Pint Sized Pony Worth A Kings Ransom

Her rider calls her a little polo pony and her trainer says you would never back her after looking at her in the paddock, yet the small in stature but big in heart Romneya would be among the most valuable fillies in training.

The Rockmount pretrained filly won her first three starts at two, culminating in the Listed Oaklands Plate at Cheltenham. But she had been winless in six starts when lining up for Saturday’s $200,000 Group 3 Mitty’s Vanity (1400m) at Flemington.

Given the run of the race from her inside barrier by Kerrin McEvoy, Romneya scored her first Group success by defeating Rapid Sensation by a length and a quarter with a neck back to Sparks Fly in third place.

“You should never say a horse deserves to win a race but I think she's probably a case in point because she probably did deserve to win a Group race,” Romneya's trainer Lee Freedman said.

A half-sister to 2005 Victoria Derby hero Benicio (pictured), Romneya is out Danehill’s stakes-winning daughter Mannington, who was carrying Romneya when she was sold at the 2005 William Inglis Australian Broodmare Sale as part of the Vinery Dispersal, for the then Australian record price $2.05million.

Another Rockmount pretrainer, The Lee Freedman-trained Come Hither continued to chip away at her $1,1 million purchase price with a tradesman-like win in Saturday’s $100,000 Listed Talindert Stakes (1100m) at Flemington.

It was the second consecutive stakes success for the daughter of Redoute’s Choice, who claimed the Listed Debutants Stakes at Caulfield on October 16.

Ridden by Kerrin McEvoy, Come Hither defeated her consistent stablemate Tariks by a length and a quarter with a further three-quarter of a length back to Miss O’Brien in third place.

“She looked like she was lost down the straight, Lee Freedman said of the odds-on favourite. “She’ll be much better around a corner where she can accelerate off a turn.” “She’ll have plenty of improvement left in her, she’ll have a good blow after this, we’ve left plenty in the tank and she’ll be much sharper next time out. “We had to run her in this race because we wanted to have a three-week break space going into the Blue Diamond. “We were just happy to get away with the win here on a course she wasn’t too comfortable on.”