Rock 'N' The Jam has firmly established himself as an early contender for the Perth Cup following a commanding victory in the $100,000 Rogan Josh Stakes (2100m) at Ascot. The four-year-old gelding, trained by Russell Stewart and ridden by Steven Parnham, passed his first test over the distance with flying colours.
Dominant Performance Over 2100 Metres
The Awesome Rock gelding had no trouble handling the step up in distance after demolishing his rivals over 1800m just seven days earlier. Sent out as the red-hot $1.55 favourite, Rock 'N' The Jam lived up to expectations with an impressive display of stamina. Parnham sent the galloper straight to the front and increased the tempo from the 800-metre mark, putting pressure on the opposition. By the final bend, Rock 'N' The Jam had found another gear, sprinting clear to score by three and a half lengths.
Jockey's Cup Aspirations
Steven Parnham was full of praise for the horse's performance and is already dreaming of Perth Cup glory on New Year's Day. "He's tracking in the right way so far, and hopefully come eight months' time, we're there and in with a fighting shot," Parnham said. "He's got real potential. He's still learning how to race and he's becoming a professional, but there are a few parts of his manners that he's still learning. In his early days, he was a bit scrambly out of the gates, but he's becoming a racehorse."
Despite leading throughout for the second consecutive week, Parnham revealed that going to the front was not the original plan. "It didn't look like anyone wanted to be there early, and I just let him stride into a rhythm," he explained. "He was nice and settled in the run, and I was really happy. The horse just cruised through his own gears today, and I didn't let him go as much as I did the other day, just being his first test at the distance, and he was certainly able to put a margin on them. It was pretty impressive."
Trainer's Emotional Victory
For trainer Russell Stewart, the win was an emotional relief. "I wish they were all that easy," Stewart said. "Every time this horse goes round, I'm so apprehensive, especially today because I know it's his last run for the preparation. The maintenance that goes into this horse, you wouldn't understand. I might get a little bit emotional here, but he's a really nice horse. I'm a little bit speechless. It's a great race to win, the Rogan Josh. This horse, he ain't no Rogan Josh, but the way he's racing, he's going to go to greater heights."
Stewart described the untapped gelding as the most exciting horse in his boutique stable, which also includes the talented Our Paladin Al. "He's the best horse on my hands at the moment. Our Paladin Al is a very, very good horse as well, but this horse has got a little bit more x-factor than him," Stewart said. "He shows that he can sit back and unleash and go, lead and unleash and go. I thought, 'geez, Steven, we've gone a bit early again', but Steven hadn't even gone yet."
With this victory, Rock 'N' The Jam has firmly stamped his credentials as a horse to watch in the lead-up to the Perth Cup, and his connections will be hoping he can continue his upward trajectory in the months ahead.
