Steve Wolfe says Rope Them In can go for The Quokka after Roma Cup

Steve Wolfe has laid his cards on the table regarding his plans for Rope Them In this week ahead of the Group 3 Roma Cup at Ascot Racecourse on Saturday.

The trainer says that he hopes to see a strong run from his gelding to build momentum ahead of The Quokka at Ascot on April 26.

Rope Them In has already secured a place in the $5 million race. However, the betting sites consider him to be a big outsider, with just $10 odds to win.

Preparing for the ‘big dance’

While he’s a longshot for The Quokka, the betting apps have identified Rope Them In as a major contender for this weekend’s Roma Cup. Only Bernie Miller’s Jokers Grin ($2.70) has better chances to win than Rope Them In’s $4.60 odds.

Wolfe says that Rope Them In deserves his odds.

“He’s in good order and it’s obviously going to be a cracking field,” the trainer said, before turning his sights on The Quokka.

“The next one (Quokka) is a step up which is his main mission, but we’ve been ticking him along.

“He’s as good as he needs to be, 1100m might be a step short for him. Hopefully we get through this unscathed and then get ready for the big dance.

“If we get through this one, I’m sure he’ll be competitive.”

Gelding in top condition

Rope Them In will head into this weekend’s race in winning form after finishing first in the Bluff Knoll back in March. However, Wolfe says that his gelding was not fit for that race and that he is much more optimistic about the upcoming run than he was for that event.

“He’ll be a bit sharper than he was a couple of weeks ago. He was a bit below his best, around 80%,” Wolfe revealed.

“It was a bit nerve racking because everyone expected him to win. We weren’t overly impressed going into the Bluff Knoll to be honest.

“In his trial, I didn’t say too much, but I was disappointed. I’d probably taken it a bit easy with him. I’ve stepped it up a little since then and his weight is close to where it needs to be now.

“He’s up and about at the moment and his work this morning (Tuesday) was sharp.”

Wolfe with two Quokka candidates

Rope Them In is not the only Wolfe-trained horse who will be running in The Quokka at the end of the month.

The trainer will also be represented by Brave Spirit, who secured a spot in the race via his owner Craig Thompson.

Wolfe says Brave Spirit  is “a pretty good and competitive horse.” However, like Rope Them In, he is a big outsider to win the $5 million race.