Group 1 related Roca maintains unbeaten run

Roca Rojo further enhanced a growing reputation when impressively maintaining her unbeaten record in the Ladies Day June 20th Fillies Race at Gowran today, winning again for trainer Ado McGuinness and jockey Declan McDonogh.

The daughter of Strategic Prince bolted in on debut at Killarney recently and today again displayed a fine turn of foot to race past her rivals with a furlong to race, for a two and a half lengths win over Shahzeena

Following today's win, McGuinness stated "she was good, quickened up well and settled it quickly. We're taking baby steps and see how we go.

"I've entered her in the Group 3 (Brownstown Stakes) at Fairyhouse next month and she'll definitely go for something like that.

"She has worked with Beau Satchel and made him look slow and he was second in a big handicap last weekend. Declan (McDonogh) said she got a little unbalanced on the ridges but that is was more greenness than anything."

Roca Rojo (translated in Spanish as 'Red Rock') is a half-sister to Joanna Morgan's 2013 Royal Ascot Britannia Stakes winner Roca Tumu, now named Beauty Flame in Hong Kong and who finished second in two recent Group 1s.

By Tom Weekes, quotes from Alan Magee