Former West Australian Famous Roman will sneak in to the Winter Championship Final after trainer Brian Mayfield-Smith decided against entering his more highly qualified stablemate Stickpin.With a rating of 97, Famous Roman, as the higher weighted horse will edge out the equally qualified Mr Sargood and Hey Rosie for the 16th spot in Saturday's $200,000 Listed feature which is restricted to 16 runners and four emergencies.Stickpin was among seven qualified horses not nominated on Monday for the W
Former West Australian Famous Roman will sneak in to the Winter Championship Final after trainer Brian Mayfield-Smith decided against entering his more highly qualified stablemate Stickpin.
With a rating of 97, Famous Roman, as the higher weighted horse will edge out the equally qualified Mr Sargood and Hey Rosie for the 16th spot in Saturday's $200,000 Listed feature which is restricted to 16 runners and four emergencies.
Stickpin was among seven qualified horses not nominated on Monday for the Winter Championship.
The others were Sensational Toy, Tora Tora Tora, King Johannes, Just Like El, Playwright and Haddle McDaddle.
Mayfield-Smith said he decided not to nominate Stickpin after he was anchored with 58kg when fourth to Sand Sweeper in Saturday's Winter Championship heat (1410m) at Flemington.
"I thought there was not much use putting him in the Winter Championship because he's got to go a mile (1600m) carrying the same weight as last week," Mayfield-Smith said.
Famous Roman took his qualifying points tally to five when he finished sixth in Saturday's heat.
It was the entire's best of three runs for Mayfield-Smith since arriving from Perth.
Mayfield-Smith said it taken time to get Famous Roman fit but he was satisfied he had the horse closing in on his best form.
Famous Roman's three runs have been three weeks apart at Flemington starting with a first-up 12th on May 16 followed by a Winter Championship heat ninth on June 6.
Mayfield-Smith said the horse's run last Saturday was encouraging and a sign that the increased workload on the training track had improved him.
"It will be great to back him up this Saturday because he has pulled up really well," Mayfield-Smith said.
"He needed the run a touch and the good thing was that he still had improvement in him."
The top qualified of the 28 Winter Championship entries are O'Reilly's Clock and Delayedreaction with 14 points each, one ahead of the Mat Ellerton-trained Monsieur Feraud.
Sand Sweeper will again head the weights with his 105 rating.
Mayfield-Smith's other key runner on Finals Day at Flemington is dual heat winner Gran Sasso in the $150,000 All Victorian Sprint Series Final (1200m).