Statement win by son of Marcoola

The Ken Ford and Amanda Tomlinson trained Rogue Hero was a stunning front running winner at Addington on Friday night, downing a good field of trotters and looking every inch like his sire Marcoola in his prime in doing so.

Striding to the front from barrier eight, Rogue Hero bowled along boldly in the lead throughout before leaving the field in his dust at the top of the straight, running out strongly to the line to score by four lengths from last season’s Group 1 Sires Stakes 2YO Championship runner-up Tarragindi. (Watch race finish)

It was his third win from just six starts and took his career earnings to $33,398.

Driver and part owner Clint Ford clearly holds the three-year-old in high regard, stating when interviewed after the race that "he’s better" than his sire – no mean comment given Ford drove Marcoola to the majority of his biggest wins, and that Marcoola was crowned the New Zealand 3YO Trotting Colt of his Year after winning seven straight races that season including the New Zealand and Northern Trotting Derbies, along with the Sires Stakes Trotters Championship.

Rogue Hero will now be aimed at the end of season 3-year-old trotting features in the spring and early summer.

Bred by Nevele R Stud, Rogue Hero is out of the unraced Quite Easy mare Glenferrie Slipper, a half-sister to the two-time New Zealand Aged Trotting Mare of the Year Allegro Agitato and the multiple Australian Group 1 winner Skyvalley.

Marcoola was also represented recently by the smart winner Diva Bee, who won by two lengths on debut at Invercargill last Sunday.