The Brett Crawford-trained Zoomie (Querari) is the favourite for the Listed ROA Stakes (Friday) (Picture: Wayne Marks)
The ROA Stakes race was once regarded as a fine pointer to the Durban July and Dubai World Cup!
Big City Life and Bold Silvano were two successive winners of the RA Stakes who went on to July glory, while Paris Perfect went on to finish third in the Dubai World Cup and Lizard’s Desire, a short-head runner up to Big City Life in the ROA Stakes, also finished a short-head second in the Dubai World Cup.
News4Racing.com Write:
Champion East Cape trainer Gavin Smith will be aiming to make it four wins in a row in the R250 000 Listed Racehorse Owners Association (ROA) Stakes at Fairview on Friday.
Global Drummer started the wonderful recent run in this race for Smith when he won in 2020.
Norton Sound was the winner in 2021 and last year Khaya’s Hope made it a hat trick for the Smith stable in this event for three-year-olds over 1600m.
Bold Silvano (2009) was another famous Smith winner of the ROA Stakes. Big City Life, Paris Perfect, Run For It and Gold Standard are also on the roll of honour which just shows this is a special race to win.
The ROA Stakes will be the feature at Friday’s meeting (race 7 at 16:15) which gets the Algoa Festival weekend underway.
Zoomie (Brett Crawford) is the short priced favourite to win the ROA Stakes but Fairy Knight (Alan Greeff) and Vision Of Wonder (Smith) will be ready to fight.
RECENT WINNERS
ROA STAKES
2022: Khaya’s Hope
2021: Norton Sound
2020: Global Drummer
2019: Viva Rio
2018: Just Chaos
2017: Pack Leader
2016: Gold Standard
2015: Memphis Mafia
2014: Light The Lights
2013: Top Jet
2012: Way Clear
2011: Changingoftheguard
2010: Run For It
2009: Bold Silvano
2008: Big City Life
2007: Paris Perfect
