Big race jockey Hugh Bowman has received a recall to ride Le Romain in the Group 2 $200,000 Tramway Stakes (1400m) at Randwick on Saturday.
Hugh Bowman will ride Le Romain, above, in the 2018 Tramway Stakes at Randwick. Photo by Steve Hart.
Bowman has ridden Le Romain on several occasions in the past with their best result together being a win in the Group 1 $1m Cantala Stakes (1600m) at Flemington during the 2016 Melbourne Spring Carnival.
Bowman was last aboard Le Romain when seventh in the Group 1 $700,000 The PFD Food Services Galaxy (1100m) at Rosehill in March during the 2018 Sydney Autumn Carnival and will replace James McDonald who drove the Kris Lees trained six year old to a first up win in the Group 3 $150,000 Nexon Show County Quality (1200m) at Randwick on August 18.
McDonald has elected to stay with Pierata in the Tramway Stakes after partnering the Greg Hickman trained sprinter to victory in the Group 2 $200,000 Mostyn Copper Group Missile Stakes (1200m) at Randwick on August 4.
Le Romain’s victory in the Show County Quality was the gelding’s first since winning the Group 1 $500,000 Canterbury Stakes (1300m) at Randwick during the 2017 Sydney Autumn Carnival but Lees’ stable flag bearer had been Group 1 placed on three occasions during his last campaign during the Autumn and the Brisbane Winter Carnival.
Le Romain was runner up in the $600,000 Schweppes All Aged Stakes (1400m) at Randwick and in the $700,000 Altus Traffic Kingsford-Smith Cup (1350m) at Doomben and sandwiched in between ran third to English in the $700,000 Kirin Doomben 10,000 (1200m) at Doomben.
“He is a very good horse but I think he has come back better this season,’’ Lees told The Sunday Telegraph.
“When he was racing back in the autumn, he was returning after colic surgery and it took him a while to hit his straps.”
Pierata has been installed as the $3.25 for the Tramway Stakes with Ladbrokes.com.au ahead of Kementari at $4 with Le Romain on the third line of betting at $4.50.
The James Cummings trained Kementari is also among the nominations for the Group 1 $1m Memsie Stakes (1400m) at Caulfield on Saturday and is on the second line of betting at $5 behind the $2.80 favourite Vega Magic.
Early betting for the 2018 Tramway Stakes at Ladbrokes.com.au: $3.25 Pierata, $4 Kementari, $4.50 Le Romain, $7 Lanciato, $8.50 Dixie Blossoms, $10 Comin’ Through, Tom Melbourne, $15 Arbeitsam, Egg Tart, Foxplay, It’s Somewhat, Mr Moonlight Magic, $21 Cabeza De Vaca, Youngstar, $26 Duca Valentinois, $51 Life Less Ordinary, Sambro, Satono Rasen, Takedown, $101 or better the rest.
