Stud duties await Road To Rock after the Doomben Cup but trainer Anthony Cummings hopes the entire has his mind on racing when he has his final start on Saturday.New Zealand's Wellfield Lodge announced on Monday it had secured Road To Rock for stallion duties from next season.The Doomben Cup (2020m) will be his racetrack swansong and gives him a chance to bow out a triple Group One winner having already claimed elite victories in the George Main and Queen Elizabeth Stakes in Sydney.However, Road

Stud duties await Road To Rock after the Doomben Cup but trainer Anthony Cummings hopes the entire has his mind on racing when he has his final start on Saturday.

New Zealand's Wellfield Lodge announced on Monday it had secured Road To Rock for stallion duties from next season.

The Doomben Cup (2020m) will be his racetrack swansong and gives him a chance to bow out a triple Group One winner having already claimed elite victories in the George Main and Queen Elizabeth Stakes in Sydney.

However, Road To Rock has started to show an interest in his new career, taking a fancy to rival Gold Water prior to his second in the Hollindale Stakes last Saturday week.

Gold Water is one of five mares nominated for Saturday's showpiece and Cummings is only too aware of the potential distractions.

"Hopefully she draws the other side of the field," Cummings said.

Cummings says while it will be sad to lose a horse of Road To Rock's quality from the stable, the stud deal has been a good result.

"It's a good advertisement for the stable," Cummings said.

"He cost us about $100,000 and he's been sold for quite a few million so it's a good result."

Road To Rock has won six of his 35 starts and if he wins again on Saturday he will take his prizemoney tally to more than $1.5 million.

Syndicated into 50 shares with Wellfield Lodge holding the majority interest, Road To Rock will stand at an initial fee of $NZ12,500 plus GST.

Hollindale winner Metal Bender ($2.80) shades Road To Rock ($3.50) for Doomben Cup favouritism in early TAB Sportsbet markets but Cummings has no doubt his charge can turn the tables.

"Absolutely. The race didn't work out in his favour the other day," he said.

"The other bloke got all the breaks, we got none.

"I think this will be a different race on the weekend.

"On the day the (Gold Coast) track didn't play to horses who got back and that's what Road To Rock did.

"Doomben will be a much more comfortable place for him."

Damien Oliver will be reunited with Road To Rock at Doomben after Stathi Katsidis warmed the saddle for the suspended Victorian at the Gold Coast.

Oliver won the Queen Elizabeth aboard Road To Rock two starts ago after the pair was controversially beaten by Rangirangdoo in the Doncaster when Oliver returned to scale overweight.

There has been no resolution over who will ride Metal Bender despite Hugh Bowman losing his appeal against an eight meeting suspension on Monday.

Bowman plans to launch a further appeal and apply for a stay of proceedings which, if granted, could free him to maintain his association with the Chris Waller-trained gelding on Saturday.