Majestic Rollon has been a lot like a box of chocolates in that you never know what you’re going to get.
Well one does most of the time because she’s galloped in about three quarters of her 46 races to date and her various connections have got nothing.
That has pretty much been the case for Lex Williams as well since buying her in July last year.
The five-year-old Majestic Son mare has raced 11 times for Williams from the stable of Graeme Anderson and Mike Love and has gone for a gallop at some stage in seven of them.
But when she’s got around safely, she’s paid a dividend, and looked like a mare with some ability.
That was certainly the case at Ashburton on Sunday when Majestic Rollon won for the second time for Williams, and for the fourth time in her career.
Her now regular driver Jonny Morrison restrained Majestic Rollon to the rear from a wide draw and after still being last on the home turn, she rushed home to pick up the promising Love You filly Ti Amo Belle, who won her start before at Rangiora for Jack Harrington and Blair Orange.
Majestic Rollon had mainly been sent north to tackle the Heather Williams Memorial at Addington last Friday night, where Lex had a three-pronged attack with Light Of Da Moon and Samanthas Moon also engaged.
Majestic Rollon drew one but was out of commission when she galloped at the dispatch, as did Samanthas Moon a moment later.
“Only one prong worked and that one ran out of steam at the end,” joked Williams.
Majestic Rollon provided for some sort of consolation at Ashburton two days later however.
It was another eventful weekend for Williams with Ultimate Stride returning to winning form in the feature trot at Melton last Friday night for new trainer Chris Lang.
The Love You entire hadn’t been seen since winning at Ascot Park in May last year for Phil Williamson, when he resumed at Melton a fortnight earlier.
He over raced in the early stages of that race and after sitting parked, he was gone a long way out in a 1720m FFA won by Mufasa Metro in a 1.56 mile rate.
However, from a stand over 2760m last weekend, Ultimate Stride worked to an early lead and then took a trail home on Mufasa Metro and beat the co-favourite in the passing lane.
Half-brother One Over All hit top form for Williams and co-owner Mark Goodhew in Victoria last month, winning three in a row from Jess Tubbs’ stable.
He resumes at Ballarat on Friday night after recovering from a cough and cold and it’s probably only a matter of time before he clashes with Ultimate Stride.
Williams bought Majestic Rollon for $4500 off Gavelhouse last year for two reasons.
He’d watched her bolt away with a race at Fobrury Park by five lengths a few weeks earlier for Kirstin Barclay, only to mess things up again a week later when sent out the favourite.
“I thought if one could just stop her galloping all the time, she would have some potential,” said Williams.
“Plus she had a pretty good pedigree. I bought her to be a broodmare and anything she did in the meantime would be a bonus.”
Majestic Rollon is from a half-sister to a nice mare in Star Commando, who won four races for Reg Caldow, while her grandam is Rob The Nest.
Williams is always on the lookout for nice breeding prospects for his stallion One Over Da Moon, which is how he got Samanthas Moon.
He has bred One Over Da Moon’s three best performers to date in One Apollo, Light Of Da Moon and Samanthas Moon.
One Apollo and Da Moons Mission (2 wins) were One Over Da Moon’s first two foals, while Light Of a Moon and Samanthas Moon along with Hanover Da Moon (3 wins) and That’s Entertainment came from a crop of 10 foals now aged four.
One Over Da Moon got 24 mares last season, but a disappointing nine in the season just gone at Wai Eyre.
One Apollo trialled yesterday in NSW for Trevor Munday and is expected to resume next weekend for his New Zealand owners.
Light Of Da Moon has gone for a spell with an expectation the big mare is going to be seen at her best next year.
Samanthas Moon is likely heading to stud later this year along with Majestic Rollon, with the latter likely to race on while in foal.
She won’t be going to One Over Da Moon however, since both are by Majestic Son.
The Alabar-bred Majestic Rollon is now in her fourth stable after starting out with Mark Jones as a two-year-old.
She won a race as a late three-year-old for Jason and Amber Lethaby, who bought her along with father Ray Jenkins, and a year later she won that race at Forbury for Barclay after changing hands again.
Fair to say she has been quite the head scratcher over the years and Graeme Anderson admits they’re still finding their way with her.
“When she began racing from the mobiles at Addington, we put the blinds on her, thinking it might help her concentrate.
“But it just made her chase the gate and get too racey and go off stride – she normally goes away and then gets too keen.
“So we took the blinds off at Ashburton and Jonny (Morrison) held her back off the gate, and she was as good as gold.
“She’s a beaut mare to have around home and is obviously quite talented, so hopefully we can get to the bottom of her at some stage.”
Anderson probably won’t be holding his breath on that prospect though.
Majestic Rollon was on her best behavior when she won at the Roxbugh meeting in early January with Blair Orange driving, and again at Orari recently when it took Masterly to beat her.
Her Ashburton win was Williams’ 13th this year with seven different horses.
The next cab off the rank for him will be One Over Da Line, a two-year-old Majestic Son colt from One Over Kenny which he thought had been sold to Australia for $110,000 at last year’s yearling sales.
However, the buyer wound up in jail with huge debts and on drug charges and a deal was done with
underbidder Robert Dunn, with Williams retaining a share.
One Over Kenny has since produced a filly and a colt by En Solitaire, an unraced son of Ready Cash
and a Love You mare.
“I wanted One Over Kenny to go to Bold Eagle, but when I couldn’t get him, I went to En Solitaire because he’s bred on the same cross.
“I went and looked at him and he impressed me quite a bit.
“One Over Kenny got in foal to Bold Eagle this season, but had lost it at 30 days, so in future we’ll be doing ETs to Bold Eagle.
“I’ve given a share in the En Solitaire filly to my son Stacy and each of them now has a share in a daughter of One Over Kenny.”
Williams did get an Orlando Vici half-sister to Cracker Hill in Oneamy Vici in foal to Bold Eagle this season though.
Oldest son Nigel has a share in the Majestic Son mare One Over Da Skye (5 wins), while Bradley has a share in the exceedingly talented but frustrating Love You mare One Over Da Stars (5 wins).
Bradley lives half an hour from Williams in Millburn near Milton, but Nigel and Stacy are both in Australia.
One Over Da Skye’s first foal in a Love You colt wound up being bought at this year’s sales by Gavin Smith for $100,000 and is being syndicated with Williams keeping a share as per usual.
She has had another Love You colt for next year’s sales and is in foal to Classic Connection, a son of Love You who is very highly rated by Jean Pierre Dubois.
One Over Da Stars had an Andover Hall colt at this year’s sales which was bought for $70,000 by Dunedin’s Steve Thompson and he is being trained by the All Stars.
One Over Da Stars has had a Majestic Son colt for next year’s sales, but is now back in work having done a month of jogging with Gavin Smith.
“She got to foaling quite late and I figured if she was going to have the year off, she might as well do something.
“We’ll give it a go and if it doesn’t work out, she can just go back to being a broodmare.”
One Over Da Stars could be quite brilliant on her day and won her second race at Washdyke by over 16 lengths, but mostly she just lost the plot, much like Majestic Rollon.
She can also win some more races yet, but knowing when is going to be the issue. – by Frank Marrion