A dream spring for Smokin’ Romans went to another all-new high at Flemington on Saturday, scoring his first Group One victory in the Turnbull Stakes (2000m).
The Ghibellines gelding won his first stakes race only 10 months ago, capturing the Listed Pakenham Cup (2500m) in December of last year. He has continued on that upward trajectory this spring, heading to Caulfield last start and collecting his first Group win in the Gr.3 MRC Foundation Cup (2000m) on September 17.
That last-start success secured the six-year-old a spot in the Gr.1 Caulfield Cup (2400m) later this month, but Smokin’ Romans was an overlooked $21 outsider as he switched to set weights and penalties for Saturday’s A$1 million Turnbull.
Ridden by Ethan Brown for trainers Ciaron Maher and David Eustace, Smokin’ Romans settled in second behind the pace-making Knights Order.
Smokin’ Romans moved up alongside Knights Order after rounding the home turn and soon gained the ascendancy, kicking away and taking the race by the scruff of the neck.
Maximal and Young Werther gave chase through the final 200m, with Knights Order sticking grimly to his task along the rail, but Smokin’ Romans was well out of their reach and scored an emphatic victory by a length and a half.
“That was unreal – I didn’t really know what to do over the line,” Brown said. “The feeling is indescribable, and the fact that it was for Ciaron and Dave makes it that much more special.
“He is just so easy, this horse. He’s very tractable in the run. He gave me a lovely ride throughout. He’s taken a lot of improvement from last start. I thought he was a bit overlooked today and he has defied his odds to win.”
Maher was delighted to land a Group One prize with the ever-improving Smokin’ Romans, who was bred by Brian and Lorraine Anderton’s White Robe Lodge.
“He’s been a real product of our system, I suppose,” Maher said. “Late last prep, we sent him down to the beach. He was always very quirky, so it was just to get him used to going on and off the float all the time. He’d lose it and lose a lot of weight just stressing. It desensitised him, and he’s carrying a lot more condition. He’s shown he’s in good form the whole way, and even when Ethan jumped on, he said he’ll run a race today.
“The guys at White Robe Lodge that bred him, I have a bit to with them. I’ve had a fair few horses off them, they’re great people to deal with and it’s great for them to win a Group One as well.
“I think he drops to 51.5kg for the Caulfield Cup now, which seems pretty nice. I think Jamie Kah will ride him. He’s got the light weight and there’s only a few, and I’d say she’d be pretty happy to get on after today.”
Smokin’ Romans is out of the Andertons’ high-class Yamanin Vital mare Inferno, the winner of ten races including the Gr.3 Canterbury Gold Cup (2000m) twice.
The Turnbull winner sports the colours of Kiwi owner Don Frampton, who has raced Group One winners such as Booming and Trounced.
Frampton secured a share in the gelding following his sale to currently disqualified trainer Darren Weir for $52,500 during the Book 1 sale at Karaka in 2018.
“He was a horse I took a liking to when I first saw him at Karaka,” Frampton recalled. “I was a little bit late getting down to the sale and seeing him go through the ring but I followed up afterwards with Darren Weir who had bought him.
“I spoke with Darren and it turned out he had bought him as a spec horse so I said to him to give me 24 hours and I would get a group together to race him.
“We ended up getting sixty-five percent for a bunch of my friends who are all Kiwis.
“When Darren got into trouble, he was moved to Ciaron and David and we retained our share in him.”
Smokin’ Romans has now earned nearly A$1.3 million in a 23-start career that has produced nine wins and seven placings. – NZ Racing Desk
