In a positive sign for the Westspeed breed, Rommel and Awesome Rock remain head-to-head in what has become a season-long fight for second-season honours in WA.

Rommel (Mogumber Park) took over at the top of the table in March but Awesome Rock (Gold Front Thoroughbreds) ensured he didn’t extend the lead during a busy last week in April.

Rommel kept his head above the parapet in the second-season division when Men’s Club and Madam Kisses completed a running double at Pinjarra last Wednesday.

Men’s Club (3g Rommel – Matilda Grace by Stravinsky) was bred at Mogumber Park and is prepared by Summer Dickson for a syndicate managed by his former trainer Justin Warwick.  Settling on the near-side of Promised Bride (Sooboog), who was abreast the grandstand fence, he drew clear to score by over a length under a hand-ride from Shaun O’Donnell.

The latest TBWA Winner Of The Week is a half-brother to Winning Supreme (Alfred Nobel) who won four races and the equivalent of AUD 550,000 in Hong Kong.  His (NZ) dam is a sister to La Italia (G2 Wakefield Challenge) and her most recent foal is a Hvasstan filly conceived when the sire was based at Rivercrest Park in Stratham

Gold Front’s homebred Awesome Rock 3yo filly Ruby’s Moon continued the tit-for-tat tussle when she won first-up in a Narrogin maiden on Thursday.  She is the fifth winner from G1 Railway Stakes winner Belle Bizarre (Dauberval) and was good value for a three-length victory under Kyra Yuill

On Friday, Awesome Rock 3yo gelding Corn Cob clinched Geraldton Horse Of The Year honours for part-owner and trainer Julia Martin.  Since arriving unraced from Lou Luciani, Corn Cob has earned $180,000 with Friday’s last-stride victory his 6th in 11 starts this season.

Awesome Rock lamp-lighter Searchin’ Roc’s is in limbo after she refused to enter the gates for the Marjorie Charleson Classic (1200m) on Good Friday.  Sent to Muchea-based Geoff Martin for a remedial course in barrier manners, she was expected to resume in the LR Sheila Gwynne Classic (1400m) at Ascot on Saturday but wasn’t entered by trainer David Harrison.

Searchin’ Roc’s won the LR Belgravia Stakes (1200m) and G3 Champion Fillies (1600m) and then ran out of her skin when last seen finishing less than three lengths from Regal Power in the G1 Kingston Town Classic (1800m) in December.

No 3yo filly will rate above those performances by the back-end of this season.

Her connections and Gold Front will be banking on a return in time for Listed races like the Raconteur Stakes (1400m) and Belmont Guineas (1600m) in June.

ROMMEL