News

Australian Colt Rocks Turffontein

14th Nov 2010

Racing And Sports - Sunday, 14 November 2010

Lightly raced Australian bred three year-old colt Perana featured among a stakes double for accomplished shuttle sire Rock of Gibraltar at Turffontein in South Africa on November 12.

Perana (Rock of Gibraltar x Scribbling, by Palace Music) scored a half length victory over older rivals in the G2 Victory Moon Stakes over 1800 metres at his fourth race start.

Trained by Mike de Kock, Perana broke his maiden with a seven length win at Clairwood in June and finished fifth in the GI Premiers Champion Stakes before a spell.

A $200,000 purchase by Tony Bott at the 2009 Inglis Australian Easter Yearling Sale from the Murrulla Stud draft, Perana is a half-brother to stakes-winners Prince Of War and Prince Arthur being from the regally bred Palace Music mare Scribbling.

Scribbling is a daughter of super producer Princess Tracy, who has enjoyed much success in the past 18 months with another star descendant in Typhoon Tracy.

Scribbling has a two year-old full sister to Perana and has already produced a foal this spring, a filly by Fastnet Rock.

The other stakes winner for Rock of Gibraltar was his Irish bred daughter Gibraltar Blue, who won the Listed Gardenia Handicap over 1000 metres by four and a quarter lengths in a sizzling 55.91 seconds.

Also trained by Mike de Kock, Gibraltar Blue has now won five of nine starts having started her career with a maiden victory over 1200 metres on debut for Tommy Stack in Ireland last year before a fourth in the G2 Rockfel Stakes at Newmarket.

Purchased privately for Klawervlei Stud, Gibraltar Blue is out of the stakes-winning Bluebird mare Holly Blue.

Rock Of Gibraltar is currently serving his eighth book of mares at Coolmore Australia.

Photo - Perana pictured as yearling at 2009 Inglis Australian Easter Yearling Sale