CANTERBURY STAKES

(GROUP 1)

LE Romain, a winner on this card 12 months earlier in the Randwick Guineas repeated his Group 1 success though over the shorter 1,300 metres of the Canterbury Stakes.

The Hard Spun gelding, also a winner of the Group 1 Cantala Stakes over the Melbourne Cup Carnival, revelled in the wet conditions to find just enough to fight back against the fast finishing Chautauqua to win by a nose, with the Reset gelding Hauraki third, three lengths away.

“I don’t think he can be underrated any longer,” said trainer Kris Lees of the misconception that has followed his horse. “He won the Guineas at three, a big mile handicap last spring and now a Group 1 weight-for-age race. He can’t do much more.

“He is a really good horse, a pleasure to train, one of those uncomplicated geldings. He puts himself in the right spot, he is tough and he can run up to a mile. He gives himself every chance and now he has competed at weight-for-age. It was an exciting finish and to beat a champion on the line is very satisfying as I thought he got beat. I’ve said before he is a little bit underrated, but never in our books.”

Le Romain has been unplaced just twice in 15 starts, winning six. He is currently equal favourite for the $3 million Doncaster Mile and was ridden on Saturday by Glyn Schofield. His lead-up to the Doncaster on April 1st will be against Winx in the George Ryder Stakes.