The Fastnet Rock bandwagon has rolled through the autumn carnivals with Group 1 winners in Melbourne (Wanted) and Sydney (Rock Classic) and the focus will soon swing to Brisbane for the winter carnival.

Surprisingly, the Coolmore stallion is yet to sire a black-type winner in the Sunshine State but local flyer Faster Son can fill the gap in the Group 3 Gold Coast Guineas (1200m) on May 8.  

Faster Son (3g Fastnet Rock – Sonata by Palace Music) improved his record to three wins from four starts with a brilliant victory in the Fish N Fresh 3yo Hcp on Saturday.  He started a $1.30 favourite and was always in command.

“The Guineas is in three weeks and hopefully he will make the field after Saturday’s win,” trainer Trevor Bailey said.  “He’s going through the grades like a good horse and I couldn’t be happier with his progress.

“He’s got tremendous gate speed but the best part has been the way he finishes off his races.”

The Fastnet Rock gelding has looked the goods since a very impressive win on debut at the Gold Coast on Melbourne Cup day.   A fortnight later, he was as green as grass when beaten a length by Kiss Kiss at Ipswich.  Losing a near-fore plate in the run didn’t help and he also ran off the track on the home turn.

Bailey tipped him out for a 19 week break and he has come back a much more mature galloper with two barrier-to-box wins by a combined total of 10 lengths.

He’s run time in both 1200 metre wins clocking 1:09.89s first-up which was a tick outside the Class 1 record.  On Saturday, he sizzled over the same trip in 1:09.07s and came home the last 600m in 33.67s.  That was easily the quickest sectional of the day apart from the 2yo scamper.

Faster Son was a $45,000 buy for Ontrack Thoroughbreds out of the Kitchwin Hills draft at the 2008 Inglis Scone yearling sale.  He is the third winner for Sonata who is by renowned broodmare sire Palace Music.  She won five races up to 2225m including the G3 Tattersall’s Cup at Eagle Farm.  She was also runner-up to Arctic Scent in the 1996 G1 Queensland Oaks.  

Sonata has an unraced 2yo named Global Anthem (General Nediym).  He failed to make a $40,000 reserve at the 2009 Perth Magic Millions and is currently being trained by Peter Moody for Hobartville Stud owner Graham Mapp.

Sonata was empty in 2008 and her Royal Academy colt died after birth in August 2009.  She was bred back to Royal Academy last October.