The Hollywood Rocket’s Flying! | Sporting Post
The magic roller coaster ride of Anfields Rocket continued in Turffontein for the Hollywood Syndicate and trainer Grant Maroun on Saturday as the handsome chestnut son of fast Tapit stallion Coup De Grace, who was the sire of fewer than 50 runners, finished the R1 500 with a career best 000 World won sports betting Gr1 SA Classic.
Winner of the Gr3 Graham Beck Stakes late last year before being shipped south for a tilt at Hollywoodbets Cape Guineas, Anfield’s Rocket finally showed he’s looking for a journey with a scintillating finish inside to achieve his first Gr1 success to book over 1800 m.
Raymond Danielson bows his head as Anfield’s Rocket charge home (Image – JC Photos)
He was certainly an enigma and left the pundits guessing, but winning form jockey Raymond Danielson, who rode a beautifully judged race for his third SA Classic trophy on Saturday, after Forest Path 2009 and French Navy 2015, had the last laugh.
On the return of Anfield’s Rocket from Hollywoodbets Cape Guineas action, the smart 3-year-old scored a stunning Turffontein 1000m win, flying up from a hopeless position 200m away to get up and win.
Despite some screaming Gr1 Computaform sprints and the like, Danielson stuck to his theory that the gelding wanted an outing. On Saturday the plan came together and with it a whole world of new possibilities.
Danielson was allowed to run just behind midfield for most of the race as Captainofthegreen and Laguna Verde brought the cavalry home. Danielson didn’t panic.
The winning team – Anthony Delpech, Ray Danielson and Grant Maroun (Image – Candies Lenferna)
It was only animated in the last 200 meters and then it started.
In a thrilling finish, the 17-2 Anfields Rocket held off Verdonesian attacker Jimmy Don (33-1) by a length in a time of 110.71 seconds.
Billy Bowlegs (7-1) came out third from the field, three quarters back.
The victorious owners, the Hollywood Syndicate, which just last week celebrated its 400th birthdayth Winners, have enjoyed their best season ever by a country mile.
After winning the World Sports Betting Gr1 Cape Fillies Guineas and Cartier Gr1 Paddock Stakes in Cape Summer and the Tattersalls Ireland Gr1 Novice Hurdle at the Dublin Racing Festival in Leopardstown with Il Etait Temps last month, the literal purple stain settled with a special moment continues in a story that stretches back to Splendid Night in 2002.
Grant Maroun and Clinton Binda pose with the champion (Image – JC Photos)
Hollywood Syndicate Racing Manager Anthony Delpech, who won the SA Classic as a jockey on Classic Flag in 1998 and on Surveyor in 2003, both for the Ferraris family, was on hand to lead Anfield’s Rocket into the race.
Coach Grant Maroun, who generally appears to be a laid-back person, admitted he hadn’t slept the night before. But he shouldn’t have been stressed!
Watch the replay:
Now a winner of 6 races with a place in 9 starts for stakes of R1 351 875, the winner who has now earned an automatic spot at the Hollywoodbets Durban July 2023 thanks to this win was bred by Klawervlei from her retired stallion Coup De Mercy (Tapit).
Anfields Rocket probably gets his stamina from his dam Milla’s Rocket, a daughter of Galileo who won 1800m twice in Great Britain.
Anfield’s Rocket was purchased by its original owner Grant Maroun for just R11,000 at the BSA online auction in July 2020 before being resold to the Hollywood syndicate after winning the Graham Beck stakes.
The sky is now the limit for the purple rocket.