CANDY Rock is coming into his own and his MR86 win over 1700m at the Vaal on Saturday won’t be his last.

Mike de Kock gave this son of Fastnet Rock a chance to find his feet with a six-month break between his Maiden and his second run. Candy Rock has only had four starts since that Maiden – winning two of them – and on Saturday Mike described this now four-year-old gelding as “a horse worth following”.

Candy Rock put effort into his Vaal gallop.

Candy Rock was well placed by jockey Marco van Rensburg, who shook him up from a good challenging position near the running rail. He surged forward with noticeable purpose, received a single gentle smack to straighten him going past the 100m mark and won going away.

The race replay shows Van Rensburg  just going through the motions in the last 50m with his rivals all riding hard, a testimony to his mount’s easy manner of victory. “Marco rode a good race, he deserves a compliment,” said Mike.

Home-bred and owned by Sheikh Mohammed bin Khalifa Al Maktoum, Candy Rock is a produce of the mare Candy Critic (Candy Stripes), who was purchased for the Sheikh just prior to winning the 2006 SA Oaks.