Courtesy of Qld Racing – Glenn Davis – 24/06/17. Leading central Queensland rider Adrian Coome landed successive Rockhampton Cups aboard Caloundra galloper Colour Charge on Saturday.
Coome won last year’s Rockhampton Cup on the Kelly Schweida-trained Ruling Force.
Colour Charge was perfectly ridden by Coome who had the six-year-old traveling in fourth place most of the way before he shot clear inside the final 200 metres to down
down Desert General by 1-1/4 lengths.
Vaulting Ambition filled the minor placing only a half head away.
The Natalie McCall-trained Colour Charge won the Listed Member’s Cup at Eagle Farm in March then failed on wet tracks at the Gold Coast and Eagle Farm before being sent north for the Rockhampton Cup.
Colour Charge had his first run in Rockhampton this campaign finishing seventh, only four lengths behind Land Office, over 1200 metres on June 9.
“We were super confident he’d win as his third run in is always fantastic,” McCall said.
“He was my first runner in a Rocky Cup last year when he ran third.
“We had no luck last year so it was always in the back of our minds to come back for another go.”
Colour Charge is part-owned by Maleny builder Nathan Quail who has been a long-time supporter of the McCall stable.
“His owners love coming to Rocky and we’ll have a good celebration now before deciding what to do next with him,” she said.
“He’ll get too much weight for the Cup races further north so he won’t be going there.”
Meanwhile trainer Brian Smith picked up a consolation win with Monster Of Energy in the Beaudesert Cup (1400m).
Ridden by Chris Whiteley, Monster Of Energy sat off the sizzling speed set by Budget Bender to score a decisive victory.
Smith was at Doomben where he saddled up two runners, My Diamantine and Feltre who both failed in the Group 3 Tattersall’s Cup (2200m).
Monster Of Energy was having only his second run this campaign after failing first-up at the Gold Coast on June 7.
It was the six-year-old’s fifth win from 27 starts.