A race over the Melbourne Cup course and distance could be next on the agenda for Sly Romance after a 4000m win at Caulfield.
The Richard Laming-trained gelding took out Australia’s longest flat race with a grinding win in the Marathon Series Final on Saturday.
Ridden by Nick Hall, Sly Romance, the $3.50 favourite, scored by 2-1/4 lengths from Dane Hussler ($5.50) with Cuban Fighter ($4.80) 4-1/4 lengths away third.
For Hall it brought up successive wins in the race having scored on Jileks Spur last year.
Sly Romance is qualified to race over jumps this season but Laming is likely to resist the temptation until next year.
Instead, next month’s Andrew Ramsden Stakes over the course and distance of the Melbourne Cup is a possible target.
“We might look at that but he’s been up a while and we’ll let him tell us what he wants to do,” Laming said.
Sly Romance is bred to stay, being by Pentire from the Sir Tristram mare Sky Trist who won the Queen’s Cup at Flemington over 3200m in March 2000.
