The tougher Group 1 mile races of the spring could be on the cards for the improving James Cummings-trained Roheryn after the galloper enjoyed a nice win over a crack field in the 2020 Show County Quality on Winx Stakes Day.
Roheryn was too tough in the end winning the 2020 Show County Quality on Winx Stakes Day. Photo: Steve Hart.
The Godolphin stable celebrated back-to-back wins in the Group 3 $160,000 Show County Quality (1200m) after the win of Deprive in 2019, and Cummings said it was all starting to come together for this year’s winner Roheryn.
“He’s been a bit of an underrated horse,” Cummings told Sky Thoroughbred Central post-win.
“He was in a good race today and he had to make a bit of a leap and he did that. It was a good win.
“We’re all pretty proud of his effort.”
With the residual fitness following his two good winter runs including the second to Eduardo in the July Sprint (1100m), the five-year-old son of Lonhro took the next step rising in grade and handling the test in the Show County.
With Jason Collett retaining the ride, Roheryn got into a good position just off the speed as Special Reward and then the in-form Inanup lead the field around.
The Group 1 winning fillies Probabeel and race favourite Funstar meanwhile were travelling third and second last respectively throughout in their campaign starting points, facing each other for the sixth time.
Around the turn for home the Jamie Richards-trained Kiwi raider Probabeel went up along the rails, while Collett got out and got going on Roheryn.
Special Reward got to the front at the 200m, but Roheryn was fast winding up on the outside moving up to take the lead inside the final 50m.
On the line Roheryn ($4.40) proved too good holding off the late challenge from Probabeel ($18) who charged right at the end in a brilliant return from the daughter of Savabeel.
“Once he gets going and hits top gear, he’s got a beautiful, liquid action,” Cummings said of the winner.
“He was lucky to hold onto the race there. Probabeel stormed home behind him.
“He’s deserving of a good race. He’s had a little bit of a boom on him since he debuted.”
She just edged out the Kris Lees-trained Special Reward ($4.40), the third placegetter having missed the kick costing him the run he needed, while Team Snowden’s Ramornie Handicap winner Signore Fox ($21) ran a bolter for fourth.
Chris Waller’s beaten favourite Funstar ($3.10) in sixth meanwhile took plenty of time to wind-up late, but looked to be finishing strongly when under two lengths off the winner in a bunched finish.
Cummings added that they were now preparing Roheryn as a genuine miler instead of a sprinter-miler and that was proving to be the key.
The Group 1 $500,000 George Main Stakes (1600m) back at Randwick on September 19 then could be a potential target for Roheryn next month with all-in betting on that race available here courtesy of Ladbrokes.com.au.
2020 Show County Quality Results
| Colour | Finish | No. | Horse | Trainer | Jockey | Margin | Bar. | Weight | Penalty | Starting Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 |
1 | 10 | ROHERYN | James Cummings | Jason Collett | 5 | 53kg | $4.40 | ||
 |
2 | 4 | PROBABEEL (NZ) | Jamie Richards | Kerrin McEvoy | 0.3L | 2 | 56.5kg | $18 | |
 |
3 | 2 | SPECIAL REWARD | Kris Lees | Brenton Avdulla | 0.4L | 10 | 58kg | $4.40 | |
 |
4 | 5 | SIGNORE FOX | Peter & Paul Snowden | Jeff Penza | 0.9L | 3 | 54.5kg | $21 | |
 |
5 | 11 | SOUTHERN LAD | John O’Shea | Ms Rachel King | 1.5L | 6 | 53kg | $14 | |
 |
6 | 3 | FUNSTAR | Chris Waller | James McDonald | 1.9L | 7 | 56.5kg | $3.10F | |
 |
7 | 1 | LE ROMAIN | Kris Lees | Regan Bayliss | 2L | 1 | 61kg | $31 | |
 |
8 | 6 | WILD PLANET | Michael, Wayne & John Hawkes | Tommy Berry | 2.2L | 4 | 54.5kg | $9.50 | |
 |
9 | 8 | INANUP | Jarrod Austin | Glen Boss | 2.7L | 9 | 54kg | $16 | |
 |
10 | 7 | LOOKS LIKE ELVIS | Jarrod Austin | Glyn Schofield | 3.6L | 8 | 54kg | $71 | |
 |
9 | I AM SUPERMAN (IRE) | Peter & Paul Snowden | Tim Clark | 0 |
Table Credit: Racing Australia.
