Rocket Tommy after another Flemington win

Rocket Tommy will return to Flemington where he has won three races on the straight course.

Echuca sprinter Rocket Tommy excels on the Flemington straight course and will be back in town for another heat of the All Victorian Sprint Series.

The Gwenda Johnstone-trained Rocket Tommy made it three wins from four Flemington starts when he resumed from a spell and took out the heat of the All Victorian Sprint Series over 1000m last Saturday week.

Johnstone’s husband and stable representative Mick brought the sprinter to Melbourne that day and will be with him again on Saturday, with the trainer to head to Donald where she has several runners.

But there’s another reason for Gwenda preferring to stay away from the Flemington meeting.

“Gwenda has got four in at Donald so she’s going to go to Donald,” Mick Johnstone said.

“She said she doesn’t want to break up the relationship. She hasn’t been there when he has won, so she said ‘I won’t go’.”

Rocket Tommy, winner of eight of his 18 starts, was on the third line of betting at $8 on Thursday for the Grampians Region Handicap (1100m) behind You’ve Been Had ($4) and Man From Uncle ($5) and Johnstone believes the six-year-old can be in the finish again.

“His first-up run was really good and he’s won over 1100-metres down the straight before,” Mick Johnstone said.

“His work has been good. He’s eaten up and he seems very happy in himself.”

The Listed All Victorian Sprint Series Final (1200m) is two weeks after Saturday and Rocket Tommy is scheduled to head there.

“He’s been in a 1200-metre race before and it didn’t look like he could run it, but if he’s going to run 1200 he’ll run it down the straight, being the track he likes,” Johnstone said.

“We’ll give him a go at that and see how he goes.”