Treble for Ethan Brown as Miss Roumbini storms home

Jockey Ethan Brown sealed a Sandown treble inside the first four races on Saturday.

Miss Roumbini wins at Sandown.

By GILBERT GARDINER and BRAD WATERS

Jockey Ethan Brown sealed a Sandown treble inside the first four races with Miss Roumbini far too good in the 1300m Benchmark 70 on Saturday.

Brown, who rode Blue Renegade and Name Dropper to victory earlier on the card, stalked the speed and sprinted clear inside the last 300m for a cushy 2¼ length triumph.

“She’s quite brilliant, she’s a pretty good horse,” Brown said.

“She toyed with them and has got a lot more in store.”

Miss Roumbini paid $3.50 with TAB.

Flying Fizz got home late for second from Nodachi. Brown welcomed the early treble.

“I thought Miss Roumbini was my best ride today,” Brown said.

“Obviously the two-year-old (Blue Renegade) I thought was a good chance, I came here knowing I had good rides but to get an early treble certainly is going to make the day go a lot quicker.”

It's @Brown_ethan8 again at Sandown! 3️⃣

Miss Roumbini gives him an early [e-mail]/FLOUz1ZmoN

— 7HorseRacing 🐎 (@7horseracing) June 15, 2024

Price said Miss Roumbini would get the chance to boost her profile in the winter before any spring aspirations.

The Zoustar filly showed nice ability in three starts last year, including a fourth in the Listed Twilight Glow Stakes.

“Three-year-old rising four, we looked after her, now is the time to win these Saturday metropolitan races, get her rating up, her prizemoney up and worry about the spring later,” Price said.

Price was happy the decision to settle closer to the speed with Miss Roumbini and sixth-placed Matawai, looking for 1600m next start, worked out.

“Just watching the races La Fracas (Race 2) got too far out of his ground and ran well and sometimes this Sandown track they get back, run well and they don’t win,” Price said.

“I did come here this morning thinking ride my horses cold and finish off, but I said to those boys then get on your bike early and put them in the race, if they run on good, if they don’t bad luck.

“I think putting Miss Roumbini up there, Matahi ran all right, she wants a mile, got the chocolates.”

BRIGHT FUTURE PREDICTED FOR BLUE RENEGADE

Trainer Mathew Ellerton pointed to distance, not weights, as the catalyst for Blue Renegade squaring the ledger with his last-star conqueror at Sandown.

Interest Point narrowly prevailed when he and Blue Renegade clashed over 1100m at Caulfield on June 1 but the duo’s latest meeting was over 1000m in Saturday’s Sportsbet Handicap.

Jockey Ethan Brown controlled proceedings from the front on Blue Renegade, holding the colt together as long as possible before outsprinting Interest Point in the last 250m.

BLUE RENEGADE LEADS ALL THE WAY TO WIN THE FIRST AT SANDOWN

The still raw two-year-old colt gets the job done at just his second start pic.twitter.com/7Za9yNcnxI

— Mathew Ellerton Racing (@EllertonRacing) May 8, 2024

Interest Point ($3.80), who met Blue Renegade ($3.70 fav) 2.5kg worse at the weights for their Caulfield meeting, faded in the last 100m but held second from the first-starter Clean Reef ($6.50).

“I just thought back to the 1000(m) was an advantage to us because he’s a naturally fast horse,” Ellerton said.

“He did get challenged in front last time and he was probably a sitting shot late. I thought the 1000(m) was very suitable for today.”

Blue Renegade was too strong.

Ellerton said the son of Blue Point was likely to head to the spelling paddock after posting his second win in four starts in his first racing preparation.

The Flemington trainer said the colt had surprised him with his development in the last few months but Blue Renegade would thrive during his three-year-old season.

“He’s a developing sort of horse and I think he’ll be a beautiful three-year-old,” Ellerton said.

“He’s not the finished product.

“While he’s a nice-looking horse, he’s still got a bit of growing and filling out to do.

“He was a pretty ugly duckling last time around and he’s just jumped out of the ground.

“I never thought I’d see him look like that. He’s quite a good looking horse now.”

Originally published as Treble for Ethan Brown as Miss Roumbini storms home