Rocking good ride gets mare home

A smart ride at Tauranga this afternoon from Sam Collett saw Katie Perrie double her winning tally.

The Rock ‘n’ Pop mare had broken her maiden at her previous start and had trouble handling her 65-grade rivals.

Trained by Collett’s father Jim, Katie Perrie settled last on a slow speed before she was set alight 800 metres from home.

“I said to Sam she’s not a sit and sprint horse so get rolling early,” he said.

Katie Perrie placed in four of her five starts in her initial campaign before she was put aside.

“She learned a bit from last season’s racing and she’ll be better when she gets up over more ground,” Collett said.

The 4-year-old is out of the Lion Heart mare French Lion who was a minor winner in Australia.

She is a half-sister to the South African Group winners Eight Street and Ottimo.

It is an international family that includes the dual Japanese Group Two winner Meisha Beluga.