Rockon Tommy The Perfect Tonic For Doughty
22 September, 2018
Thoroughbred
Tough gelding Rockon Tommy has provided trainer Bill Doughty with a win he is not likely to forget anytime soon, taking out the Penfolds Handicap (1600m) at Belmont this afternoon.
Post-race, Doughty revealed he had recently undergone a bout of chemo therapy as he battles serious illness.
Doughty said Rockon Tommy had helped him through his illness.
“He’s good for me, I’m not in the best of health but he helps,” he said.
“He’s better than medicine.
“I ride him every day, he’s a handful.
“I had chemo on Tuesday and I rode him on Wednesday.
“It knocks you around a bit, it’s the tiredness of it.”
Rockon Tommy settled just outside the leader Red Paddy in running, with the tempo only moderate.
Jockey Peter Knuckey then called upon Rockon Tommy for a big effort past the 200m mark and he dug in to finish over the top of Red Paddy to win by one-and-a-quarter lengths.
Red Paddy battled on well to finish second, while Django produced a better effort second-up to finish third.
Doughty said he wasn’t sure where he would give Rockon Tommy his next start and wasn’t overly convinced about the field he beat today.
For jockey Peter Knuckey, it was the first leg of a winning double on the day.
Knuckey paid tribute to Doughty after the race as well.
“On Tuesday, Bill’s done a set of chemo and I said to him ‘you’re going to have to work him harder for the mile’,” he said.
“He was the one on Wednesday that rode him after getting out of hospital…he gets him rock hard fit.
“I’m doing the easy job just getting the ride.”
The second leg of Knuckey’s double came up in the Mrs Mac’s Handicap (1600m) aboard the Adam Durrant-trained Pagan Image.
After running a game second to True Defender a fortnight ago, Pagan Image had to carry the 59kg top weight today.
Sophie’s Song closed the $2.05 favourite with TABtouch, while Pagan’s Image drifted slightly to $2.35 second elect.
It took the length of the Belmont straight for Pagan’s Image to overcome Sophie’s Song and Cockney Crew, who set the tempo throughout.
Knuckey said he felt Pagan’s Image had come to the end of his preparation today, but was confident about his prospects next campaign.
“He was really naughty before the race, in the run he was perfect, but before the race….he did work himself up,” he said.
“I’m of the opinion he might be at the end of the prep.
“I think next prep, when he gets up to 2000m, he’s going to be really serious.”
Tim Walker