Trainer Graeme Rogerson deserved all the kudos after Shootoff won the LR Frank Packer Plate at Randwick on Sydney Cup day.

Shootoff (3g Duelled – Athenri by Zabeel) was a $21 outsider despite a last-start Tulloch Stakes placing and he appreciated the cut in the ground to score by more than three lengths from Adelaide visitor Happy Trails (Good Journey).

“Graeme will wait and see how Shootoff pulls up before deciding where to go from here,” Rogerson’s stable foreman Roger Elliott said.  “He could head to Brisbane for the Queensland Derby.”

Rogerson bought his sire Duelled for $300,000 at the 2004 Gold Coast Magic Millions and trained him to a G2 victory in the MVRC AAMI Vase.

Rogerson retired Duelled to become foundation sire at his Hamilton based property Dormello Stud.  He is a Redoute’s Choice three-quarter brother to Nothin’ Leica Dane and stands for a $6,000 fee.

Shootoff is from his first crop and was catalogued for the 2009 NZ Bloodstock HIT Sale.  He breezed the fastest furlong in 10.54s but Rogerson kept him with a $35,000 vendor bid.

That decision was vindicated when Shootoff won his maiden at Randwick’s Kensington course in June 2010.  He was G1 placed in the Spring Champion Stakes in October and connections decided to bypass the Australian Derby earlier this month in favour of the Frank Packer Plate.

Shootoff is a younger half-brother to Tanalised (Keeper) who has won three races up to a mile in New Zealand.  Their dam Athenri was a Timaru winner over 2100m and she has a 2yo colt by Duelled, a weanling colt by Keeper and was covered by Nom du Jeu last year.