Stakes Success for Honorius
Quality entire Honorius (4h Holy Roman Emperor x Zarinia, by Intikhab) has been mixing it with the best of his generation for the past two seasons and finally landed a Black Type win when taking out the Group III ATC Craven Plate at Randwick on Saturday.
The David Payne trained son of Holy Roman Emperor travelled well in fourth for most of the run before surging home to beat talented import Masked Marvel (GB) by a short neck in the 2000 metre staying test, his overall record now four wins and eight placings from 23 starts with prizemoney nearing $500,000.
A homebred for Kia Ora Stud, Honorius was withdrawn from the 2010 Inglis Premier Yearling Sale and is a half-brother to champion South African mare Igugu, a four-time Group I winner.
He is third winner from three foals to race for Intikhab mare Zarinia (IRE), who has a yearling filly by High Chaparral and has already foaled this spring producing a filly by Fastnet Rock.
Honorius is the 33rd stakes-winner for Holy Roman Emperor, who shuttle to Australia for Coolmore for four seasons and is now permanently based in Ireland.