Son of Kentucky Derby winner wins Victorian blue riband.
He won one of the world's most famous Derbys himself and American Pharoah on Saturday landed his second Derby win as a sire when Riff Rocket won the $2 million Victoria Derby at Flemington.
The Chris Waller-trained gelding became the first Australian Group 1 champion for the US Triple Crown winner, who stood five seasons at Coolmore Australia from 2017 to 2021, when he scored a short-half-head win over Apulia in the 2500-metre event.
It was a triumph for Riff Rocket's owner and breeder, Debbie Kepitis, with Riff Rocket out of the Smart Missile mare Missile Coda, who is from a speed-dominant family.
Missile Coda won five races, but none beyond 1300m, and she is from the Lonhro mare Rain Melody, a four-time winner up to 1200m who is a three-quarter-sister to the dam of the dam of multiple Group 2-winning sprinter and T J Smith Stakes runner-up Rain Affair (Commands).
The Derby win came at start number seven and Waller's deputy Charlie Duckworth said the two starts he had as a two-year-old, including a debut win in a 1225m maiden at Geelong on April 28, held him in good stead.
"We always say that Derby horses need time but they also need miles in their legs to get to this stage," Duckworth said.
"You'll see all of those horses, they've all at least had a run at two and it stands them in such good stead for their future preparations.
"Even though we're looking after the horse and trying to give him as much time as possible, we try and get to a milestone with each preparation. Whether it be getting to a jumpout or to a trial, or getting to a first race start without pushing the envelope too far.
"He's obviously done everything he's had to do to get to this point today."
Riff Rocket got home as a $2.20 favourite, just in advance of the $4.20 second favourite Apulia, who is by late Melbourne Cup winner Fiorente, with Dundeel colt Sunsets ($13) one length away third.
Riff Rocket became the second Group 1 Derby winner for the 2015 Kentucky Derby winner alongside Danon Pharoah, who won the Japanese Dirt Derby (2000m) in 2020.
