Owner John Carter has revealed that Group 1 winning mare Rising Romance will join the Lindsay Park team of David Hayes and Tom Dabernig ahead of the 2015 Spring Racing Carnival.
Rising Romance will be trained in Australia by David Hayes and Tom Dabernig during the 2015 Spring Racing Carnival. Photo by: Steve Hart
Rising Romance has been trained by Donna Logan since she made her racing debut in a maiden at Avondale in October of 2013 and she won the 2014 edition of the Group 1 Australian Oaks (2400m) under the care of the Ruakaka-based trainer, but Carter told The Informant yesterday that he believes the four-year-old has a better chance of winning another Group 1 if she is based in Australia under the care of the Hayes and Dabernig.
“Donna Logan has done a fantastic job and the decision was a hard one,” Carter said in a statement.
“However, on balance this is her best chance of winning some more Group Ones before she is likely to be retired.
“Donna is still training other horses for us.”
Rising Romance failed to record a race win during the 2014 Spring Racing Carnival, but she showed that she was more than capable of making the leap from three-year-old company to open company during a tough campaign.
The Ekraar mare hit the line fairly in both the Group 2 Tramway Stakes (1400m) at Royal Randwick on September 6 and the Group 1 George Main Stakes (1600m) at the same venue on September 20 before she finished second in the Group 3 Craven Plate (2000m) on October 4.
Rising Romance went into the Group 1 Caulfield Cup (2400m) at double figure odds, but she looked like the winner at the 200 metre mark before she was caught in the final stages of the race by Japanese stayer Admire Rakti.
The talented mare returned to New Zealand racing with a win in the Ophthalmic Instrument Company (1500m) at Ellerslie on February 14 and she finished second in the Group 1 New Zealand Stakes (2000m) at the same venue on March 7 ahead of her return to Australia.
Rising Romance finished a close second behind Scratchy Bottom in the Group 3 Epona Stakes (1900m) at Rosehill Gardens on March 21, but she suffered minor injuries in the run that ended up keeping her out of the Group 1 The BMW (2400m) at Rosehill Gardens on March 28, the Group 2 Chairman’s Handicap (2600m) at Royal Randwick on April 6 and the Group 1 Sydney Cup (3200m).
Rising Romance will likely be set for the Caulfield Cup/Melbourne Cup double in the spring and she is currently available at 2015 Melbourne Cup odds of $34 with Ladbrokes.
