Roussky Impresses In Rousing Race Debut

Illawarra Mercury

Monday November 22, 1999

By DAVE MURRAY

Veteran South Coast trainer Kevin Robinson looks to have a smart type on his hands in impressive Kay's Discount Tyres Two-year-old Maiden Handicap (1000m) winner Roussky at Kembla Grange yesterday.

The Zoffany colt, despite racing erratically at his racetrack debut, charged down the centre of the track to grab Let Fly and Personal Spy to win easily in a quick 58.91 seconds.

Top jockey Allan Robinson told the trainer the winner had raced greenly coming to the turn, but once balanced Roussky put his mind right on the job.

And Kevin Robinson said he expected Roussky to win better races.

``I've always liked the horse, he's out of an unraced daughter of the dam of Kenbelle," he said.

``She was an identical colour to Kenbelle, and he has an identical white marking on his forehead.

``She (Kenbelle) was the best natured thing you could ever believe, he's a colt this fella but he's the same.

``It's very hard to win first-up, I would have been more confident if it had been 1200m."

Roussky had shown a ton of ability on the training tracks, but has some shoes to fill as Kenbelle won the 1996 AJC Oaks for Kevin Robinson.

``We'll give him a short break and probably one more run before the William Inglis Classic (Randwick) in January," he said.

Robinson almost made it a race-to-race double 35 minutes later when another of his first starters Dane Time was just beaten in the Jay-R Stud Tahmoor Maiden Plate (1200m).

The Danehill filly, out of Last Tycoon mare Pasatiempo, finished second to Crowned Angel (Dean Greville), after coming from well back.

The winner was having her 12th race start and her third from a spell.

A previous second at Bathurst primed the Graham Brown-trained mare, especially as the winner that day (Let's Talk Treason) broke 1min 10secs for the 1200m.

© 1999 Illawarra Mercury

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