Sigley Hopeful Rohan Can Bounce Back In Kingston Town Classic

Trainer Vaughn Sigley is hopeful that injury-plagued gelding Rohan can bounce back to his best form in the Group 1 Kingston Town Classic(1800m) at Ascot on Saturday.

Trainer Vaughn Sigley is hopeful that Rohan can upset the likes of Mr Moet and Luckygray to win the Kingston Town Classic at Ascot tomorrow.

Trainer Vaughn Sigley is hopeful that Rohan can upset the likes of Mr Moet and Luckygray to win the Kingston Town Classic at Ascot tomorrow. Photo by: Race Horse Photos Australia

Rohan was the leading three-year-old in Perth in 2012, winning the Group 2 W.A.T.C. Derby (2400m) and Listed Belmont Guineas (1600m), but missed the 2012 Perth Summer Racing Carnival with a suspensory ligament issue.

The suspensory ligament problem kept the Blackfriars gelding out of racing for his entire four-year-old season but he returned to the races in October with a most impressive second place finish behind Playing God in the Group 3 Northerly Stakes (1400m) at Ascot on October 19.

Sigley patiently nursed Rohan back to full fitness, with the long-term future of the five-year-old always his main concern, and told Sky Racing HQ this morning that he was delighted to see his star galloper return to the races in such strong fashion.

“He sat up outsider the leader, he was very fresh that day and quiet keen, which isn’t his normal racing pattern,” Sigley said.

“He just went down by the barest of margins, Playing God got him right on the line, and he boxed on really well that day and we were really happy with him.”

Rohan maintained his strong form with third place finishes in both the Group 3 Asian Beau Stakes (1400m) and Group 3 R.J. Peters Stakes (1500m) but was forced to step up to 2100 metres for the Tattersall’s Cup after missing out on a run in the Group 1 Railway Stakes (1600m).

He finished a disappointing eighth but Sigley admitted that it had set the Group 2 winner an impossible task and is confident that he can return to his best form when he makes his debut at Group 1 level in the Kingston Town Classic tomorrow.

“He has come back in good form and we have been really happy with him,” Sigley said.

“We were trying to get him into the Railway but we just missed out there.

“His last run we had to butter him up and put him up over 2100 metres but it just didn’t suit him and he was beaten three lengths.

“He is a class horse and we are hoping that he will bounce back.”

Rohan is considered an outsider in 2013 Kingston Town Classic betting markets at odds of $34; with Luckygray ($2.60) a clear favourite from Ihtsahymn ($4.60) and Mr Moet ($5.50).

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Thomas Hackett

Thomas is a passionate and opinionated racing journalist and punter who has been obsessed with horse racing since he backed Saintly to win the 1996 Melbourne Cup. An international racing enthusiast, he has his finger on the pulse of racing news not just from Australia but all around the world.