Smokin’ Romans (NZ) Back in Winning Groove

Group One-winning Karaka graduate Smokin’ Romans (NZ) (Ghibellines) made a welcome return to winning form in the A$300,000 Group Three Queen Elizabeth Stakes (2600m) at Flemington on Saturday.

Smokin’ Romans was bought for $52,500 from the Book 1 draft of his breeders White Robe Lodge at Karaka 2018. He has had 40 starts for 10 wins, nine placings and A$1.96m in stakes, headed by a Group One triumph in the Turnbull Stakes (2000m) in October of 2022.

The gelding had gone winless through more than two years and 16 starts since those Turnbull heroics, but he broke the drought in style in Saturday’s Queen Elizabeth.

Ridden positively by Ben Melham, the eight-year-old ran his rivals off their feet and simply outstayed them, holding on to beat Star Vega (Lope De Vega) by half a length with a big margin back to third.

“I was a little bit cheeky,” Melham said. “We had it pretty steady the first half. He’s a lovely old horse. He’s got a beautiful rhythm. They sent the mozzies out midway to inject a bit of pressure, probably rightfully so, as I was going pretty steady on him. But from that moment on, he picked up, he switched on and when I went for him, he picked up quickly.

“Because we had it so cheap the first half, I stepped it up a good way out and he maintained his gallop all the way through the line.

“Sometimes, these old horses, you’ve got to try something a bit different on them. Just trying something different, leading and sprinting a long way out, it seemed to work with him today. He’s a good, honest horse, a sound horse. Obviously he hasn’t been in the winner’s circle for a long time. It’s good to see him return there.”

Trainer Ciaron Maher was delighted to see the stable stalwart back at his best.

“He’s a Turnbull winner,” Maher said. “He hasn’t got to that form for a while, but it’s fantastic for the horse, the owners and the team to get a big win like this.

“He’s bred down in the South Island in New Zealand, so he’s a pretty hardy fella. He’s sound and the team have done a great job with him. The owners have had a big thrill today on the last day of the Flemington carnival.”