Boom Bettorock

Fresh up in a new campaign for the Autridge & Richards training partnership, Bettorock (3 f Fastnet Rock - Astounded, by Encosta De Lago) scored at just her third start on July 1 at Rotorua.

Steadied to relax in fifth of the seven runners in the Agrifeeds Fillies and Mares Maiden over 1230 metres, Bettorock received a nice drag into contention from the 600 metres and got the measure of race favourite Palace Talk (Street Cry) in the last few strides.

She returned $5.80 & $2.40 on the NZ TAB after running the trip 1230 metres in 1:16.8, last 600m in 38.1, on Slow9 footing. The win also extended the lead for jockey Matt Cameron to fourteen and his total to 143 as he looks to go back-to-back in premiership honours.

“I was a bit concerned when she was back in a small field but she kept finding the line and it was a gutsy win,” said co-trainer Stephen Autridge. “She is definitely the sort to improve and better ground should help.

A solid performance by the filly came as no real surprise, having finished third to It's Bianca (Alamosa) and Tavy (Tavistock) when going left-handed over 1200 metres on Dead5 last October at Taupo, at her second start, after trialling very well through August with a win and a third, respectively, in two outings at Te Teko.

Bettorock hails from a good family. Her dam, Astounded, won three times as a two-year-old, including a listed race in Queensland, was also Group Three placed, and boasted a good record through the winter months, in a freshened state, and with give in the ground.

Te Akau principal David Ellis got quite the deal at the 2013 New Zealand Bloodstock Premier Sale when able to secure the filly for $80,000 from the draft of Blandford Lodge.

At the time of purchase, Ellis said: “This filly is by the champion sire in the southern hemisphere. She is out of an Encosta De Lago mare, out of a Flying Spur mare, out of a Marscay mare and you just cannot get better pedigrees than that.

Picture credit - www.raceimages.co.nz