Solidify notched up his fifth career victory on Saturday for trainers Graeme and Debbie Rogerson.
The three-year-old son of Redwood was eased back early to sit midfield by jockey Jonathan Riddell, who bided his time before pressing the go button at the 600m mark, launching his charge three-wide to loop the field. Solidify continued his momentum down the straight to score a 1.5-length victory over Phats, with a further half neck back to Princess Elly in third.
Solidify was building into a return to the winner’s stall, having placed in his four runs since the Group 1 New Zealand Derby (2400m) in March, including a runner-up effort behind subsequent Group 1 Queensland Derby (2400m) placegetter Moonlight Magic in the Group 3 Championship Stakes (2100m).
“He’s getting better, he raced well and he’s starting to become a stayer,” Graeme Rogerson said.
“He hasn’t been straightforward, he can race a bit fierce, and he is learning. He had no luck in the Derby, he got caught out wide, and everything went wrong. It might have been a bit soon for him too. His runs since then have all been good. We have persevered with him to make him into a staying horse.”
Rogerson is undecided on Solidify’s next step, with the Hamilton horseman weighing up between a few winter assignments or a freshen-up.
“I haven’t decided where we will head, we will just play it by ear. He will tell us,” he said.
“He might run at Tauranga in the Open race and we might look at the Taumarunui Gold Cup. If we decided to put him out now, I decided to put in a nomination for the Winter Cup (Group 3, 1600m).”
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