Rocket Man finally reaches the stratosphere in Golden Shaheen

Rocket Man finally reaches the stratosphere in Golden
Shaheen

Rocket Man left no doubt regarding his superiority (Andrew Watkins/Dubai Racing Club) After four heartbreakers at the international Group 1 level, Fred Crabbia’s ROCKET MAN (Viscount) broke through at last with a convincing score in Saturday’s $2 million Dubai Golden Shaheen (UAE-G1) at Meydan. Under a well-judged ride by Felix Coetzee, the Singaporean Horse of the Year stalked the front-running Euroears (Langfuhr), rolled past the early leader in the stretch, and drew away to win with emphasis. “I got a great start,” Coetzee said, “and I took him back to give Euroears the lead and tracked him. I saw Mike Smith go for his horse and when I picked up Rocket Man he responded. “He is so gutsy. It was a great feeling, like being in a top sports car. He was flying.” One of those agonizing near-misses came in the 2010 Golden Shaheen, where Rocket Man was compromised by an ill-advised trip and fell a half-length shy of catching Kinsale King (Yankee Victor). The defending champion was all set to line up Saturday, only to be withdrawn in the morning with a last-minute injury.

As anticipated, Euroears blasted right to the front, but Rocket Man was
poised right off his flank throughout the opening stages. Euroears tried to
deliver the coup de grace at the head of the lane, and managed to edge away from
Rocket Man. The pride of Singapore hadn’t yet begun to fight. Once lengthening
stride and hitting top gear, he overwhelmed Euroears and kicked 2 1/4 lengths
clear. Rocket Man completed about six furlongs in 1:11 1/5 on the Tapeta, to the
delightful relief of trainer Patrick Shaw.

“I was confident all week because I have never had him better,” Shaw said.
“Winning on an international stage like Dubai is very special. I don’t know where
we go next with Rocket Man. Royal Ascot want him in the summer. But so do the
Australians to take on Black Caviar (Bel Esprit) so we’ll see.”

Felix Coetzee, who wasn’t aboard for the loss here a year ago, masterminded an ideal trip (Andrew Watkins/Dubai Racing Club) Euroears held off the furious late rushes of Sunny King (Desert Sun [GB]) and Green Birdie (Catbird) to salvage runner-up honors by a neck, in a fine synthetic debut. “He ran really well,” Smith said of Euroears. “It got a little warm tonight and the track was a little sticky. If you can get over it you’re better off, but he’s such a big powerful horse, he got more into it and that didn’t help.” “The other horse is a good horse,” trainer Bob Baffert said. “We got beat by a good horse, but we didn’t leave empty-handed. We got a little something. Everything went smooth here. We never had a hiccup but the wire is too far down the track here. My guy thought it was all over.” Sunny King was a neck up on Green Birdie for third. “He gave me everything,” jockey Gerard Mosse said of Sunny King, adding that “1200 meters is a bit too short for him, but he gave me his best and I can’t complain to run third.”

Frankie Dettori, who guided fifth-placer Charlie’s Moment (Indian Charlie),
pulled no punches in his race recap.

“My horse is really a Group 2 horse,” Dettori said. “These people talk a
totally different language. Group 1s are too good for him, but he hasn’t run
bad.”

Escape Route (Elusive Quality), Dim Sum (Kyllachy), Dynamic Blitz (Elusive
Quality) and Force Freeze (Forest Camp) completed the order of finish.

Rocket Man sports a sterling mark of 18-14-4-0, $3,333,690, with his only
four losses coming by narrow margins in international Group 1 events. The
Australian-bred gelding has won seven stakes at home in Singapore, but has twice
been denied by a neck in the KrisFlyer International Sprint (Sin-G1) — first
missing to Sacred Kingdom in 2009, and then to Green Birdie in 2010.

Rocket Man dead-heated for the win in the November 21 Jockey Club Sprint
(HK-G2) at Sha Tin, but suffered another tough beat next time in the December 12
Hong Kong Sprint (HK-G1), just nabbed late by J J the Jet Plane (Jet Master).
The form was flattered earlier on World Cup night when J J the Jet Plane landed
the Al Quoz Sprint (UAE-G2). Rocket Man returned to prep with a handy 5 3/4-length
success at Kranji on March 6, which set him up perfectly for the Golden Shaheen.

Bred by D.R. Fleming Down Under, Rocket Man is a half-brother to multiple
South African Group 1-winning sprinter Our Giant (Giant’s Causeway). They were
produced by the Australian Group 3-placed stakes victress Macrosa (McGinty), who
is herself a half-sister to AJC Australian Derby (Aus-G1) hero and highweight
Ebony Grosve (Grosvenor). This is also the family of Group 1 winners Moss Downs
(Tom’s Shu), Sphenophyta (Groom Dancer) and Gaffa (NZ) (My Friend Paul). Rocket
Man’s fourth dam is New Zealand champion Surprise Ending (Revelation).