Racing: Romany returns pleasing trial for Riccarton feature

Former Central Districts jockey Paul Taylor was both pleased and disappointed after riding Romany to win the Winter Cup Trial at Ashburton yesterday.

"I am a bit disappointed that I am only second in line to ride him in the Winter Cup," Taylor said. "It will be interesting to see what weight he gets."

He was guaranteed a start with his win yesterday.

Chris Johnson, who missed the ride yesterday through suspension, has the mount in the $100,000 Winter Cup at Riccarton on August 7.

Johnson has ridden Romany in five of his seven wins and his previous seven starts. Three of those wins have come on rain-affected tracks in eight starts in the past 3 months.

"He [Romany] had an attitude problem but with Chris riding him this season, he seems so different," Laurie Jarvis, the Riccarton owner-trainer of Romany, said.

Johnson has won the Winter Cup on Kar Dan (1986) and Robyn's Affair (1991).

Taylor rode Tangarakau to win the race in 1997.

He said Romany had won more easily than his neck margin suggested.

"He should have won by more. He waited for the challenges to come and only did as much as he had to."

Taylor shifted from New Plymouth to Pukekohe seven weeks ago.

"It is something I should have done a long time ago. There is just so much more happening there and there is not the some amount of travelling," he said.

Jarvis (as Laurie Buzan) had the unplaced Inga in the 1996 Winter Cup.

Inga, who won 15 races, finished second to Glenharrow in the Winter Cup Trial at Ashburton that year.

The Truly Vain gelding had his last race in the 1998 Winter Cup Trial won by Trounced, who won the Winter Cup that year.

Jarvis raced Inga with her father Boyd Buzan. Romany is by Al Jadeed out of Miss Collins, a half-sister by Colonel Collins to Inga. Al Jadeed died in December, 2005, when in his second season at the Berkley Stud at Greenpark.

He won the group two Ascot Royal Lodge Stakes (1600m) as a 2-year-old in England.

Romany is the third foal Jarvis and her husband, Rodney, have bred from Miss Collins, who did not win in eight starts.

Trainer Shane Marr is hoping to gain a Winter Cup start with Faaltless, an impressive winner of a rating 80 1400m race yesterday under 58kg. It was the fourth win for the Faltaat gelding in his past five starts.

Marr said he would start Faaltless in the Winter Cup Trial at Blenheim on July 25 to assure a start. The winner of that race is exempt from the ballot for the Winter Cup.

- OTAGO DAILY TIMES