Co-trainer Tom Dabernig is looking to a return Flemington and a good barrier to bring about a change of fortune for Rising Romance.
The 2014 ATC Australian Oaks winner and Caulfield Cup runner-up will be one of three runners for the Lindsay Park team in the Australian Cup on Saturday.
Rising Romance
Sydney Cup aspirant Almoonqith and last year’s Australian Cup runner-up Extra Zero will also fly the stable’s flag.
To be ridden by Craig Williams, Rising Romance is the highest rated Lindsay Park runner in early market at $11 with Almoonqith ($13) and Extra Zero ($51).
Godolphin galloper Bow Creek is the favourite at $3.50.
“She keeps drawing wide and we have to keep going back,” Dabernig said.
“She’s got a very good record at Flemington and with those two runs underneath her and the 2000 metres she should be ready to do something.
“If we happened to get a little bit of give in the ground it would be ideal.
“She goes on any surface but I reckon if there’s a little bit of sting out of it, she’ll fly.”
Rising Romance is yet to win for Dabernig and David Hayes but her two best performances for the stable have been at Flemington when running second in the Makybe Diva Stakes and again in the Mackinnon Stakes last spring.
Damian Lane or Michael Walker, who returned to race riding after a hip operation with a third placing in the New Zealand Derby on Saturday, will ride Almoonqith while Mark Zahra will partner Extra Zero if Australian Guineas winner Palentino doesn’t back up.
Almoonqith pleased the stable with his first-up ninth in the Peter Young Stakes at Caulfield on February 27 and Dabernig said he would derive benefit from the run.
Extra Zero hasn’t won since New Year’s Day 2015 and has filled a place only twice since his narrow defeat by stablemate Spillway in last year’s Australian Cup.
“He doesn’t win many races but he’s a great track and distance horse,” Dabernig said.
Another stablemate, He Or She, will run in Saturday’s Blamey Stakes and not the Australian Cup.
