Romneya rewarded for her consistency

Diminutive but gutsy filly Romneya, who was consistently thereabouts during the spring without winning, made up for it with her success in the Group Three The Vanity at Flemington.Weighing in at around 445kg, the daughter of Red Ransom gave trainer Lee Freedman, jockey Kerrin McEvoy and owner Sheikh Mohammed a double at the meeting having earlier scored with Come Hither in the Listed Talindert Stakes (1000m)."She's a marvellous filly, to look at her in the yard you couldn't have her," Freedman s

Diminutive but gutsy filly Romneya, who was consistently thereabouts during the spring without winning, made up for it with her success in the Group Three The Vanity at Flemington.

Weighing in at around 445kg, the daughter of Red Ransom gave trainer Lee Freedman, jockey Kerrin McEvoy and owner Sheikh Mohammed a double at the meeting having earlier scored with Come Hither in the Listed Talindert Stakes (1000m).

"She's a marvellous filly, to look at her in the yard you couldn't have her," Freedman said of Romneya who looked big in condition.

"But I knew she'd done the work and that's her.

"She's a beautifully-bred filly and her honesty and consistency were rewarded today."

McEvoy was full of admiration for Romneya.

"She's only a little thing but she tries so hard," he said.

"She's so game and honest and I hope there is another win in store for her because she was very honest through the spring without winning."

"She's only a little polo pony but she tries so hard."

The win in the 1400m event was Romneya's best from her 10 starts for four wins, four seconds and two fourths, one of them being to Gallica, who was eighth in The Vanity, in the Group One Thousand Guineas (1600m) at Caulfield last spring.

Romneya won the Listed Oaklands Plate (1350m) at Cheltenham last June.

Despite looking big in condition for her first-up run, Romneya ($6) was always handy and kept going strongly to score by 1-1/4 lengths from race leader Rapid Sensation ($15).

Sparks Fly ($12)was a neck away third, a nose ahead of the well-backed $4.80 favourite Gold Water.