Silver Hawk mare
Like Rock Of Rochelle himself, La Cloche and her kin descend from the outstanding Darby Dan mare Golden Trail.
Rock Of Gibraltar, one of the very best sons of sire legend Danehill, has had a huge impact on the South African racing scene.
‘The Rock’ has been represented by such outstanding performers as Seventh Rock (Gr1 Gold Medallion and a Gr1 winning sire already), Europa Point (Gr1 President’s Champion Challenge), Perana (Gr2 Victory Moon Stakes), Gibraltar Blue (Gr2 KRA Fillies Guineas), as well as one of South Africa’s top Gr1 winning speed fillies Alboran Sea.
Rock Of Rochelle’s first yearlings proved very popular, when fetching up to R500 000.
He has seven lots on the National 2yo Sale next month – #28, #36, #44,# 45 ,#68, #247, #252.
This exciting prospect stands at Hemel ‘N Aarde for a 2015 stud fee of R10 000.
