Romanised Completes Group Double For Holy Roman Emperor

Romanised (4c Holy Roman Emperor - Romantic Venture, by Indian Ridge) completed a quick-fire Group double for his sire when taking the Group 2 Minstrel Stakes at the Curragh on Saturday.

The seven furlong contest, which came 30 minutes after the Group 3 Anglesey Stakes won by Roman Turbo (Holy Roman Emperor), saw the Ken Condon-trained Romanised drop back in trip following his close fourth in the Group 1 Queen Anne Stakes over a mile. Billy Lee rode the bay in mid-division, making good headway to take thirdover a furlong out and quickened to lead in the final 150 yards. Pushed out to the line, he beat the favourite Hey Gaman, a Group 3 winner last time out, by a length.

A delighted Ken Condon commented after the race, “Billy said he quickened very smartly when the gap came and he was always just doing enough when he got to the front. He's more professional this year and I thought that was a lovely performance. He'll go to the Jacques Le Marois next.”

Owned by Robert Ng and bred by Mrs Monica Aherne, Romanised posted a career-best performance when winning last year’s Group 1 Irish 2,000 Guineas. Closely related to Group 3 winner Rock Of Romance (Rock Of Gibraltar), he is out of a half-sister to top-class Hong Kong performer Designs On Rome (Holy Roman Emperor).