3 minute read

So what if he was a “cheapie”!

Foxy Rocket  cost only $3000 as a yearling, but it mattered nought as he swept past $340,000 purchase Killin to break through at Gosford today.

The son of Foxwedge was purchased at the 2018 Scone sale, whereas Killin, a son of Snitzel, was sold a few weeks earlier at the Australian Easter yearling sale.

In the process, the three-year-old's victory at his 11th start gave Hawkesbury trainer Terry Croft his seventh success of the season, equalling the number he set in each of the previous two seasons.

And it also meant Hawkesbury trainers continued on a winning roll.

Croft in fact started off Hawkesbury's best month so far this season when Just A Horse scored at Cowra on March 2, and co-trainers Tara and Phillipe Vigouroux made it 18 when well backed Lettre D'Amour won at Newcastle on Tuesday.

Mitchell Bell picked up a lucky winning ride at the expense of Grant Buckley (injured at the Newcastle meeting) on Foxy Rocket ($5), who began his career with fellow Hawkesbury trainer Tommy Wong.

The gelding joined Croft's stable after only two starts for Wong and had notched six minor placings before today's breakthrough.

Ahead of only three runners at the 600m, Foxy Rocket, under Bell's urgings, circled the field and maintained his momentum to overhaul $3.20 favorite Killin and score comfortably.

Rouchel ($4.20), a son of 2002 Magic Millions winner and 2003 Coolmore Classic runner-up Lovely Jubly (dam of the now retired brilliant sprinter Chautauqua), was an encouraging third.

There was added merit to Foxy Rocket's performance as he was inconvenienced between runners soon after the start and his rider dropped his whip soon after passing the 200m.

Croft had to wait a week to see Foxy Rocket break through as the gelding was strongly fancied to win at Hawkesbury last Thursday, only for the meeting to be cancelled; a victim of the COVID-19 crisis.

The wait was worthwhile, however, and the gelding's performance suggests another win in the near future is in the offing.