A trip to Hong Kong has been shelved for Rising Romance to ensure the New Zealand mare’s Sydney autumn plans are not compromised.
Rising Romance did trainer Donna Logan proud with her second to Japanese horse Admire Rakti in the Caulfield Cup, less than a year after making her racetrack debut.
The mare gets another chance at a spring carnival Group One in Saturday’s $1 million Mackinnon Stakes at Flemington.
Connections had been considering the Hong Kong Vase at the International meeting in December.
“We looked strong and hard at it but with the quarantine conditions we would have had to forgo Sydney in the autumn and that would be crazy,” Logan said.
“It’s our neighbour, it’s very close to home, she’s been to Sydney and she’s raced well there.”
The Group One BMW (2400m) and Queen Elizabeth Stakes (2000m) are autumn options in 2015 for this year’s Australian Oaks winner.
Logan monitored Rising Romance after the Caulfield Cup and gave the green light for the four-year-old to run in Saturday’s 2000m weight-for-age race.
“I can’t fault her,” Logan said.
“Her work has been good. She has put on weight, she’s eaten everything, I think she’s still got enough sprint in her legs and she looks magnificent.”
Rising Romance went to the Caulfield Cup at her 14th start, 12 months after making her debut at Avondale before breaking her maiden in November at her third start.
“She won a maiden at a place called Dargaville in New Zealand, no-one has probably even heard of it, and within a year she was running second in the Caulfield Cup,” Logan said.
“That’s a huge effort for any horse so I’m very, very proud of her.”
Logan said all the Mackinnon Stakes rivals had to be respected and she would leave tactics to James McDonald, who produced a top ride from a wide gate in the Caulfield Cup.
“He’s the professional on top. He can make those decisions when the gates open,” Logan said.
Rain is predicted but that does not worry Logan.
Rising Romance is at $6 behind Epsom Handicap winner He’s Your Man and Criterion ($5.50).
