By Alan Carasso
One race before saddling up the two market leaders in the G1 Longines Golden Slipper S., the conditioner will tighten the girth around Tarzino (NZ) (Tavistock {NZ}) in the G1 Rosehill Guineas.
Defeated into third by Jameka (Aus) (Myboycharlie {Ire}) in last year's G2 Moonee Valley Vase, Tarzino, whose trainer is part-owner as well, stretched out to 2500 metres and raced away to a two-length victory in the G1 Victoria Derby. A very useful fourth in his return to action in the 1400-metre G2 Autumn S. at Caulfield Feb. 13, he endured a wide run from the back of the back and brushed a couple of times with Palentino (Aus) (Teofilo {Ire}) in upper stretch and was just outfinished in the G1 Australian Guineas Mar. 5.
Le Romain (Aus) (Hard Spun) is two-for-four this prep, having shown enough pace to annex the Listed Wilkes S. going 1000 metres of this track Jan. 23 before checking in second in the G3 Eskimo Prices S. Feb. 6. The bay gelding, runner-up to Press Statement (Aus) (Hinchinbrook {Aus}) in the G2 Hobartville S. at Rosehill Feb. 20, got a terrific ride last time from Christian Reith and held out Press Statement to win the Mar. 5 G1 Randwick Guineas by a neck, with Gold Ambition (NZ) (Savabeel {Aus}) another 1 1/4 lengths back in third.
Jameka, the lone filly in the field, parlayed victory in the Moonee Valley Vase into a 2 1/4-length success in the G1 Crown Oaks in heavy Flemington ground Nov. 5. Fourth, beaten just over a length in the G3 Vanity S. at that Melbourne oval Feb. 20, she finished nicely to be fifth to Palentino in the Australian Guineas, beaten just two lengths. She will not be inconvenienced by this step up to 2000 metres.
Oh So Splendido (NZ) (O'Reilly {NZ}) enters the Guineas as a maiden, but one with some exotics appeal. On the board in six of his nine starts in New Zealand and Listed-placed, the bay was a 40-1 chance when last seen in the G1 New Zealand Derby, but was severely hampered as the field was just about to leave the straight. He never did much running thereafter and may have failed to see out the 12-furlongs, but his previous form through Derby runner-up What's the Story (NZ) (Savabeel {Aus}) reads strong and he could help spice up some vertical plays.
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