Rising Romance beaten in Epona Stakes

Saturday 21 March 2015, 2:08pm

The strangely named Scratchy Bottom has caused a major upset at Rosehill, beating Group One winner Rising Romance in the Epona Stakes.

Last year's Australian Oaks winner and Caulfield Cup runner-up, New Zealand mare Rising Romance was sent out the $2 favourite in Saturday's 1900m Group Three for fillies and mares.

She looked to have the race in her keeping when she beat off Telepathic ($5), but $31 chance Scratchy Bottom snuck up on the rails to edge them both.

The winner is named for a valley in Dorset which was voted the second most unfortunate place name in England after Shitterton.

While Rising Romance's trainer Donna Logan was visibly disappointed, Victorian trainer Mick Kent was celebrating an overdue win in the race after Epingle's two minor placings in the past two runnings.

"She is quite a good horse and we're just trying to get her out to a trip," Kent said.

"She is Group One placed twice. She hadn't had a stakes win and we picked this race out a while ago.

"I've been unlucky in this race the past two years with Epingle, so it was good to finally win one."

Rising Romance's jockey James McDonald recommended to Logan a set of winkers might help the mare in her next assignment, the Group One BMW (2400m) in seven days.

"It's disappointing," Logan said.

"We will look at her tomorrow. Maybe there is something we don't know about but even though she was giving away five kilos, I expected her to win.

"We will work her in the winkers and see if they help.

"She is better than that."

The winner's jockey Craig Williams said Scratchy Bottom had more in store.

"The way she went through the line and the way she pulled up, she's got bigger and better things in store over a little bit further as well,"

"It's a great way to start the carnival."

The race was not a great way to start the Sydney autumn carnival for visiting Godolphin jockey William Buick.

He was fined $400 for weighing in a kilogram overweight after riding Entertains into eighth place.

– AAP

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