Romanoff seeking second major victory of season in Classic

Romanoff (right) downed stablemate Affirmative Action in the 2000 Guineas at Riccarton in November. Photo/ Ajay Berry

Matamata trainer Pam Gerard will head south to Trentham today with a quality team of three runners engaged for the day’s feature meeting.

Spearheading the attack will be last start New Zealand 2000 Guineas winner Romanoff, who will be stepping out on raceday for the first time since defeating stablemate Affirmative Action in the Riccarton blue riband classic.

His mission on the weekend is the Group 2 Levin Track Supporters Levin Classic (1400m) with Gerard keen to see him meet expectations as she prepares the son of Belardo for a pair of major assignments at Ellerslie.

“He had a nice freshen-up after returning from Christchurch and this was the race we felt would be best to kick him off in,” Gerard said.

“He has been working along nicely at home and we want to see him perform to expectations, albeit knowing this isn’t his main aim and that the 1400m might be a little on the short side for him.

“He is a real character and loves a trip away as he just puts his head down and eats everything you put in front of him, so the whole journey to Wellington and back, along with the race will be perfect for him.”

Once safely through Saturday, Gerard is eyeing the $1.5 million TAB Karaka Millions 3YO at Ellerslie on January 24 followed by the $4m NZB Kiwi (1500m) on March 7, when Romanoff will take up the Canterbury Jockey Club slot he secured with his 2000 Guineas victory.

“As long as he pulls up well on Saturday he will then go straight to the Karaka Million and then into the NZB Kiwi,” Gerard said.

“The key will be to keep him fresh enough while also getting the miles into his legs that he needs, so it is likely he will have an exhibition gallop or similar between those two races.

“He has earned his chance at those races and having a runner with a decent chance is what racing is all about.”

The second member of Gerard’s Trentham team is last season’s Group 1 New Zealand Oaks (2400m) runner-up Dubai Gold, who will tackle the Group 3 Ron Stanley Memorial Phar Lap Stakes (1600m).

Gerard said she has been struggling to find appropriate races for the 4-year-old mare after the first two starts in her current campaign.

“She trialled really well before her first-up run at Counties back in November but then everything went wrong during the race where she got trapped wide throughout,” she said.

“We really wanted to see where she stood at weight-for-age against the best fillies and mares so we rolled the dice and ran her second up at Te Rapa in the Cal Isuzu [Group 2, 1600m] where she just got outsprinted in the closing stages, while she was also feeling the hard track a little.

“That has convinced me she really is a better mare in the autumn as that was where she excelled last season when there was some cut in the tracks.

“It has been tough to find a suitable race for her, but the pieces have fallen into place for Trentham as they have had a bit of rain. She loves the track and she really impressed me this week with her work.

“She has dappled up nicely so we decided on Friday morning to send her south and I’m hoping that is the right decision.

“If she goes well we can go back for the Remutaka Classic [$350,000, 2100m] on the 31st [of January] and then look again at what is available after that.

“She is still on her learning curve and we know if she comes up like she did last year then there is always Brisbane in the winter as an option.”

Last start maiden winner Dragon Blossom rounds out Gerard’s Trentham team and is tipped as a strong chance in the Blue Star Group 1600.

“She is flying and while she took a long time to win a maiden she had been running in very strong fields without much luck,” she said.

“She is only small but she is tough and has been to Trentham before and gone a cracker, so I’m hoping she can do the same again on Saturday.”

– LOVERACING.NZ News Desk