Mulrine kennel full of romance ahead of Cup heats

By Jordan Gerrans

Andy Mulrine believes chaser Canya Romance - who is unbeaten in Queensland - will only improve from her first look at the grass when she gets her second career chance at Capalaba in a heat of their annual Cup on Saturday.

The daughter of Bernardo has been a surprise packet in the Sunshine State for the Mulrine kennel after shifting across the country.

The two-year-old started her career promisingly in Western Australia before slightly going off the boil.

The bitch’s Queensland-based owner decided to give the Mulrine family a crack with Canya Romance and it has been a perfect connection since.

She tallied three straight Q Straight victories – including a track record-breaking performance – before making it four from four in Queensland on Wednesday at Capalaba.

The speedy bitch now heads to Sunday’s Capalaba Cup heats.

“She has got a fair bit of upside,” Mulrine said.

“We started her off on the straight and she has seemed to really take to it, so we have left her on it. I have no doubt she can run the circle, as well.

“The prizemoney is great for the Capalaba Cup series, so we are looking forward to it.”

The kennel has confidence going into Sunday’s heats as their bitch has toppled leading Cup contender Miles On It from the Jeff Crawford team in recent weeks.

Previously based at Goulburn, Andy and Kim Mulrine moved north to Queensland earlier this year alongside their son Patrick and other family members to race consistently at The Q.

At her last run down the Q Straight, Canya Romance lowered the 300 metre track record in a scintillating 16.30 second performance late last month.

She won twice over the slightly longer 350 metre trip at the Q Straight before blitzing a fifth-grade event over 300 metres.

In her first look at the grass of Capalaba, the black bitch was not completely at her best, but she did enough to justify her $1.33 quote.

She got the job done in 19.88 seconds from the one alley.

Mulrine is hopeful of snagging an alley from five outwards in Sunday’s heats of the Cup.

He believes his Capalaba Cup hopeful will most certainly be better for the run and experience on Wednesday in the mixed fourth and fifth grade event.

“She did a few things wrong on Wednesday, she came out and went down on her nose and then she went to the middle of the track,” the trainer said.

“She put her foot on the gas about halfway up and just took off.

“It was not the run I expected, I thought she would go straight up the fence there.

“It looks like she likes the middle of the track. She was strong to the line.”

Canya Romance won three events at Cannington in Western Australia, as well as being placed on two more occasions, from seven attempts before relocating across the country.

She had one look at the Mandurah surface for a second placed finish in early April for local trainer Cosimo Dagostino.

She is owned by the Coomera-based Glen McKinley.

The Mulrine team have enjoyed their Sunshine State stint since setting up shop at Booval.

They have prepared consistent winners with chasers such as Star Zipper, Cochise Attitude, Sin City Secrets and Tahitian Girl in recent weeks as well as Canya Romance’s fortunes.

The kennel has high hopes for Sin City Secrets who has won three races since late August.

Tahitian Girl was set for a heat of the Publicans Cup on Thursday evening on the Q2 Parklands circuit and after drawing the inside alley, she has ever chance of progressing through to the decider.

Following the Capalaba Cup series, the Mulrine team plan to target Canya Romance towards Futurity feature events.

Queensland training heavyweights Tom Tzouvelis and Crawford are set to play a big role in the Capalaba Cup series which again boasts Group 2 status with a $75,000 winner’s purse.

The series has attracted sizeable nominations with six heats to be run this Sunday ahead of the decider seven days' later.