Trainer Steve Wolfe was all smiles after Rope Them In’s impressive comeback at Albany on Sunday, setting the stage for a thrilling challenge at Ascot next month.
Rope Them In, representing Tabtouch, is gearing up for the third edition of The Quokka (1200m) on April 26. The horse proved his worth for the $5 million race with a commanding win in the Bluff Knoll (1099m).
All eyes were on the Playing God four-year-old, especially after a less-than-stellar trial performance. However, he silenced any doubts with a stellar showing, securing a decisive victory.
Returning to action since The Gold Rush (1400m) in December, with jockey Shaun Mcgruddy in the saddle, Rope Them In powered to the finish line, finishing a length ahead of his nearest rival, Devine Belief.
This win marked Rope Them In’s eighth victory in 18 starts, pushing his total earnings and bonuses close to the million-dollar mark. More importantly, it eased concerns Wolfe had following the horse’s trial run.
“I was a bit surprised by his trial,” Wolfe shared on Tabradio.
“He seemed a bit off, and I tend to take it easy on my horses most of the time.
“We didn’t need to do much; just tweaked a few things.
“But I was confident—he’s a true racehorse.
“They don’t make excuses for themselves.
“If they don’t win, it’s either because they’re not good enough or it’s just bad luck.
“They show up on race day, just like champion athletes.”
With six weeks to go until The Quokka, Wolfe is carefully planning the best path to prepare Rope Them In for Perth’s richest race.
He is considering two options: the $100,000 Rock Magic Stakes (1000m) on April 19 or the Group 3 Roma Cup (1100m) two weeks later.
“It wouldn’t matter if he didn’t race again before then,” Wolfe said.
“He’s in fantastic shape, and I can see him being perfectly prepared for a 1200m race and being very hard to beat.
“There’s plenty of time, and we’ll probably give him another run, but it’s not a must.
“He’s a quality horse, and I don’t need to overwork him.
“He’ll be ready on race day, whether he races beforehand or not.
“He’s in top form.”
