NEWS

Six-year-old Ghibellines gelding Smokin’ Romans firmed into favouritism for this month’s $5 million Caulfield Cup after his emphatic victory in the Group 1 Turnbull Stakes over 2000m at Flemington on Saturday. Purchased by Jeremy Rogers at the 2018 New Zealand Bloodstock Premier Sale for NZ$52,500 under the Darren Weir Racing banner from the White Robe Lodge draft, he is in career best form. Before his Flemington win, he gained automatic entry into the Caulfield Cup by winning the Group 3 Naturalism Stakes over 2000m.   Taking his prizemoney past the $1 million mark, Smokin’ Romans is a credit to his

The win of Written Tycoon mare Cheloon in the Spry Civil Construction Handicap at Murray Bridge on Saturday capped off a great week for Rogers Bloodstock. It began last Saturday with the win of the three-year-old Rubick filly Bound For Home in the Group 3 Quzette Stakes at Caulfield. A $50,000 purchase in conjunction with trainer Archie Alexander from the 2021 Melbourne Premier Sale, she has now had three starts for two wins and a second at Flemington. She is now likely to be headed towards the $200,000 Group 3 Scarborough Stakes at Moonee Valley on Grand Final Eve. On

The Quezette Stakes (1100m) has gone the way of $34 chance Bound For Home, with jockey Declan Bates giving the Archie Alexander-trained filly a perfect ride in the Caulfield feature. Although going into the race with a win and a second to her name from two career starts, punters didn’t want to be with the Rubick filly. Positioned awkwardly on the fence from barrier three, Bates needed some luck in running, but when the run came in the straight his mount shot through and then fended off the challenge from the Group 2-placed Ojai. There were a number of unlucky