The celebrations Rolls on for Sanders’ home track hero

A shared birthday may be the only thing Rolls has in common with Phar Lap, but to his part-owner Ken Sanders the evergreen eight-year-old is every inch a champion racehorse after he continued his love affair with his home track at the Warrnambool May Racing Carnival. 

Both horses were born on 4 October – some 90 years apart – and whilst it is perhaps unlikely that Rolls will make his way into the Australian Racing Hall of Fame, the Warrnambool Racing Club might consider erecting a statue of him after he saluted at their famous carnival for the third year in a row.

Admittedly this year his success wasn’t quite as notable as in 2023, when he took out the Listed Warrnambool Cup, but it perhaps carried even greater sentiment given co-trainer Maddie Raymond had lost her father and “biggest supporter” to a sudden illness last year.

It was therefore a mix of tears of joy and sorrow that greeted Rolls when he returned to the mounting yard having taken his home track record to four wins and four minor placings from 10 competitive outings.

“He just loves running at Warrnambool, especially at this time of year when the track has got a bit of give in it,” said Sanders. 

“Unlike with the Cup the celebrations weren’t too big this time, I was the only owner on track and Maddie is heavily pregnant so she isn’t in any shape to celebrate at the minute! It was another brave win carrying the big weight, and I was fairly confident he would run well after the way he finished off his previous race at Morphettville. It was the perfect prep run, and he delivered again.” 

Victory carried Rolls’ career prizemoney earnings past the $750,000 mark, which represents a serious return on the small investment that Sanders made in his dam Explobo when she was in foal to Anacheeva. 

The resulting foal failed to make his modest $15,000 reserve price at the 2018 Inglis Premier Yearling Sale, so Sanders and his co-breeder Tony Stewart decided to race him, with Sanders’ brother Russell and sister Robyn joining him on the journey. 

And what a journey it has now been, with Rolls winning on no fewer than 10 occasions and even picking up a pair of $30,000 VOBIS Platinum vouchers in the process, with Sanders cash in his share of the first one on a service fee to Kermadec. 

The resulting filly – which will be Explobo’s last foal after she was retired from the breeding barn – was, coincidentally, also born on 4 October. She has since been named Monique (in honour of AFLW star Monique Conti) by Sanders, a Richmond FC tragic who named Rolls as a nod to Royce Hart, regarded as one of the game’s greatest centre half-forwards. 

“The mare has been a great producer for us,” said Sanders. 

“Tony and I first got into racing and breeding around 20 years ago through the footy club where we used to play down St Kilda way. We had a few jockeys playing and training with us at the time, Damien Oliver used to train with us when he was preparing for his celebrity footy games so we took a bit of an interest and it went from there.

“I had a share in Land Of Plenty, who won the Toorak Handicap in 2018, so winning a Group 1 was the highlight of my ownership career but Rolls is a very close second. There’s been some ups and downs but it’s been a great ride so far, and hopefully it’s not over yet. 

“He’s had a few niggling issues but Maddie has done an amazing job with him, she just loves the horse and has really nurtured him back to full fitness. She gives him the extra care and attention he needs and he has really thrived since joining her stable, so I can’t thank her enough.”