Trainer Donna Logan is yet to decide on a 2014 Spring Racing Carnival target for Australian Oaks winner Rising Romance, but revealed that the rising four-year-old will be nominated for the Group 1 Caulfield Cup (2400m) and Group 1 Cox Plate (2040m).
Rising Romance could contest either the Caulfield Cup or Cox Plate during the 2014 Spring Racing Carnival. Photo by: Steve Hart
Rising Romance was one of the star three-year-old performers during the Ellerslie Summer Carnival, winning the Group 2 Royal Stakes (2000m) before finishing second behind Puccini in both the Group 2 Avondale Guineas and Group 1 New Zealand Derby (2400m), and was able to maintain that form during the 2014 Sydney Autumn Racing Carnival.
The Ekraar filly made her Australian racing debut with a fourth place finish behind Lucia Valentina in the Group 1 Vinery Stud Stakes (2000m) at Rosehill Gardens on April 5 and recorded her maiden win at Group 1 level in the Australian Oaks (2400m) at Royal Randwick on April 19.
Logan said that she is yet to make any decisions on what path Rising Romance will follow, but is leaning towards running the filly in the Caulfield Cup on October 18, but the Cox Plate and Group 1 Hong Kong Cup (2000m) at Sha Tin in December are also possible options for the Group 1 winner.
“We’ll be giving her a light spring and then target the autumn, when she’ll really be at her peak,” Logan told The New Zealand Racing Desk.
There’s a lot of money on offer and she’ll be a lot stronger then,” Logan said.
“We’ll have her vaccinated for Hong Kong and obviously we would have to get invited, but we’ll be covering all the bases.
“As a trainer you can’t rule out any opportunities and we’ll also be nominating for the Cox Plate and the Caulfield Cup.
“James McDonald said he’d love to see her in a Cox Plate, but I’m a bit more inclined toward the Caulfield Cup.
They’re animals and not machines, and things can change from day to day so we’ll just have to wait and see closer to the time.”
There are a number of Group 1 races on offer during the Hawke’s Bay Spring Racing Carnival in New Zealand, such as the Windsor Park Plate (1600m) and Spring Classic (2040m), but Logan confirmed that Rising Romance was unlike to compete at the highest level in New Zealand before heading to Melbourne for her spring campaign.
“If we head to Melbourne, there’s are a few lead-up races here, but she won’t be going to Hawke’s Bay,” Logan said.
“I’m not a fan of starting a preparation in such hard races and prefer to take softer options.
“It’s a wonderful carnival, but the horses need to be well-conditioned for those Group One races.”
Rising Romance is currently on top of the 2014 Caulfield Cup betting market with Ladbrokes Australia at a quote of $13.
