Le Romain had to settle for second behind the G1 Caulfield Guineas winner Press Statement in the G2 Hobartville S. two weeks ago, but the modestly bred colt was able to exact revenge Saturday when getting first run on that heavily favoured rival in the Randwick Guineas. Breaking prominently, Le Romain was eased back by jockey Christian Reith after the first few hundred metres to sit midpack. Press Statement, who had broken two from the outside, was able to slot in directly to the inside of Le Romain and save ground going into the turn; however, that tactic proved costly when the favourite found himself boxed in by the winner turning for home. Le Romain got first run at the 300 metre mark and while Press Statement found a split shortly thereafter, he did not have enough in the tank to run down his longshot rival, who held on by a neck. Winning trainer Kris Lees was full of praise for Reith's ride.
“It was a terrific ride,” Lees told Racenet.com.au. “When [jockey Hugh Bowman on Press Statement] drew the wide gate and was underneath him I went 'how did he get there?' But in the end that's what might have won us the race.”
“[Le Romain] has raised the bar every time,” Lees added. “He got cover and Christian was able to make his move at a vital stage. It's a bloody long straight but it's good to see him get home. He was showing he was on an upward spiral at home. Every time we galloped him he just worked that little bit better.”
The product of a mare purchased for A$18,000 from a Darley reduction, Le Romain did not see the racetrack as a 2-year-old but has yet to finish worse than second. He broke his maiden at second asking at Newcastle in September before finishing second in a Rosehill handicap two weeks later and was subsequently put away for a summer break. He was a first-up winner of a Randwick conditions race Jan. 23 before finishing second in both the G3 Eskimo Prince S. going 1200 metres and the Hobartville over 1400 metres. He was trying a mile for the first time yesterday, an experiment that proved to pose no problem.
Le Romain becomes the first Group 1 winner Down Under for former Darley shuttler Hard Spun.
Saturday, Randwick, Australia
RANDWICK GUINEAS-G1, A$1,007,000, ATC, 3-5, 3yo, Open Set Weight, 1600mT, 1:33.83, Good.
1–&@#LE ROMAIN, 56.5, g, 3, by Hard Spun (USA)
1st Dam: Mignard, by Strategic
2nd Dam: Mielleuse, by Night Shift (USA)
3rd Dam: Collant Noir, by Lunchtime (GB)
O-A Carusi, A P Agius, L Nicaj, A Labbozzetta, G Serratore, J
Altamura, Miss M Bilusic & Mrs S Livaja; B-Mr A Carusi NSW;
T-K A Lees; J-C Reith; A$607,000. Lifetime Record: 7-3-3-1,
A$788,025. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
Werk Nick Rating: A.
2–Press Statement, 56.5, c, 3, Hinchinbrook–Kaaptive Empress,
by Kaaptive Edition (NZ). O-Vinery Stud (Mgr: P Orton), Mrs G
Muollo, A Muollo, C Hadjiparaskeva, Mrs F Hadjiparaskeva,
China Horse Club Racing Pty Ltd (Mgr: A Teo) & Raffles
Thoroughbred Racing (Mgr: K Yap); B-Mr T Muollo NSW; T-C J
Waller; J-J Bowman; A$200,000.
3–Gold Ambition (NZ), 56.5, g, 3, Savabeel–Senorita Lucy (NZ),
by Senor Pete (USA). (A$260,000 Ylg 2014 WI Melbourne
Premier Yearling Sale) O-Z An; B-Finemore Thoroughbreds Pty
Ltd & Planette Thoroughbred Trading Pty Ltd, Waikato, NZ;
T-Bjorn Baker; J-T Angland; A$100,000.
Margins: 0.2 len, 1.5 len, 2.1 len. Odds: 20.00, 0.30, 80.00.
Also Ran: Stay With Me, Montaigne (NZ), Data Point, Balmain Boy, Shards, Tulsa, Etymology, Man of Choice, Mackintosh (NZ), Dal Cielo (NZ).
Click for the Racing Post result or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. VIDEO.
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