Heaven Rocks back on track

NZ Cup second favourite Heaven Rocks is back on track for the great race.

His trainers Mark Purdon and Natalie Rasmussen sent shock waves through the race market when they contacted stewards on Friday to suggest the huge pacer was under a cloud.

Heaven Rocks, who has had a topsy turvy season at best before a brilliant win at Addington eight days ago, had worked “flat” on Friday and the All Stars were worried he may be coming down with a virus.

But blood tests taken after that workout came back on Saturday and the outlook is far better.

 “We were thrilled with how his blood reports looked so he is heading toward the Cup now,” says Rasmussen.

She will drive the five-year-old from the unruly in the Cup, for which he is the $6 second favourite behind stablemate Lazarus.

In other Cup day news, high class northern mare Better B Amazed has been scratched from the junior free-for-all after working poorly.

“She isn’t quite right so we will bring her home, miss Cup week and set her for the mares’ races at the Auckland meeting next month,” says trainer Steve Telfer.

She joins Waikiki Beach and Locharburn as high-profile scratchings from the free-for-all.

 

Michael Guerin