Trainers Ciaron Maher and David Eustace are hoping to achieve more Group One success with Smokin’ Romans as they set their sights towards autumn with the New Zealand-bred six-year-old.
The son of Ghibellines was a dominant winners of the Gr.1 Turnbull Stakes (2000m) at Flemington in October and his trainers are eyeing similar conditions in the Gr.1 Australian Cup (2000m at the Melbourne track in March.
“He’s just gone back into work at Fingal,” Eustace told Racing.com.
“He looks terrific, he’s had a nice break, but we don’t like to give those older horses too long and let down too much. He’s going to hold, obviously, plenty of residual fitness.
“We’re working towards, primarily, the Australian Cup, for the first half of the autumn and then obviously be guided by him and his performances as to where he heads to after that.”
Smokin’ Romans sports the colours of Kiwi owner Don Frampton, who has raced Group One winners such as Booming and Trounced.
Frampton secured a share in the gelding following his sale to currently disqualified trainer Darren Weir for $52,500 during the Book 1 sale at Karaka in 2018.
