NO RING RUST HERE AS ROMAN DAGGER MAKES A WINNING RETURN AFTER A NINE MONTH LAYOFF

By Graham Potter | Saturday, August 24, 2024

Roman Dagger made a winning return to action when taking out a BM60 Handicap over 1300m at Toowoomba on August 24.

The five-year-old son of Redwood had not been seen in action for a full nine months making the result a fair training feat for the Corey and Kylie Geran training partnership.

Ronam Dagger has also been a winner in his second last start prior to his long layoff. That win, in a Class 1 Plate, also came over the 1300m trip at Toowoomba under Karl Zechner, who was in the saddle again here.

In that previous in Roman Dagger carried 56kg and started at $6.50. This time he carried 60kg and started at $15, with the Geran stable companion It’smemario being the firm race favourite at $2.

Roman Dagger raced in seventh, then sixth place in the first half of the race, a little under six lengths off the leader, and two lengths behind his more fancied stable companion, It’smemario.

Both of the Geran trained runners saved ground in the approach to the home. On straightening, Landan Sykes followed the shortest way home on It’smemrio, while Karl Zechner shifted Roman Dagger out marginally as he lined up his finishing effort.

In a very busy run to the line, It’smemario’s rails hugging run proved problematic when he was inconvenienced at the 200m mark ... and his race was gone in that moment ... as Worthy Essgee ($21) and New Joy ($14), both running on strongly, looked set to fight out the finish ... but the Geran stable was not done for yet.

Zechner now had Roman Dagger in full cry and he surged up late, showing absolutely no signs of any ring-rust, to grab the lead when it mattered most and, in so doing, he claimed his third win from thirteen starts.

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