By Peter Wharton
Dual world champion and now Top Ten sire A Rocknroll Dance (1:47.4), who is now standing at the Somerset Farms stud with Pete and Chantal McMullen, produced winning doubles at Melton and Albion Park, two Group winners and a 1:50 performer during the first week of September.
Undoubtedly the highlight was the brilliant come-from-behind win of star four-year-old mare Runaway Celebrity in the Group 3 $30,000 Matriarch Pace Final (2240 metres) at Melton. She rounded up her rivals in the home straight to bring up her fifth success from seven starts this season.
Earlier in the night Cobber, a three-year-old gelding, hoisted a fresh lifetime mark of 1:54.8 for 2240 metres in notching win number eight.
Blacksadance, a five-year-old gelding and one of the second crop of A Rocknroll Dance, turned in the run of the night at Albion Park.
Despite a difficult barrier draw and a wide passage, Blacksadance careered away from his rivals to score by 18 metres at a 1:50.7 rate over 1660 metres. It was his 17th success and lifted his stake tally over the $190,000 mark.
Ninety minutes later, Dance In The Sun NZ, a four-year-old mare, came from absolute last to win for the ninth time, rating 1:54.3 for 1660 metres.
Talented A Rocknroll Dance gelding Whereyabinboppin led and defeated a top field in the Group 3 $30,600 Kevin Newman Free-for-all at Menangle in 1:52.9. The $180,000 earner clocked a slick 54.7 seconds for the last 800 metres.
Other recent Australian winners by A Rocknroll Dance have been Rockntommy Rulz NZ and Linxx (both Mildura), Dance And Deliver (1:55.4, Newcastle), Lurst (Northam) and Rocknroll Elliot (Narrogin).
In North America, No Win No Feed, A Rocknroll Dance’s richest Australian-bred progeny, clocked 1:50 in winning a $US22,000 Open at Hoosier Park, Indiana.
A Rocknroll Dance’s stock has earned a staggering $6.76 million worldwide this season.
The Rocknroll Hanover stallion is currently in ninth position on the All Aged sires’ list in Australia and fourth on the All Aged list in NZ.