Racing: Trainer pins hopes on Vosne Romanee

SYDNEY: Awapuni trainer Jeff Lynds is bullish about Vosne Romanee achieving success on his Australian racing debut at Sydney's autumn racing carnival swansong at Randwick today.

The seven-year-old spearheads Lynds' final quest for a group one triumph on Australian soil this season, 15 years after he lined up Marconee in Randwick's Doncaster Mile.

Lynds has hardly been a regular visitor to Randwick since 1995 but feels Vosne Romanee will justify the journey when tackling a high-quality field in the A$350,000 ($454,000) weight-for-age Queen Elizabeth Stakes (2000m).

The dominant weight-for-age performer in New Zealand this season, Vosne Romanee only secured his first group one victory last October when winning the Kelt Capital Stakes (2040m).

He has subsequently added the Zabeel Classic and New Zealand Stakes, both over his specialist 2000m distance, to inspire Lynds' confidence.

"He's a great trooper. Not many horses can run their last 600 metres in 33 seconds, and he's got a great turn of pace," Lynds said.

Vosne Romanee has drawn barrier seven in a nine-horse field.

Last weekend's Doncaster winner Rangirangdoo has been scratched, with trainer Chris Waller deciding to send the gelding for a spell.

Waller said after last week's victory in the A$1.5 million Doncaster that he would monitor Rangirangdoo this week before making a final decision.

Rangirangdoo was the early favourite for the Queen Elizabeth but was scratched yesterday morning.

Imported galloper Doctor Fremantle now heads TAB Sportsbet's market at A$3.80, ahead of Monaco Consul at A$4 and Doncaster runner-up Road To Rock at A$4.20.

Vosne Romanee follows in the slipstream of Wall Street, who placed 11th in last weekend's Doncaster, while Lynds also has stablemate Booming backing up in the A$400,000 Sydney Cup.

Vosne Romanee was quoted on Thursday as an A$11 chance, the same odds Booming has attracted in the Sydney Cup.

New Zealand's hopes of breaking Australia's group one dominance of the carnival also rest with father and son duo Murray and Bjorn Baker, who line up Harris Tweed in the Sydney Cup.

The feature race has rarely been a source of satisfaction for New Zealand-based trainers.

Murray Baker trained 1992 winner Eagle Eye, since then the only New Zealand winner was Honor Babe in 2003 for Katrina Alexander - Baker's one-time foreman.

The Bakers will be hoping their luck finally changes at Randwick after Harris Tweed ran a close second in last year's AJC Derby and fifth in the Melbourne Cup, while stablemate Mr Tipsy ran third in the 2009 Sydney Cup.

Harris Tweed drew barrier two in a 12-horse field that has Bart Cummings' Precedence installed as the A$6.50 favourite.

The Steven Cooper-trained Spin Around - a A$26 outsider - is the other New Zealand-trained galloper in the Sydney Cup while former New Zealand-trained stayers Capecover and Divine Rebel, last year's runner-up, also feature.

- NZPA