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22nd stakes winner for the late Yarraman Park-based sire Hinchinbrook
The late Yarraman Park-based sire Hinchinbrook (Fastnet Rock) sired his 22nd stakes winner on Saturday when Volcanic Rock (2 g ex Heat Of The Fire by Strategic) won The Phoenix (Listed, 1500m) at Eagle Farm.
Second up, having finished second at Rosehill over 1300 metres on May 22, the Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott-trained Volcanic Rock was settled in behind the leaders by Craig Williams. Taking the front rounding the home turn, the son of Hinchinbrook had to dig deep and had enough in hand to defeat Verbek (Turn Me Loose) by three quarters of a length with another two and a half lengths back to Tutukaka (Tavistock) in third.
"He took a lot of motivation. Gai and Adrian and their staff have done a really good job with this now-gelding," Williams said.
"He's a lovely horse but you've got to be really forceful. I've got four children at home and he's definitely like one of them, without naming names.
"Most importantly, he was really genuine late when he got competition.
"He made my job be a bit more work but he's an out-and-out trier and he loves to keep his head in front, which is what I like to ride."
Bought by China Horse Club and Newgate Bloodstock for $240,000 from the draft of Bell River Thoroughbreds at last year’s Inglis Classic Yearling Sale, the gelding could now back up in next week’s J J Atkins (Gr 1, 1600m).
"He's going really well, so I wouldn't put it past Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott as trainers what they decide to go with," Williams said.
"He'd be very competitive in the J J Atkins and anything else bar that, he'd be pretty hard to hold out."
Volcanic Rock is out of the stakes placed mare Heat Of The Fire (Strategic) who has produced five other winners headed by Group 3 winner Furnaces (Exceed And Excel) and Scorched (Exceed And Excel) who is herself the dam of Listed winner Scorched Earth (Nicconi).
Heat Of The FIre was covered last September by Churchill (Galileo) having missed to Astern (Medaglia d’Oro) the previous season.
Hinchinbrook has produced four Group 1 winners in Beat The Clock, Press Statement, Seabrook and Spright.
