Riff Rocket became just the fourth horse to complete the Victoria Derby (G1) and Australian Derby (G1) double when he landed the latter at Randwick April 6.
The Chris Waller-trained son of 2015 American Triple Crown winner American Pharoah was a narrow winner of the Victorian equivalent (at 2,500 meters) back in November and again scored by a short margin this weekend at 2,400 meters (about 1 1/2 miles).
Ridden by James McDonald, Riff Rocket was produced with a well-timed run by his jockey and, after taking up the lead with 100 meters to run, was always holding fellow late finisher Ceolwulf to score by a long neck. The front pair pulled a further four lengths clear of third-placed Glad You Think So. The final time was 2:33.45 over a turf rated Heavy 8.
"It's pretty special, simple as that, and these guys [owner Debbie Kepitis and the Ingham family] were here before I had the first group 1 winner so it's fitting," Waller said. "I don't cry as much as I used to but this one's pretty special. He's done a great job, he's an amazing horse, he puts himself into the race at the right time.
"Amazing ride from James. He didn't panic being back there; it was a truly run Derby, and we had that question mark over his staying ability. How dare we?
"He'd won a Victorian Derby, he's by American Pharoah, who's a Derby winner and went beyond that in the Preakness and the Belmont for the Triple Crown. I guess that's where he gets his stamina. Well done to the Kepitis team, they're great supporters of ours."
Saturday's victory was a second win in the Australian Derby for McDonald.
"It's definitely not his trip, that's for sure, he was out on his feet but he's tough," McDonald said. "He doesn't know how to run a bad race, he wears his heart on his sleeve, he's solid as a rock this horse and you'd love him at war with you."
A homebred for Debbie Kepitis' Woppitt Bloodstock, Riff Rocket was foaled and raised at Coolmore and is the only winner from two to race for the stakes-placed Smart Missile mare Missile Coda, the winner of five of her 13 starts.
American Pharoah stands at Ashford Stud in Kentucky for a fee of $50,000. He shuttled to Coolmore Australia in 2020, and Riff Rocket is from the resulting crop, which also includes 3-year-old filly About Time, winner of the 2024 Sir Patrick Hogan Stakes (G2) in New Zealand.
American Pharoah is also the sire of 19 graded black-type winners and a total of 38 black-type stakes winners in the Northern Hemisphere.
