Milligan Sets Frantic Rockhampton Cup Pace

PREMIER trainer Tony Brett set in motion his chance for successive wins in the Group 3 Rockhampton Cup when hot youngster Milligan ran 29.66 the fastest of the heats on Friday night.

Milligan scored by three and a quarter lengths over Jedda Cutlack's Mitchell Street who was coming off a final berth in the Group 1 Golden Easter Egg.

Brett won the Rocky Cup last year with Tom Kinnear's Orchestrate.

Milligan, bred and raced by long-time Brett client Steve Williams, is a son of Keybow-Velocity Charm, who has now won 11 of his 14 race starts.

Finalist, Informality, is Aston Dee Bee-Velocity Monzon and is another bred and owned by Steve Williams.

Williams is preparing for the long drive from his Hervey Bay base to Rockhampton to see his two finalists contest the Cup.

Rockhampton Cup Ht 1. 510m
1st – Box 3 Milligan – Tony Brett
29.66. 3 1/4 x 1 1/4
Mitchell Street – 29.89 (2nd)
Lucky Lance – 29.97 (3rd) pic.twitter.com/fWE6jzULWr

— John Brasch (@Bunny_Brasch) April 22, 2022

“I was going to go up for the heats on Friday but it was a day meeting and I had work commitments,” said Steve. “But, I will be there for the final.

“Milligan is really showing promise and if he can jump in the final like he did in the heat he will go close.

“The bitch did not look like she would run 500 metres when she first went into training,” said Steve.

Williams always names the bitches he breeds with the “Velocity” tag.

“I made a mistake with that bitch when naming her,” he admitted. “Somehow I thought she was a dog and obviously went without the Velocity tag.”

Rob Ayres great bitch I'm Explosive made another Group final when she ran 30.02 to win her heat of the Cup by a half head beating Little Byrne who also heads into another Group final for John Catton.

Rob Jacobsen's Jagger Moves follows on from his recent Bundaberg Cup win with a place in the Rocky Cup after his win in 30.06 beating Townsville Cup winner Dulceria.

And, local trainer Peta Boon will run Informality in the final after its 30.21 win over Canary Wharf.

Group 3 Rockhampton Cup (510m): 1 Dulceria, 2 Milligan, 3 Jagger Moves, 4 Mitchell Street, 5 Zip Stream, 6 Informality, 7 Little Byrnes, 8 I'm Explosive. Res: 9 Canary Wharf, 10 Lucky Lance.