Rising Romance could finish no better than 12th in the Group 1 Turnbull Stakes (2000m) at Flemington on October 4, but co-trainer David Hayes is confident that the talented mare can bounce back to her best form in the Group 1 event at Caulfield on Saturday.
Rising Romance finished a close second behind Admire Rakti in the 2014 edition of the race. Photo by: Race Horse Photos Australia
Rising Romance made her racing debut for the Lindsay Park team with a more than credible sixth behind Boban in the Group 1 Memsie Stakes (1400m) at Caulfield on August 29 and she went to the top of 2015 Caulfield Cup betting markets when she finished second behind Fawkner in the Group 1 Makybe Diva Stakes (1600m) at Flemington on September 12, but her odds drifted after she beat home just three rivals in the Turnbull Stakes.
Hayes blamed Damian Lane’s ride for the poor performance of Rising Romance in the Turnbull Stakes and he is confident that the Ekraar mare can replicate Thousand Guineas winner Stay With Me and take out her grand final – the 2015 Caulfield Cup – after producing a flat effort in the lead-up.
“She drew 17 and got a poor ride from Damien,” Hayes told Sky Racing HQ.
“He won’t do it twice and he has a good barrier this time.
“Her form leading into that had her as favourite for the Caulfield Cup.
“It is a bit like Stay With Me – Dwayne in the lead-up race rode her poorly and got in a lot of trouble.
“She should have been 3 to 1 in the Guineas and he started 8 to 1 because they dropped off her after one poor ride.
“Like Stay With Me, she has a good barrier and that accounts for a lot and will be a big turnaround.”
Rising Romance produced one of the best performances of her career to date to finish a close second behind Admire Rakti in the Caulfield Cup last year and Hayes confirmed that he will instruct Lane to follow a similar tactics in the 205 edition of the race, but he said that the leading hoop will be under firm instructions not to go for home as early as James McDonald did in 2014
“I think if you just get a replay of last year’s Cup and we will ride her exactly the same, but take off about 200 metres later,” Hayes said.
Rising Romance is currently available at 2015 Caulfield Cup odds of $11 with Ladbrokes and she is on the fifth line of betting behind Mongolian Khan ($4.60), Hauraki ($9), Set Square ($9.50) and Fame Game ($10).
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