Talented Kiwi four-year-old Wewillrock collected his first Australian win with a smart performance at Randwick on Saturday.
It was the third start in Sydney for the El Roca gelding, who had previously finished second at Rosehill on May 20 and a last-start third in the Listed June Stakes (1100m) at Randwick on June 10.
Wewillrock went to a new level on Saturday, settling in third spot for apprentice jockey Tyler Schiller and keeping out of trouble as a riderless horse (Conscript) sprinted up through the pack.
Wewillrock came out wide after turning for home and quickened impressively down the straight, outfinishing the front-running Much Much Better and scoring by half a length.
It was an impressive performance by Wewillrock, who was stepping down in class but had to deal with a 6kg rise in weight.
“He’s a really nice horse,” said trainer John O’Shea, who has had Wewillrock in his care for his two most recent appearances.
“One thing about him, he’s really enjoyed Randwick. He’s a big, tough fellow. Some horses struggle with the transition but he hasn’t, he’s really enjoyed it.”
From 13 starts, Wewillrock has recorded five wins and six placings, earning $195,362 in stakes.
Wewillrock was previously trained by Hawke’s Bay horseman Guy Lowry, for whom he had 10 starts in New Zealand for four wins and four placings. He ran third behind Bonny Lass in last season’s Group 3 Cambridge Breeders’ Stakes (1200m) and third to Sword Of State in the Group 3 Almanzor Trophy (1200m).
Wewillrock is raced by Waikato Stud’s Mark Chittick with good friends, Hawke’s Bay-based brothers Mark and Paul Atapu, and was purchased by Lowry under his Game Lodge banner for $35,000 as a yearling out of Westbury Stud’s Book 2 draft at Karaka 2020.