The G3 Roma Cup of 2026 provided Ascot racegoers with a thrilling finish, in which battle hardened Albany galloper Rope Them In (Playing God) brought to an end the undefeated status of race favourite Smooth Chino (Maschino) who was chasing his seventh consecutive win.
Smooth Chino under Lucy Fiore was stepping up to G3 from Listed company for the first time and he received the perfect ride just off the speed.
The big chestnut son of Maschino swept to the lead at the 200m, but Shaun McGruddy and 6/1 chance Rope Them In were leading the charge to run them down.
As he did first up last preparation in the RS Crawford Stakes, Rope Them In produced his trademark burst of acceleration for longtime partner McGruddy to overhaul Smooth Chino in a driving finish and claim his third stakes victory by a long neck in the 1100m contest.
Flying into a close third was Oscar's Fortune (Rich Enuff) a place getter in the 2023 Winterbottom Stakes who has raced consistently since his return from the eastern states last year.
Rope Them In's impressive win was doubtless a tonic for the five year old's trainer Steve Wolfe who was unwell and unable to be on course to watch his two mates, horse and human, combine for another stakes triumph.
Bring on The Quokka!
Rope Them In has firmed in betting for the $5 million Quokka, which will run in a fortnight's time.
Last preparation, he rocketed home under 61kg when second up and went down by a nose to the subsequent G1 Railway winner Watch Me Rock (57kg) in the G3 Asian Beau Stakes - and if he can repeat that level of performance Rope Them In looms as a genuine local hope in Perth’s slot race showpiece.
He will race in the Rapid Equine Slot, where he will meet his Roma Cup rivals Smooth Chino, Luana Miss (Bivouac - 4th in the Roma Cup) and West Star (Playing God - 8th) again, along with local star filly Talkanco (I'm All The Talk) and evergreen big race performer Magnificent Andy ( Magnus).
The West Aussies will attempt to repel a formidable contingent of eastern state raiders - the Newmarket hero Caballus (I Am Invincible), honorary Perthian Rey Magnerio (Magnus), Jedibeel (Savabeel) and Jigsaw (Manhattan Rain).
There are still three Quokka slots to be filled!
A dedicated flight for the visitors is scheduled to depart Melbourne on 10th April.
His Roma Cup triumph takes Rope Them In's career record to ten wins and five placings from twenty five starts for earnings of $1,457,055.
He now has dual G3 victories to his name, and has twice finished fourth in the G1 Winterbottom Stakes at WFA, each time less than two lengths from the winner.
Commercial Bloodstock Agents (FBAA) purchased the athletic son of Playing God for $60,000 from the Willaview Park draft at Perth Magic Millions.
Rope Them In is the fourth stakes winner of the season for WA's champion sire Playing God and his Roma Cup win demonstrates - yet again - the remarkable versatility of Darling View's wonderful stallion, who last week sired the runaway WA Oaks winner Wonderfully Made.
Rope Them In's dam Lead Rope (Real Jester) was a very fast mare who won six races.
She is now retired from breeding.
Rope Them In, her only foal by Playing God, is by far the best of her four winners.
Lead Rope's final foal is a Maschino gelding named Sign Of The Times - now two, he was a $100,000 Perth MM buy for Steve Wolfe and has trialled well but is yet to race.
Lead Rope's dam Gay Abandon by the excellent Northern Dancer son Jugah was a half-sister to Vainquer ( Bletchley Park), the dam of classy performer Tom’s Six (by Playing God's sire Blackfriars) - his wins included the Listed WATC All Stars Stakes, Belgravia Stakes, Fairetha Stakes and Ngawyni Stakes.
This family, a branch of the 4-p tribe, traces back to the Irish-bred Pin Up Girl, ancestress of G1 sprinter miler Assertive Lad and his dual G1 winning sister Assertive Lass - the dam of Zabeel's unbeaten G1 winner and fantastic sire Reset.
Rope Them In is bred
Northern Dancer 5m x 4m
Biscay x 5f,5m sex balanced.
His dam’s sex balanced lines of Star Kingdom's great son Biscay complement the two lines to Star Kingdom daughters and his son Todman carried by Playing God’s dam.
Rope Them In’s damsire, the brilliant juvenile Real Jester is from the same female line as Rubiton - and he provides a third line of the great speed sire Tudor Minstrel via Sostenuto to sex balance the Tudor Minstrel daughter Ann Boleyn, who appears twice through her son Seventh Hussar.
Seventh Hussar is the damsire of Rubiton and appears in the seventh remove of Rope Them In's pedigree as the damsire of the Blue Hen Denises's Joy. Her grandson Christmas Tree sired his third dam Not In Vain.
WA’s supersire Playing God stands at Darling View Thoroughbreds at a fee of $49,500.
