Horse Racing

The Anthony Cummings-trained Road To Rock coasted to an impressive win at Randwick on Saturday when he took out the $350,000 Group 1 Queen Elizabeth Stakes (2000m).

Following the scratching of the early favourite and Doncaster Mile winner Rangirangdoo the day before, Road To Rock started the Queen Elizabeth Stakes as the warm $3.30 favourite.

With Damien Oliver aboard, the highly fancied son of Encosta De Lago had no trouble over the 2000m, holding on to defeat stablemate of Rangirangdoo Triple Honour ($12) by a comfortable two lengths, with Monaco Consul ($8.50) a further three-quarters of a length back in third.

It was the second successive Group 1 third placing for the Micahel Moroney-trained Monaco Consul, after the New Zealand runner finished third to Shoot Out in the AJC Derby (2400m) on April 10.

With just six lengths separating the eight Queen Elizabeth Stakes runners it was an intense and entertaining battle early on, but the final run home saw Road To Rock totally dominate.

He secured the lead midway down the final straight and won running away in his second Group 1 victory following his success in last year’s George Main Stakes.

Road To Rock was coming off an extremely close second place to Rangirangdoo in the Doncaster Mile after his jockey Damien Oliver was found to have weighed in 1kg overweight.

But Oliver redeemed himself on Saturday, as the champion hoop rode Road To Rock to perfection, giving Randwick-based trainer Anthony Cummings his fifth Group 1 victory in the last 12 months.

Five-year-old Road To Rock has won six of his 34 career starts and placed nine times, his total stakes earnings reaching an impressive $1,153,350.

Cummings is now looking towards an international campaign for his improving Queen Elizabeth Stakes winner as he prepares to run Road To Rock in the $3 million Singapore International Airlines Cup (2000m) on May 16.

The headline race at Randwick on Saturday was the coveted $400,000 Group 1 Sydney Cup (3200m) where clear favourite Jessicabeel secured victory, giving her the go-ahead for a 2010 Melbourne Cup campaign.

Other highlights at the meeting included Skilled’s victory in the $300,000 Group 1 Champagne Stakes (1600m), and the $150,000 Group 2 Emancipation Stakes (1600m) where the Joseph Pride-trained Sacred Choice secured victory.

2010 Sydney City Lexus Queen Elizabeth Stakes Results