Inform brothers back in South with 3yrolds

FORMER Southlanders Ken and Tony Barron’s hot early season form should continue at Invercargill today.

The trainer brothers, now in West Melton, bring Rockaball and Hit The Sky to their old stomping ground to try to continue their run of 3yrold winners.

The Barrons have produced Rockaball and his stablemates, Beachbabebeauty and Ana Malak, as impressive firststart winners at Addington this season.

Rockaball can continue in the same vein today if he backs up his Addington race, from which he has benefited, Tony Barron says.

‘‘He is a nice horse with good speed and he seems to have improved.’’

Today’s race will serve as an early step towards the Southern Supremacy Stakes for the talented 3yrold, who could possibly back up and race again at Winton on Thursday.

Though Rockaball will not find it easy taking on more seasoned horses in today’s 2200m mobile (race 9), Barron was encouraged by the horse’s trial effort for third behind the highly regarded Mistahmistah at Rangiora last week.

‘‘He hasn’t done too much since his last run, but he trialled last week and trialled very well.’’

The Barrons also line up another 3yrold, Hit The Sky, in race 2.

The Mach Three pacer has not been in the hot form of his stablemates but that was mostly down to bad luck, Tony Barron said.

‘‘He is not the worst, this horse. He has just had no luck.’’

‘‘He has good speed, especially for a short, sharp sprint, but he has had to be driven tough in both of his starts.’’

Barron is expecting a bold showing from Hit The Sky against an even field of maidens.

‘‘With the right run he would have to be very hard to beat.’’

The Barrons also produced 3yrold Whitehaven Beach, their only other runner for the weekend, to run fourth in a 2200m mobile at Alexandra Park last night.

The brothers have put Beachbabebeauty on ice.

‘‘He is just really starting to mature — the last six or eight weeks he has really improved and strengthened up. He has always been a nice horse with nice speed but he was always quite weak, but mentally and physically he is really starting to harden up.’’

The winner of both of his race starts will be given his opportunity to show if he is up to top 3yrold company in coming Sires Stakes Series heats.

Ana Malak, who also impressed with a tough effort to win his only start, is a similar type to Beachbabebeauty, Barron said.

‘‘You would like to think they would develop into derby horses, hopefully.’’

‘‘He is out having a spell and will be back in November. He is in the same boat — he is a really nice horse.’’