Smokin’ Romans back on song
Group 1 winner Smokin’ Romans broke a two-year win drought in style on Saturday with a black-type success at the scene of his biggest triumph.
The Ghibellines gelding went into Saturday’s A$300,000 Group 3 Queen Elizabeth Stakes (2600m) at Flemington as a nine-time winner from a career spanning 39 starts.
However, he had not won since taking out the Group 1 Turnbull Stakes (2000m) at Flemington in October of 2022.
The eight-year-old turned back the clock in Saturday’s Queen Elizabeth Stakes under a front-running ride from Ben Melham.
He held the chasers at bay all the way down the Flemington straight, beating Star Vega by half a length with another four lengths back to Berkeley Square in third.
“I was a little bit cheeky,” Melham said.
“We had it pretty steady the first half. He’s a lovely old horse. He’s got a beautiful rhythm. They sent the mozzies out midway to inject a bit of pressure, probably rightfully so, as I was going pretty steady on him. But from that moment on, he picked up, he switched on and when I went for him, he picked up quickly.
“Because we had it so cheap the first half, I stepped it up a good way out and he maintained his gallop all the way through the line.
“Sometimes, these old horses, you’ve got to try something a bit different on them. Just trying something different, leading and sprinting a long way out, it seemed to work with him today. He’s a good, honest horse, a sound horse. Obviously he hasn’t been in the winner’s circle for a long time. It’s good to see him return there.”
Smokin’ Romans is trained by Ciaron Maher and has now had 40 starts for 10 wins, nine placings and A$1.96 million in stakes.
“He’s a Turnbull winner,” Maher said.
“He hasn’t got to that form for a while, but it’s fantastic for the horse, the owners and the team to get a big win like this.
“He’s bred down in the South Island in New Zealand, so he’s a pretty hardy fella. He’s sound and the team have done a great job with him. The owners have had a big thrill today on the last day of the Flemington carnival.
“We’ll definitely have a look at the Zipping Classic (Group 2, 2400m) now. I feel that a few of these horses will be having a crack at that, and he’s winning, so we’ll give it a go.”
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