Rock N Roll Doo (NZ) Reaffirms Superstar Status in Group One

Rock N Roll Doo (NZ) (Rock N Roll Heaven) reaffirmed his superstar status with a tenacious victory in the A$150,000 Group One Len Smith Mile (1609m) at Menangle on Saturday night.

The NZB Standardbred showed he had lost none of his incredible class when powering to victory on one of Australia’s biggest nights of harness racing.

Rock N Roll Doo was purchased by Brendan and Anne James of BFJ Bloodstock at the 2019 National Yearling Sale in Christchurch.

The Victorian owners secured the brilliant pacer for the bargain price of $14,000 when he was offered by breeder-vendor John McKenzie of Kelvin Home Holdings.

Rock N Roll Doo brilliantly won the Group One Victoria Cup last spring before being put aside for a decent spell at the end of his campaign.

The New Zealand-bred star has taken just two starts to charge back to the top of Australasia’s open-class ranks with a brilliant victory.

Trainer-driver Michael Stanley said he never lost faith in his star pacer doing exactly that.

“I always had faith that from the first day, he came back out of the paddock, just the way he looked, and I was confident that we’d get him back here,” Stanley told Harnesslink.

“Particularly after they went super first up at Melton a couple of weeks ago.”

“I’m just so happy to get him back to where I know he can be.”

Rock N Roll Doo worked harder than his top-class rivals in Saturday night’s feature and beat them in the process.

The five-year-old was caught wide early before sitting parked for much of the Len Smith Mile.

Despite that tough trip, Rock N Roll Doo was able to quicken in the straight and wear down the leader Spirit Of St Louis (NZ) (Sweet Lou) to head a New Zealand-bred quinella in the feature event.

Nerano (NZ) (Tintin In America) rounded out a New Zealand-bred trifecta in the Len Smith Mile.

Saturday night’s victory took Rock N Roll Doo’s career earnings past A$500,000.

The star pacer has now earned more than 37 times his purchase price of $14,000.