By Tom Frary
With Elarqam (GB) (Frankel {GB}) running no sort of race, Saturday's G1 Tattersalls Irish 2000 Guineas at The Curragh was open to something from leftfield and so it proved as Romanised (Ire) (Holy Roman Emperor {Ire}) sprang a 25-1 upset to provide the Ken Condon stable with a first Classic. Highly tried as a 2-year-old, the bay had partially justified his trainer's lofty opinion when second to Masar (Ire) (New Approach {Ire}) in the G3 Solario S. in August but his return sixth in the Listed Tetrarch S. understandably set few pulses racing on his warm-up at Naas May 7. While he missed the break and raced in rear early, that may have proved a blessing with Ryan Moore taking no prisoners on U S Navy Flag (War Front) up front. That pace had already begun to see off Elarqam at halfway, where Shadwell's representative looked nothing like the 2-1 favourite he started at, but Romanised's rider Shane Foley was just getting into his stride and he was delivered wide with a strong-staying effort to reel in the long-time leader 150 yards from the line for a 2 1/4-length success.
Introduced over six furlongs at Navan last April, Romanised was 14-1 there but served early notice that he was at least useful when swooping on the subsequent listed winners Brick By Brick (Ire) (Big Bad Bob {Ire}) and Declarationofpeace (War Front) to get off to the perfect start. Taken to Royal Ascot for the G2 Coventry S. from there, he missed the kick and met some trouble in running but kept on to be just over two lengths away in seventh before running just over three-lengths sixth behind Sioux Nation (Scat Daddy) in the G1 Phoenix S. here in August. Upped to a more suitable seven furlongs next time, he was unable to match Masar but was determined in pursuit and was only two lengths behind at the line. In the last fortnight, that race had received several boosts with Arbalet (Ire) (Dark Angel {Ire}) and Purser (Mizzen Mast) winning and Vintager (GB) (Mastercraftsman {Ire}) a solid third in the Listed Heron S., but Romanised had already become a sideline act by the time he reappeared in the seven-furlong Tetrarch. Staying on late, he almost ran into the back of the filly Hence (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) and his effort was finished there and then but there was market support for him despite this looking beyond him on form.
Gradually creeping into contention in a war of attrition created by last year's champion juvenile, he arrived alongside the trio of Gustav Klimt (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}), Symbolization (Ire) (Cape Cross {Ire}) and Threeandfourpence (War Front), who got in each other's way chasing US Navy Flag. Taking dead aim at the leader passing the furlong pole, he had all the momentum there with the Ballydoyle runner possibly running out of steam after such endeavours. “I had to make up quite a bit of ground to get to them, so I just nursed him and he got there,” Foley said. “I quietly fancied this horse, so it is not a great shock to me. His run in the Solario last year was good enough and everything worked out today. It's just amazing. After I rode my first Classic winner I wasn't sure where my next one was going to come from, so it's great to have this.”
Condon was also far from shocked by the outcome. “We kept faith in him and he had excuses at Naas on his comeback,” he said. “He worked the best he's worked all spring last Tuesday. We knew we were a long-shot coming in here, but I felt he was going to run a big race. He's always shown talent and he just seems to have come to himself in the last few weeks. I'm in a bit of shock and it will be a few days before it sinks in. It's just amazing to win a Classic. It's all I wanted to do when I entered racing. We just train 30 and we are lucky enough to have a few stakes performers among them. There are a lot of guys like me. The country is full of very good horsemen and very good riders and we're all looking to get our hands on a good horse and show what you can do. Thankfully he walked through our door and he showed us very early on that he was talented.” He is looking at Royal Ascot now. “He's in the [June 19 G1] St James's Palace and [June 22 G1] Commonwealth Cup, we'll see how he comes out of this,” he added. “We're in the Commonwealth because he's always shown lots of pace in his work. But there's no doubt now he'll stay the mile and we'll talk to connections.”
