Romanised is Guineas hero for Holy Roman

Fabulously reliable Holy Roman Emperor hit the jackpot on Saturday when Robert Ng’s Romanised (3c Holy Roman Emperor-Romantic Venture, by Indian Ridge) ran out an impressive winner of the G1 Irish 2,000 Guineas at the Curragh.

The three-year-old, bred by Monica Aherne, showed a brilliant turn of foot to finish late and claim the Classic success by two and a quarter lengths.

“He worked the best he's worked all spring last Tuesday and I felt he was going to run a big race,” said trainer Ken Condon. “He's always shown talent and he just seems to have come to himself in the last few weeks.

“It's just amazing to win a Classic. It's all I wanted to do when I entered racing. It's a very select club and to actually step into that club feels like you are walking through special doors to be considered one of those. I thought he'd run well but to win is magic.

"He's bred to want a trip but he's a horse that shows an awful lot of pace and I must admit I wasn't quite sure If he'd get the mile. I said yesterday if he relaxed early on he'd run a big race. Shane (Foley) just said after a furlong he tried to take a run and get strong with him but then he relaxed.

“He had a lot of ground to make up but he made it up steadily. It was a fast pace, a proper run race with no excuses, and he went to the line very strongly.”

Shane Foley added: "I've said it from day one that this is a really good horse. It worked out today thank God. We went a good gallop and this lad was even travelling off the gallop we were going.

"I just met a bit of traffic at the wrong time but he picked up well. He picked up in the style of a good horse.”