Sears hopes Rock Beat’s summer break pays off in Weetwood
CO-TRAINER Tony Sears is hopeful his decision to spell promising sprinter Rock Beat at the top of his game over summer will be vindicated when the four-year-old launches his Weetwood Handicap campaign at Eagle Farm on Wednesday.
Sears, who trains in partnership with daughter Maddy, will saddle up Rock Beat and stablemate Privacy in the Benchmark 85 Handicap over 1000m.
Sears is a great believer in sending horses for a break after a win and that’s what he did with Rock Beat following the four-year-old’s last-start victory over 1000m at Eagle Farm on December 21.
Rock Beat has won six of his 12 starts and will be out to maintain his unblemished record of two wins from as a many starts at Eagle Farm.
The son of Easy Rocking is also unbeaten first-up with three wins.
Sears has given punters a strong pointer with a preference for Rock Beat but he won’t be surprised to see Privacy run a big race after engaging 3kg-claiming apprentice
Alex Patis. Michael Cahill rode Privacy last start but has switched to the ride aboard Rock Beat.
Five-year-old Privacy is coming off a sixth to the Michael Costa-trained Phobetor over 1050m at Doomben last month.
“Piracy has been plagued by bad barriers but he’s finally drawn a good barrier and we’ve decided to claim on him,” Sears said. “He’ll run well again but I favour Rock Beat as he’s unbeaten at Eagle Farm and is unbeaten first-up.”
Sears plans to give Rock Beat another couple of runs before the trainer aims for his second Listed Weetwood Handicap (1200m) trip at Toowoomba on September 26.
Sears won his home-track feature sprint in 2016 with Choice Bro.