Elarqam ended up a very disappointing sixth and trainer Mark Johnston's son and assistant Charlie had no explanation for the laboured effort. “It was a disappointing run–there are no two ways about it, but I spoke to dad briefly and he says there are no obvious physical issues,” he said. “My gut instinct is either that the ground was too quick or the trip too short or maybe both, but we'll get him home for the debrief and regroup. He's not become a bad horse overnight.”
This is not the first time that Holy Roman Emperor has been responsible for a big-priced Classic winneer, with Homecoming Queen (Ire) having taken the 2012 1000 Guineas at the same odds as Romanised. His dam Romantic Venture (Ire) (Indian Ridge {Ire}), who was a winner at the Galway festival for Moyglare Stud Farm and Dermot Weld, was sold for €40,000 to Brendan Corbett at the 2008 Goffs November Mares Sale. She went on to produce the G3 St Leger Italiano winner Rock of Romance (Ire) (Rock of Gibraltar {Ire}) and the dual listed-winning Fictional Account (Ire) (Stravinsky), who accounted for Fame and Glory (GB) (Montjeu {Ire}) in the 2011 Listed Irish St Leger Trial here. Romantic Venture is a full-sister to the G3 Brigadier Gerard S. and G3 Arc Trial S. winner Sights On Gold (Ire) and a half to the MG1SW and Hong Kong Horse of the Year Designs On Rome (Ire), who is also by Holy Roman Emperor, as well as the GII American Derby hero Simple Exchange (Ire) (Danehill). The third dam Seasonal Pickup (The Minstrel) won four races in listed company and her descendants include the G2 Feehan S. winner and G1 George Ryder S. runner-up Rekindled Interest (Aus) (Redoute's Choice {Aus}) and the G1 Irish Derby and G1 Tattersalls Gold Cup hero Grey Swallow (Ire) (Daylami {Ire}). Romantic Venture's 2-year-old full-sister to Romanised is named Roman Venture (Ire).
Saturday, Curragh, Ireland
TATTERSALLS IRISH 2000 GUINEAS-G1, €400,000, Curragh, 5-26, 3yo, 8fT, 1:38.93, g/f.
1–ROMANISED (IRE), 126, c, 3, by Holy Roman Emperor (Ire)">Holy Roman Emperor (Ire)
1st Dam: Romantic Venture (Ire), by Indian Ridge (Ire)
2nd Dam: Summer Trysting, by Alleged
3rd Dam: Seasonal Pickup, by The Minstrel
1ST BLACK-TYPE WIN; 1ST GROUP WIN; 1ST GROUP 1 WIN. O-Robert Ng; B-Mrs Monica Aherne (IRE); T-Ken Condon; J-Shane Foley. €233,000. Lifetime Record: GSP-Eng, 6-2-1-0, $298,407. *1/2 to Fictional Account (Ire) (Stravinsky), Hwt. Older Mare-Ire at 14f+, SW-Eng & Ire, $178,094; and Rock of Romance (Ire) (Rock of Gibraltar {Ire}), GSW-Ity, SW & MGSP-Ger, $125,944). Werk Nick Rating: B+. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
2–U S Navy Flag, 126, c, 3, War Front">War Front–Misty For Me (Ire), by Galileo (Ire). O-Derrick Smith, Susan Magnier & Michael Tabor; B-Misty For Me Syndicate (KY); T-Aidan O'Brien. €80,000.[bullet ad=”irt-shell”][bullet ad=”us-bred-ky-bred”]
3–Gustav Klimt (Ire), 126, c, 3, Galileo (Ire)–Massarra (GB), by Danehill. O-Susan Magnier, Michael Tabor & Derrick Smith; B-Orpendale, Chelston & Wynatt (IRE); T-Aidan O'Brien. €40,000.
Margins: 2 1/4, 1 1/4, 1. Odds: 25.00, 3.30, 4.50.
Also Ran: Threeandfourpence, Symbolization (Ire), Elarqam (GB), Theobald (Ire), Zihba (Ire), Landshark (GB), Would Be King (Ire), Spanish Point (GB). Click for the Racing Post result or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. Video, sponsored by Fasig-Tipton.
Not a subscriber? Click here to sign up for the daily PDF or alerts.
