Trainer Adam Duggan doesn’t have a horse that tries harder than Rockin’ Millie and he’s confident the consistent mare is ready to run well again at Kembla Grange on Saturday.
Rockin’ Millie will be out to enhance her competitive record when she hunts a third-up success in the Jack Primmer Electronics Fillies and Mares Benchmark 64 Handicap (1200m).
The daughter of Menari has been racing consistently this campaign and has form around last Saturday’s Midway winner Spicy Hotpot.
Rockin’ Millie finished less than a length off the Sara Ryan-trained mare first-up on the Beaumont Track over 1150m before Duggan then took her to town where she was far from disgraced when fifth behind Spicy Hotspot at Canterbury.
“I thought she acquitted herself well at Canterbury,” Duggan said.
“We threw her in there with the conditions of the race being for five-year-old mares and up and she was down in the weights.
“I thought she went well. She has raced behind (Spicy Hotpot) a couple of times and we’ve given her a start on both times.
“I am not saying we would have beaten her but she did run well.”
Rockin’ Millie is a $7.50 chance on TAB at Kembla with the Michael, John & Wayne Hawkes-trained Gangsta Granny ($2.60 favourite) the horse to beat.
Rockin’ Millie is the topweight with 61kg on Saturday, however, Duggan will use apprentice Mitch Stapleford’s 3kg claim to ease the burden on his mare.
“She is racing against her own sex, which I think will help her. She has the right draw to get the run of the race and I would love a bit of rain.”
Despite being a five-year-old, Rockin’ Millie is relatively lightly-raced and has built a solid resume in 10 starts to date. She is already a two-time winner at the provincials with a further five placings to her name.
“She tries as hard as any horse I’ve got in the stable,” Duggan said. “She is casual in trackwork but has never let us down on raceday.”
Meanwhile, experienced jockey Grant Buckley will make his return from injury with four rides across the provincial card.
Buckley hasn’t ridden since suffering several injuries in a race fall at Wyong in June last year. He rides Puzzler (race 2-$6), Shine Like It Does (race 3-$19), Avion Fury (race 4-$61) and Salonius (race 8-$41).
View final fields with full form & race replays for Kembla Grange here