A Rocknroll Dance gelding too good in Toreace Flying Mile

Seven-year-old gelding Lynryd Skynryd (A Rocknroll Dance) took his stake earnings past $100,000 when winning the Toreace Flying Mile in Hobart on Sunday night.

The Steve Lukac-trained pacer was sent out the $2.20 favourite from the pole draw, with driver Dylan Ford being able to hold the lead in a 27.9s before running quarters in 32.3s, 29.2s and 28.5s to record the mile in 1:57.9s.

The winning margin was 3.2m, with Sunny Sanz ($13) and Rackemup Tigerpie ($6.50) filling the minor placings.

“It was a step up in class for him from his win the start before, but I will admit I would have been disappointed if he had gotten beat given the sectionals he ran.

“For an open free-for-all over a mile, he got away with a 32.7s second quarter; had he got run down, I would have been embarrassed,” said Lukac post-race.

The gelding has produced poor standing start manners, restricting his racing options in the future.

“He probably won’t race again until the free-for-all mobile at Carrick (on New Year’s Eve).

“He just gets too fizzed up (in standing starts), and he loses the plot. I don’t know if we will give him another go or not, but I think it will be a waste of time,” the trainer said.

The win was the second in a row for the pacer who won a heat of the Youngbloods Challenge the week prior.

“Brodie Davis drove him a treat. He got caught wide, summed it up well, got him to the death, and rated him nicely, and he has a future that young fella,” Lukac said.

Sunday’s win was the last leg of a driving treble for Ford, who had success with Mister Finnigan and Impulze earlier in the night.

For complete race results, click here.

by Duncan Dornauf, for Tasracing