Trainer David Hayes has admitted that he is surprised Fast ‘N’ Rocking is not the favourite for the 2013 Group 1 Golden Rose (1400m) that will take place at Rosehill Gardens on Saturday.
Fast 'N' Rocking recorded his first career win in the McNeil Stakes at Caulfield a fortnight ago. Photo by: Race Horse Photos Australia
Tony Vasil-trained Prince Harada is the current Golden Rose favourite, after he finished an unlucky second behind Fast ‘N’ Rocking in the Group 3 McNeil Stakes (1200m), and Hayes told Sky Racing HQ that he does not know how his classy colt is not ahead of Prince Harada in the betting market.
“I actually am surprised that he is not favourite,” Hayes said.
“Prince Harada was a bit unlucky the other day but I’ve watched the replay a lot of times and I can’t see how you can have him ahead of him (Fast ‘N’ Rocking).
“The margin was two lengths and if he hadn’t have run around it would have been three lengths.”
While Hayes is confident that Fast ‘N’ Rocking has the edge over his Melbourne rival Prince Harada, the leading trainer said that he is not sure how the Melbourne three-year-old form will stack up against the form in Sydney but is not worried about Fast ‘N’ Rocking handling the Sydney way of going.
“I watch it (Sydney racing) every week but you never really know until they clash,” Hayes said.
“When he was up there last time he had bad barriers and was right up there.
“I would say that he has improved from two to three as most Fastnet Rock’s do.
“He has had three races in Sydney and in two of them he has been very competitive.”
Fast ‘N’ Rocking has drawn ideally in barrier five and with proven big-race jockey Brett Prebble on board Hayes expects the three-year-old to get a lovely run into the race.
“You would think that it would be a fast run race,” Hayes said.
“In his last couple of races he has been right on the back of the pace doing it very easily and I would say with the extra furlong the tempo will really suit him.”
Hayes has been successful at Group 1 level on seventy-eight occasions but is chasing his first victory in the Golden Rose.
