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Michael Graham

Michael Graham

Turbo injection brings up a gamble in Curragh

Sat 20th Jul 2019, 16:33

Roman Turbo, number 4, comes home bestRoman Turbo, number 4, comes home best
© Photo Healy Racing

A cracking renewal of the Group 3 Anglesey Stakes at the Curragh saw Roman Turbo make it two from two.

The Holy Roman Emperor colt ran third behind front-running greys Mount Fuji and Lil Grey in this extended six-furlong contest.

As the race unfolded at the furlong pole, all seven runners still had a chance but it was Lil Grey trying to see them off.

Roman Turbo surged home in the final 100 yards to pick her off in the closing stages by three parts of a length.

He was backed in the betting ring from 12/1 to 6/1 on the off. Runner-up Lil Grey was a 4/1 chance.

Trainer Mick Halford said: “We are never particularly hard on the two-year-olds at home but we knew he had come forward.

“Ronan sat on him at the Curragh the other morning and said he felt great. We said we'd find out more here.

“He's a smart horse, very professional; he just jumps and is very straightforward. He's coming forward well.

“He wasn't in any of the big races, so we'll have to talk to his owner and see what he has in mind for him.

“I'd say long-term he'll probably end up in Hong Kong.

“I actually put him in the nursery to see what weight he'd get and he gave him a rating of 92. He'd have fairly scooted up in that, you'd like to think!

“He's only the third two-year-old we've run this year, so it's hard to get a line on them. At home he just does enough.

“It was a different race today to his maiden but he was well able for it.

“He's really come to hand recently. I'd still say there could be more to come from him.”

Additional reporting by Gary Carson

About Michael Graham
Michael has worked in horse racing journalism for more than 15 years, having also written a weekly betting column on Gaelic football and hurling for a newspaper. He is involved in writing the My Racing Story features on this website. He spent a year in South Africa completing a Diploma in Business Administration and also studied Newspaper Journalism in Belfast. He enjoys playing 5-a-side football on a regular basis.