Le Romain to stay in Melbourne for now

Le Romain (l) has stayed in Melbourne with trainer Kris Lees hoping he gets into the All-Star Mile.

Multiple Group One winner Le Romain remains stabled in Melbourne with the possibility he could sneak into the All-Star Mile as an emergency.

Le Romain failed to gain enough votes to make the top 10 to secure an All-Star Mile spot and then was snubbed by the selection panel for one of four wild cards into the inaugural $5 million race at Flemington on March 16.

Happy Clapper, Hartnell, Mystic Journey and Hawkshot were given wild cards.

Emergencies for the race will be based on prize money and Le Romain sits behind Melbourne Cup winners Almandin and Rekindling in that list among the horses nominated for the All-Star Mile and not already in the field.

Both Almandin and Rekindling are set to run in Saturday’s Group One Australian Cup over 2000m.

The Kris Lees-trained Le Romain was nominated for Saturday’s Group One Canterbury Stakes (1300m) in Sydney but was not among acceptances on Wednesday.

“He’s still in Melbourne,” Lees said.

“I’d suggest with Almandin and Rekindling running on Saturday in the Australian Cup, he’s probably first emergency for the All-Star Mile.”

The Group One George Ryder Stakes (1500m) at Rosehill on March 23 has been pencilled in for Le Romain’s next start should there not be any withdrawals from the All-Star Mile.

Le Romain is a Group One winner of the Cantala Stakes in 2016 over the All-Star Mile course and distance while last spring he finished second to Best Of Days carrying 57.5kg in the same Group One handicap.

Lees admitted he was disappointed the gelding was overlooked for a wild card.

“He carried 57.5 kilos in a handicap there in a Group One Cantala and ran second, but he can’t make a wild card,” he said.

“But anyway, I hope they show him the same judgment when I nominate him for the Cantala this year.”