EPSOM NEXT TARGET AFTER GEORGE MAIN STAKES BOILOVER

TRAINER Anthony Cummings landed his second Group One winner in the space of a week when Road to Rock scored an upset win in Saturday’s Arrowfield George Main Stakes at Randwick.

Road To Rock, $41, stormed home to beat Stradbroke Handicap winner, Black Piranha, $7, and the three-year-old, Onemorenomore, $5, earning a start in next Saturday’s Group One Epsom at Randwick.

Having his second run from a spell, Road To Rock appreciated the fast pace set by Queenslander Court Command before storming down the centre of the track to claim the weight-for-age mile race.

“Honestly, he did what I thought he would do. I’m not a punter but I was tempted. His first-up run was excellent and we formulated a way to get him to the Epsom in the right sort of shape and we figured this was the best lead-up race to have him perfect next week,” Cummings said.

“We got the best result. He goes into the Epsom in good shape and he’ll be even further improved. He's always had the motor and the mentality, now he's got the body to go with it.

“All through his last preparation he had niggling issues, nothing serious, but he was a length off being a Group One winner. This time it’s all there and this race is a bonus along the way. He goes to the Epsom and then to the Cox Plate and has plenty of improvement left,” Cummings said.

The George Main provided expatriate South African jockey, Glyn Schofield, with his first Group One win since embarking on an Australian riding career two years ago and he quickly clinched the Epsom mount on Road to Rock.

“He couldn’t have been any more impressive than that. I hope they raise the weights but even with 52kg I’ll be there,” Schofield said.

Punters were left flabbergasted, not only by the upset win of Road to Rock but the incredible flop of the odds-on favorite, Racing To Win, $1.90, which beat only tear-away leader, Court Command, to the line.

Chief steward Ray Murrihy questioned jockey Hugh Bowman describing the effort of Racing To Win as ‘disgraceful.’ Bowman said the strong wind had caused the big grey to over-race. “I knew he was out of contention at the 1000m.”

Trainer John O’'Shea was bitterly disappointed. “Everything that could have gone wrong went wrong,” he said.

Cox Plate bound galloper Black Piranha ran a game race to finish second at only his second run from a spell. Trainer Con Karakatsanis said the horse remained on target for Australia’s premier weight-for-age classic.

“He’ll go to Melbourne now and run in the Toorak in a fortnight and then the Cox Plate,” Karakatsanis said. “He probably went a little bit better than I thought he would.”

Onemorenomore graduated to weight-for-age with a game third and trainer John Thompson plans to back the colt up next Saturday in the Group One Spring Champion Stakes, for which he

Jim Cassidy, who rode dual Group One winner Vision And Power, which finished fourth, said the gelding was feeling the hard tracks in Sydney this spring.

In other feature races Darley superstar, Denman, $1.40 favorite, continued his meteoric rise winning the Group 2 Stan Fox Stakes. The Mark De Montfort-trained McClintock, $4.80, dictated in front and won the Group 3 Bill Ritchie while Mr Clangtastic, $7, responded to a daring front running ride from Craig Agnew to win the Group 3 Colin Stephen Quality.

The major day of the Sydney Spring Carnival at Royal Randwick next Saturday will see the running of four Group One races, including the Epsom, Metropolitan, Spring Champion and Flight Stakes.