Group Three Victory for Holy Roman Emperor

Talented mare Octavia (4m Holy Roman Emperor x Filming, Brocco) had the advantage of race fitness over many of her rivals in the Group III MRC Cockram Stakes at Caulfield on Saturday, leading throughout and fighting on with grim determination.

A dominant winner over the same course and distance at her previous run, albeit in lesser grade, Octavia started favourite and proved too good over the 1200 metres scoring by a long neck for Kerrin McEvoy.

“It’s a day where you couldn’t really lead and I know Kerrin (McEvoy) was worried about the wind and different factors but it was left up to him and he went forward and led,” said winning trainer Mike Moroney.

“We gave him Plan A,B,C and D actually but he took the race by the scruff of the neck.”

Octavia was purchased by Mike Moroney’s bloodstock agent brother Paul for $42,000 from the Newgate Farm draft at the 2011 Inglis Premier Yearling Sale and has the super consistent record of five wins and five placings from 11 starts with prizemoney topping $340,000.

Octavia is the best of four winners from winning Brocco mare Filming, a half-sister to Group III winner Real Mak from former slick juvenile Paklani. The family also features South African Group I winners Zirconeum and Stellite, as well as talented Sydney stakes-winner Jersey Lilly.

Octavia is one of 31 stakes-winners worldwide for Danehill’s Group I winning son Holy Roman Emperor, whose last crop of Australian bred progeny are two year-olds.

Holy Roman Emperor also featured at Rosehill where his talented son Honorius (4g Holy Roman Emperor x Zarinia, by Intikhab) resumed from a spell to score a resounding win and looks poised for a big campaign for the David Payne stable.

Group I placed last season at three and a half-brother to South African Horse of the Year Igugu, Honorius looks a bright spring prospect.