Smart mare Romary could put a trip to Melbourne back on her radar if she returns to winning form at the opening meeting of the new season in Hobart on Sunday.
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Trainer John Luttrell believes the five-year-old is nearing her best after three runs since a short spell and fly-in jockey Anthony Darmanin agrees.
Darmanin told his manager to chase the ride after noticing that Romary was really strong to the line in the Open Handicap won by Reward Achiever a fortnight ago.
"Darma rode Take The Sit in that race and there wasn't much between them at the finish," Luttrell said.
"And my mare got a squeeze at the start and was on the worst part of the track."
Darmanin's booking means that Romary will have a senior rider for the first time in 14 starts in Tasmania.
She has previously been ridden by apprentices Codi Jordan, Chelsea Baker and Taylor Johnstone while chalking up six wins and three minor placings.
Luttrell took the former Victorian to the trials on Monday morning when she beat her only rival by six lengths over 1400m.
"She trialled really well ... she's trained on good since coming back from three or four weeks in the paddock," Luttrell said.
"She's got a big weight on Sunday but she looks well suited - she goes good in Hobart and loves the wet and some heavy rain is forecast."
FIRST RIDES FOR NEW APPRENTICE
Longford-based apprentice Lauryn Bingley will have her first race rides at Elwick on Sunday on two horses trained by Scott Brunton.
She will utilise her 4kg claim on Kuroset in the Benchmark 76 Handicap and Neutralize in the Class 1 Handicap.
Bingley, 19, is indentured to Tanya Hanson and new training partner Kyle Maskiell and has had a solid grounding for her race debut.
She has ridden in more than 130 official trials over the past two years and been on horses of the calibre of Take The Sit.
Kuroset will take on a smart field in the main race at the Jockeys Celebration Day meeting.
Topweight Julius has won three of his past four starts and was only narrowly beaten by Music Addition a fortnight ago.
Fivefingerdiscount has won three of his six career starts with trainer Joel Flannery preferring a first-up run on his home track to a visit to Flemington where he nominated for two races.
Kuroset won over the same distance in the same class two starts ago and, with Bingley's claim, will carry only 0.5kg more.
Neutralize is coming off a last-start second to the unbeaten Donna's Day.
MARKET RESHUFFLE WITH RUBY OUT
Shane Yates Memorial Cup winner Wynburn Ruby has been scratched from the second heat of the State Sprint Championship in Launceston on Thursday night due to injury.
Her withdrawal forced a major reshuffle of the market as she had been sharing favouritism with McInerney who is now well in the red.
Just Posh has also firmed to odds-on for the first heat following the scratching of second favourite Don't Start Now.
Revised markets -
HEAT 1: 1.80 Just Posh; 4.00 Classy Lady; 7.00 Buckle Up Hazel; 9.50 Buckle Up Logan; 15.00 Fox Watch Nights, Buckle Up Elise; 16.00 Highland Fame. Scr: Don't Start Now.
HEAT 2: 1.55 McInerney; 3.70 Quick Joey Small; 7.00 Buckle Up Aria, Vintage Fame; 51.00 Buckle Up Avery. Scr: Buckle Up Bahati, Wynburn Ruby.
BEAU MIDFIELD AT GEELONG RETURN
Tasmanian Guineas placegetter Bond Street Beau failed to threaten at his first run for six months at Geelong on Wednesday.
Craig Newitt settled the gelding in a forward position in the 1400m Maiden but he couldn't improve in the straight and finished eighth, beaten six lengths.
Newitt will be on fellow Tasmanian gallopers Ubriaco and Tennessee Beach at Ballarat on Friday.
Ubriaco has drawn barrier three in an eight-horse field for a heat of the Synthetic Middle Distance Series over 1400m.
The Glenn Stevenson-trained five-year-old has recorded three of his five career wins on the synthetic track at Spreyton.
Tennessee Beach has drawn barrier six in the Maiden Plate over 1200m.
The four-year-old mare has been placed at five of her eight starts and ran second at her only start on the synthetic.