The Love Rocket is overdue for a win

By Glenn Davis

Deagon trainer Jason Edwards is hopeful the tide has finally turned as perennial place getter The Love Rocket strives for an overdue win at Eagle Farm on Wednesday.

The Love Rocket – a Cejay Graham mount – will be chasing the fifth win of her career in the Benchmark 65 Handicap over 1835 metres.

However, she hasn’t won for 18 months since claiming a 1500 metre Benchmark race at Eagle Farm in June of last year.

Edwards paid $18,000 for The Love Rocket at the Magic Millions National Sales and the now six-year-old has taken her prize money tally to almost $107,000.

However, Edwards has endured a frustrating run in recent times with the daughter of Love Conquers All who has notched up nine career placings, including at her past five starts.

“She’s a nice mare and I’d like to get her back to Saturday grade eventually,” Edwards said.

The Love Rocket is coming off a last start third when beaten less than two lengths by Classic Deel in a 2240 metre Benchmark race on a heavy track at Doomben last month.

“Her last run was excellent,” Edwards said.

“There was a tearaway leader in the race which stopped suddenly and came back on top of her.

“She lost all momentum when she was in a terrific spot in fifth place and got shuffled back.”

Edwards, who has a team of 16 horses in work, believes immaturity has been The Love Rocket’s biggest problem throughout her career.

“She was very slow to mature and it took her a very long time to put things together,” he said.

“It’s been hard to measure where she’s at because she hasn’t been winning and she probably hasn’t quite lived up to her early expectations.

“But, she’s shown me she can run a trip so there’s always a good race for her around here.”

Edwards believes The Love Rocket was unlucky not to break her losing streak when she was beaten a short neck by Tony Gollan’s Prefer Us three runs back at the Sunshine Coast in October.

“She was hitting the line at a rate of knots that day when we protested against the winner,” he recalled.

“The winner shifted out three horses and bumped us and she was hit across the nose with the whip but the stewards said there wasn’t enough interference to change the result.”