Trip south pays off for Prop Rock

By Jonny Turner

The decision to send Prop Rock south paid off at Addington on Wednesday when she cleared maidens in style.

The five-year-old powered to her first win for Pukekohe trainer Penny Fensom courtesy of a confident drive from John Dunn.

After getting back to second last early, Dunn made a three-wide move with Prop Rock at the 1000m and she just kept on trucking.

“Johnny drove her good and she went good,” Fensom said.

“She has probably been going a bit better than her form suggests.”

“She paced a bit rough at the end there, which she can do, I am not really sure why she does that.”

Fensom and husband Rhys head up Robert Dunn’s Pukekohe stable.

The trainer registering her first win at Addington after she sent Prop Rock south to Dunn’s South Island base in search of more racing opportunities.

“It is just the opportunities down there, up here she was going to have three weeks between runs,” Fensom said.

“She is not really an Auckland horse, she can’t go right-handed as good as she can left-handed.”

“She has already had three starts down there and she might have only been able to have one up here if she was lucky.”

Like so many before her, Prop Rock has thrived while working on Woodend Beach.

“She went a little bit sore in her feet up here, so we thought the beach would suit her.”

“She will stay down there, at this stage it is probably a one-way trip.”

Most of Dunn’s stable stars are based at Woodend, targeting the current run of premier meetings at Addington.

That means a quieter time for his North Island base.

However, it will not last long with races like the Rowe Cup and the Taylor Mile coming up.

“There are only six racehorses and we are breaking in three.”

“It is quiet, but that is OK, during the carnivals it tends to fill up a bit.”

“Obviously Sundees Son will come up for the Rowe Cup.”

Prop Rock was to have gone around at Motukarara on Monday but has earned having Easter off following her win.