Tough Romance terrific

Boom two-year-old Tough Romance made a winning debut at Southside Pakenham on Thursday, January 29.

The Tony & Calvin McEvoy trained colt has been specked in pre-post betting for the $2 million Group 1 Blue Diamond Stakes (1200m) at Caulfield on Saturday, February 21 and the trainers said the race was a possible target.

But Tough Romance raced “upside down” at Pakenham in winning the SJM Turf & Civil Maiden (1100m) in his first start.

It was expected he would settle at the tail of the field of five and run home strongly but after showing natural speed, he settled outside the leader for jockey Harry Coffey.

Rivals tried to put pressure on up the home straight, but Tough Romance ($1.50 fav) did enough to draw clear and win by a length from Stellar Cipher ($8.50) with Around The Marx ($7), three-quarters of a length away third.

Trainer Calvin McEvoy was delighted with Tough Romance’s win.

“I thought he did a really good job,” McEvoy said.

“He began well and he has never been in that position in his life.

“Everything he has done, he has loped along out the back and be able to take into the race.

“When he lobbed in front I was pleased – Harry (Coffey) would have had to be choking him not to be there as there wasn’t a lot of tempo.

“He had to learn on the job and there was a time another horse came to his outside, he rallied and I think he will take great improvement from the experience.

“I thought he still won like a pretty nice horse.”

McEvoy said Tough Romance’s last 200 metres had been very impressive.

“He is a horse that is going to get better with more racing.

“Pre-race I thought he would be last and coming over the top of them and it proved to be the complete opposite which can happen in two-year-old racing.

“I think he will learn more from what he did tonight and he’s a horse everyone can watch with interest.

“We may think about running him the week before the Blue Diamond, and if he can win that you would think about backing up in the Diamond.”

Winning jockey Harry Coffey agrees Tough Romance is a two-year-old with great potential.

“He was a bit fresh and well tonight,” Coffey said.

“He jumped, and being a small field there wasn’t much speed, and I was going to have to drag him back and I felt like it wasn’t the best scenario.

“He’s got a beautiful action and travels strongly, so I went with him and got outside the leader, and he relaxed a bit nicer.

“I had to press the button a bit earlier than I would have liked but he was too good and handled them.

“He’s a nice horse, got a good action and a lovely attitude and he does things with ease.

“Tonight he showed he was versatile and that is a good sign with two-year-olds.”