Riff Rocket won the VRC and Australian Derbies last season

With wins from 1225m all the way up to 2500m, Riff Rocket was nothing if not versatile. Chris Waller campaigned him with absolute confidence in the horse’s ability, no matter what distance he was tasked with.

Debut winner and the emergence of a star

Owned and bred by Debbie Kepitis of Winx fame, Riff Rocket made his debut in a 1255m maiden at Geelong. That was in late April 2023 and was the first view of his trademark fast finish. Beaten on his only other start as a two-year-old that was the start of a strange quirk with him 3/4 first up in his career but 0/3 when second up.

His three-year-old season would begin at Kembla Grange, stepping up into black type company on the third start of his prep in the Listed Super Impose Stakes at Flemington. The Melbourne track was a happy hunting ground for him, winning three of his five starts there.

That was over 1500m but it was over longer distances where he would really shine at the top level. That remarkable versatility was one of his biggest strengths, the speed for shorter but still the stamina for a Derby.

Two winning Derby runs

A runner-up effort in the Group 3 Neds Classic at Caulfield over 2000m hinted that Riff Rocket could improve for a further step up in trip. Sent off at $2.20 with the horse racing bookmakers for the VRC Derby, he was given a perfect ride by James McDonald to get his head in front late on.

That was on a Good 4 surface and once more his versatility came into play when he won the Australian Derby at Randwick five months later on a Heavy 8. His odds were $2.20 again and it was another run that was beautifully timed by McDonald. 

The Derby distance is one that his stable never really believed he stayed despite his wins. That makes winning a pair of them even more remarkable. He just looked to love passing horses which was a run style that suited him well.

He would win races at five different tracks as well as for five different jockeys. While McDonald will be most associated with him, he would also win for Nash Rawiller, Craig Williams, Kerrin McEvoy and John Allen. It was just another layer of versatility that the horse had.

Last run was in the Winx Stakes

We saw Riff Rocket once this season when seventh in the Winx Stakes. Only this and that second start as a two-year-old saw him finish outside of the first three. 1400m first up was always going to be on the short side for him but he was only two and three-quarters of a length behind the winner Via Sistina.

Chris Waller reported that he required surgery on his large colon about a week ago. A colic impaction was found here. This was set to see him miss the rest of his spring but hopes were high he would be back in the autumn.

Those early reports were promising but further complications meant that he could not be saved. The South Eastern Equine Hospital did all it could over the course of a week but it was not to be for Riff Rocket.

The loss of Riff Rocket is a big one for racing. As a gelding, there was the opportunity for him to become like Mr Brightside of Alligator Blood and become a genuine household name. Versatile with a killer finish, he was a star. Vale Riff Rocket.