By Peter Wharton
The progeny of the champion Rocknroll Hanover horse A Rocknroll Dance, who stands at the Somerset Farms Stud of Pete and Chantal McMullen near Brisbane, has earned more than $9.4 million from only four full racing crops in Australia.
The total includes $3.4 million this season, placing him in ninth position of the all aged sire list for stake money. He is seventh on the three-year-old money-winning list and second in respect of individual winners behind only Bettor’s Delight.
A Rocknroll Dance sired winners across four different countries last week.
Heading the vanguard in Australia were Melton winner A Perfect Dance, Burghley Shard NZ (Gloucester Park), the SA St Leger victor Carlisle Cruiser, Rocknroll Classic, a winner in 1:54.3 at Albion Park, the three-year-old Rocknpenny (Penrith) and the Horsham 3YO Classic winner Flash Jimmy.
In New Zealand, A Rocknroll Dance was represented by the three-year-old winners Forever A Dancer (Cambridge Raceway), No Matter What (Ashburton), Beautiful Noise (Methven) and Didjanothaone (Manawatu).
Rocknroll Gold, a three-year-old by A Rockdance, posted the most important success for his sire in North America last week when he won a $43,200 division of the John Simpson Memorial at Harrah’s Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in a career-best 1:50.8. The gelding has banked almost $150,000.
Racey Rach NZ extended her unbeaten winning streak in America to 11 when she took a Bunny Lake division in 1:56.2 at Saratoga Raceway, New York, while Rockme Rollme (1:50.8) and Premier Rockstar (1:51) emerged successful at Woodbine Mohawk Park, Ontario and Dayton Raceway, Ohio respectively.