Awesome Rock commenced December with TBWA Winner of the Week Bonny Rock and he starts the New Year with another promising 3yo filly named Own The Queen.
The Gold Front Thoroughbreds stallion is also the sire of homebred 3yo filly Miss Rockjoy who won a Northam maiden prior to black-type placings in the LR Burgess Queen Stakes (1400m) and G3 WA Champion Fillies (1600m) at Ascot.
Own The Queen had worked home nicely on debut when midfield in the Own The Dream Hcp (1400m) at Ascot on December 23 and the Justine Erkelens-trained filly took massive improvement off a seven-day turnaround to win the Coral Bay Bakery Maiden (1500m) at Pinjarra on Saturday.
Erkelens also prepares Awesome Rock 3yo gelding Flash Max who won a Pinjarra maiden in July.
Own The Queen settled right behind the speed at Pinjarra and the big filly then took a split between Royal Law (Pierro) and Crystal Rose (Demerit) at the top of the straight. Troy Turner kept her mind on the job while extending to score by over a length.
Gold Front’s Sue Olive will take aim with Miss Rockjoy for the fillies classics in the autumn and Own The Queen also shows potential at a mile and further for a syndicate managed by Greg Browne. Among the part-owners are the ‘Golden Sixty’ Own The Dream Class of 2022.
Own The Queen was purchased by agent John Chalmers for $57,500 out of the Western Breeders Alliance consignment to the 2022 Perth Magic Millions Yearling Sale. WBA vendor Clive Atwell had purchased her second-dam Coronations (Canny Lad) from NSW-based Killaloe Pastoral in 2009.
Her first WA-conceived foal Queen Of Choice (Patronize) won at Ascot and Belmont for trainer David Harrison before returning home to Darling View. Her latest foal is a Playing God colt at foot and she was bred back to WA’s Champion sire on a late cover in November.
Meanwhile, Sue Olive reports the Awesome Rock yearlings from Gold Front will be in high demand at the Perth Magic Millions next month. “We are prepping four magnificent colts and four incredible fillies,” she said this week. “He’s fourth on the WA General Sires list and his progeny are featuring both, here in WA, Interstate and Overseas with statistics that are consistently impressive.”
