Room Number produces shock Randwick win at big odds

The five-year-old won the City Tattersalls Group Handicap (1600m) by one-and-half lengths over $3.40 favourite And We Danced, paying $61 on fixed odds and $87 on the tote.

Murrumbidgee Turf Club president Geoff Harrison, and former MTC director Mark Logan are part of the ownership group, and it was a quirky twist of fate which led them to buy the Barbara Joseph, Paul and Matt Jones-trained mare at the Karaka sales, near Auckland, four years ago.

"(Fellow owners) Terry and Leanne Mooring, had the sales book and we asked what their room number at the hotel was. The number of the horse in the sales was a horse out of stallion Reliable Man and mare Modern Lady," Logan said.

"Terry's a bit older than Leanne so it fit pretty well and we bought it for about $50,000."

The horse was promptly named Room Number as a result and she has now won five races, all over 1600m.

All of those victories have come since the start of last year after connections initially had her earmarked as a 2000m horse and jockey Quayde Krogh has now won three times in four starts on her.

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The win has improved her rating enough to likely contest next Sunday's Bega Cup.

Harrison said they were surprised at her big odds on Saturday after winning her previous start at Canberra, but some celebratory drinks were downed after watching the race at the William Farrer Hotel.

"She had no right to be that price after the win at Canberra, there's no doubt about that at all," he said.

"If we got her benchmark up a little bit more in that race we knew she would be eligible for the Bega Cup. She's won on the track and been trained there, I think she'll be pretty competitive.

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