Love Rocks wins Listed Lough Neagh Stakes

Saturday 21 December 2013, 6:08pm

BRISBANE Dec 21 AAP - Two new stars of Queensland racing in speed machine Love Rocks and apprentice Anthony Allen put on a master class of sheer pace at Doomben on Saturday.

Love Rocks ($5) led from the start and gave nothing else a chance winning the second leg of the Brisbane summer feature treble, the Lough Neagh Stakes (1350m), in sensational time.

Bennys Buttons ($9) was a length back in second with 1-3/4 lengths to Doubtfilly ($26) in third place.

Love Rocks clocked 1m17.43s which was only 0.3s outside the track record held by Natural Destiny since 2006.

Trainer Steve Tregea admitted he had taken a big gamble when he elected to "throw Love Rocks in at the deep end" on Saturday.

"I was in two minds whether to take on the best horses after his win at Doomben two weeks ago," he said.

"But he thrived since that run and actually put on weight.

"I thought, well, you have to test them sometimes and it may as well have been while he was in top form."

It was a great training performance because five weeks ago Love Rocks had won only one race but he now has four wins and he is the off-season find of Brisbane racing.

"He doesn't know the other horses are supposedly better than him," Tregea said.

"But I have had a very big opinion of him since the first time we trialled him."

Love Rocks is some chance of tackling the Listed Bernborough Handicap (1600m) on his home track of Toowoomba on New Year's Eve.

But it is more than likely Love Rocks will be given a break with the winter carnival in mind.

Allen, who is partially deaf and rides wearing a hearing aid, dedicated the win to his 18-month old sister who died several years ago.

"That was my biggest win and it gave me a great thrill," he said.

"Love Rocks is so game and they all had their chance to beat him today," Allen said.

– AAP

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